A History of Preston
in Hertfordshire
The complex was designed by Lutyens for Mr H G Fenwick in 1913 as the farm for Temple Dinsley. It was known as Home Farm, then Minsden Farm but today it is called Ladygrove.
The buildings have solid walls, with no cavity, in English bond, with alternate rows of ‘headers’ and ‘stretchers’. The brickwork is dark red with dressing of a lighter red. The roofs are steep and are of handmade red tiles.
The farm is compactly laid out with single and 1 ½ storey buildings (B and C) arranged
around a courtyard and dairy complex. This is open-
The view towards the two cottages from School Lane is symmetrical. The identical,
detached homes are 1 ½ storeys high with steeply pitched mansard roofs of hand-
In 1945, the cottages had two living rooms, kitchen, scullery, bathroom, three bedrooms
and an outside barn/wash-
To the east of the courtyard are now stables. In 1945, there were nine calf pens,
five calving boxes and a seven-
In the centre of the courtyard is Dairy Cottage which is surrounded by stables. In
1945, the building comprised a dairy, washing room, butter room, sterilizing room
with a Hallmark automatic refrigerator and boiler house. By 1970, the dairy had fallen
derelict, but then it was renovated, re-
To the south of the courtyard is a cattle yard with three lower-
Clearly, the farm has changed from a dairy operation sixty years ago to the stud farm that it is nowadays.
Built in 1912 as the estate carpenter’s home, Kiln Wood Cottage (shown below) and linked outhouse were designed by Lutyens for Mr H. G. Fenwick.
The house is of two storeys. It is built of red bricks in English bond -
At the front on ground level is an off-
The typical Lutyens large chimney has a waisted top and clasping corner pilasters.
The cottage originally had two living rooms, a kitchen, a scullery, three bedrooms and a bathroom. It was sold on 18 September 1945 as part of the Minsden Estate.
1 and 2 Hitchwood Cottages (shown below).
In 1913, Lutyens designed two estate cottages for Mr H. G. Fenwick along Highwood
Lane (see map above). They were associated with Home Farm (now Ladygrove).These are
semi-
They are built with a narrow red brick with lighter red bricks around the windows and at the corners of the buildings. The gable ends and south side are tile hung and the cottages has a steep roof of red tiles. There is a large central chimney which has recessed panels and a waisted top. The flush casement windows have small panes with wide glazing bars. On the north side, there is a recess in the middle of the cottages which is filled by a first floor window for both. Also on this side is a moulded plank front door set in a heavy frame.
The cottages had a living room, kitchen, scullery, larder and three bedrooms. On 18 September 1945 they were sold as part of the Minsden estate.
1
5
6
3
Kiln Wood Cottage
2
4