Description

HERTFORD

TL3212NW ST ANDREW STREET
817-1/16/223 (North side)
10/02/50 No.52
Cecil House

GV II*

House, now offices. Main house 1774-78 (built by William
Hanscomb under licence from the Gascoyne Cecil, Earl of
Salisbury's estates), with outshut with some reused C17
timber; surgery to mid 1960s, now offices. Dark red-brown
brick, Flemish bond, with orange-red dressings, sides and rear
stuccoed. Old tiled double 'M' roof behind front parapet, with
brick chimneys with projecting bands; old tile roof over rear
outshut. Double-depth plan, four main rooms with central
staircase-hall, with central service stair to right.
EXTERIOR: 5-bay front block of 3 storeys and basement. First
floor has 5 slightly recessed 12-pane sash windows, with
exposed boxes, under red rubbed flat arches, with red brick
jambs; second floor five 9-pane sashes; to ground-floor four
12-pane sashes, with segmental-arched openings to basement at
pavement level. Plat bands at first and second floors and
above second-floor windows. Central 'Strawberry Hill gothick'
doorcase and porch. Recessed 6 traceried panel door, upper 4
glazed, and traceried 4-light fanlight, recessed in matching
traceried panelled reveals, flanked by flat pilasters, from
which project tented open-gabled canopy roof. Eaves cornice,
traceried frieze at sides, and slender clustered columns with
amulet rings and projecting bases, with matching responds.
Shallow stone slab step to porch, and nosed stone step to
entrance.
Rear elevation has irregular fenestration, with landing sash
windows dropped a half floor. 2-storey rear outshoot, first
floor (former hayloft until 1965) with C20 casement windows
and 1 flush-set sash at right; ground floor with two 16-pane
sashes, and central door.
INTERIOR: principal rooms remodelled late C19, and 6-panel
doors on ground floor have Art Nouveau brass fingerplates.
Hall has late C18 panelled dado. Former kitchen extends into
rear outshoot, and has brick-arched fireplace. Dogleg stair
with close string, Tuscan column newels, moulded handrail and
panelled dado. Service stair has country Chippendale
balustrade.
First-floor rooms retain C18 moulded wood cornices of double
cyma and frieze profile, front right-hand room has fire
surround with eared architrave. Large rear room extends into

outshoot, and has long chamfered beam with tongue (possibly
reused from earlier building on site), and C18 cornice,
panelling and dado and door with 'L' pattern hinges. Attics
have substantial cupboards.
Roof has riven rafters, but thin ridge board, side purlins and
collars above attic ceilings. Cellar access below back stair
and main stair, brick walls and floor, battened doors, 3 main
compartments, vaulted wine cellar and coal cellar.
This was a substantial town house, notable for its fashionable
porch and doorcase. Its name indicates its Salisbury family
connection.
(Hertfordshire Countryside: Forrester H: Hertford homes in
Georgian days: Letchworth: 1946-1961: 150-152; The Buildings
of England: Pevsner N: Hertfordshire: Harmondsworth: 1977-:
192; Smith JT: Hertfordshire Houses: Selective Inventory:
London: 1993-: 88).

Listing NGR: TL3228712587

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17554092

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)