If you think this information is inaccurate please e-mail corrections to Hertfordshire HER .

Summary

17th century rectory at medieval moated site

Monument Types

• COACHMANS COTTAGE (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)
• STABLE (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)
• TIMBER FRAMED BARN (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)
• TIMBER FRAMED HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)
• VICARAGE (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Events

• Monitoring at Anstey House, Mill Lane, Anstey, 2014 (Ref: AHA14)
• Monitoring at Anstey House, Mill Lane, Anstey, 2017 (Ref: AHA17)

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 160239: BARN AT ANSTEY HOUSE (40 METERS TO NORTH OF HOUSE)
• Listed Building (II) 160238: ANSTEY HOUSE

Full description

Anstey House was built in the later 17th century, possibly for the Stone family, or Sir Roland Lytton of Knebworth, who bought the manor and advowson from them in 1666. It is associated with James Fleetwood, Chaplain to Charles II (and who was rector after the Restoration before becoming bishop of Worcester), and Robert Neville, author of the comedy 'The Poor Scholar', who was made rector in 1671 by Sir Roland Lytton <1, 2>. This is a two-storey timber-framed house with cellar and attics, facing north towards the road, the exterior now roughcast with panelled pargetting. It was renovated in the early 18th century, and again by the Rev Mr Maplecroft who was rector in the years 1784-1806; he added a SW extension. The plan is of an irregular three cells, adapted to provide a wide through stair hall with cellar below, drawing rooms to the west and services and dining room to the east. This eastern part was restored after a fire in 1959-60, removing the service stair. The north front is irregular, with the door off-centre towards the west; one of the ground floor windows has 'Stally 1767' etched into the glass. The door is 18th century, in a pedimented wooden doorcase on Ionic pilasters, added c.1960 with two French 18th century ornamental iron lamp brackets. In the roof are three hipped dormers. Inside, the details include the main staircase, doors, panelling, and the roof timbers <1>.

The house stands within a medieval moat [1946], so must have replaced earlier buildings. 40m north of the house is a thatched timber-framed barn on a red brick sill, which relates to an earlier house; the west three bays are late 16th century and the east end, six narrower bays, is late 17th century. The south side, facing the house, is weatherboarded; the north side facing the road is roughcast. It is a long building with tall roof and low side walls, and in the 18th century was converted into a coachman's house with the insertion of casement windows and a large internal brick chimney in the third bay from the west end. The east end has central double doors, several stable doors and small windows <1>.

The later 19th century OS maps <3, 4> show the house in the centre of the moated island, and the coachman's house/stable outside the moat by the road to the north. The complex stands on Hale Hill, a low promontory projecting into the valley. It is shown on the 1766 map <5> with a small park and what appears to be formal gardens, which would be expected for such a house. See [43], a mound within a square 'moat' 60m to the SW, and [16819], earthworks of possible fishponds. Both may be relics of the post-medieval formal gardens.

Nothing other than topsoil over natural was found along the north side of the house in 2014 <5>. In 2017, however, footings for an extension on the SE side of the house revealed post-medieval features (as well as a medieval pit [31539]). A linear feature running beneath the late 17th century east wall may be of Tudor date, possibly a robber trench resulting from the removal of an earlier structure. In the top was a fragment of what may have been a Tudor brick. Three early post-medieval layers appear to represent levelling for the construction of the 17th century house. Various brick drains dug into these levelling layers were probably 18th to 19th century in date <6>.

Dury & Andrews, 1766, A topographical map of Hartford-shire, from an actual survey… (Cartographic material). SHT3062.

Bryant, A, 1822, Map of the county of Hertford from actual survey in the years 1820 and 1821 (Cartographic material). SHT2160.

<1> Listed Buildings description (Digital archive). SHT6690.

<2> Page, W (ed.), 1914, VCH Hertfordshire vol.4, - p13 (Bibliographic reference). SHT3026.

<3> OS 25 inch map, 1st edition, 1878-92 (Cartographic material). SHT8116.

<4> OS 25 inch map, 2nd edition (1897-1901), 1898 (Cartographic material). SHT8113.

<5> Ennis, Trevor, 2014, Anstey House, Anstey, Hertfordshire: archaeological monitoring and recording, RNO 3415 (Report). SHT9207.

<6> Ennis, Trevor, 2017, Archaeological watching brief: Anstey House, Anstey, Hertfordshire, RNO 3967 (Report). SHT18244.

Sources and further reading

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.