Lutyens Hill End

A History of Preston

in Hertfordshire

Hill End (now three properties: Langley End, Bathgate and Clifton Houses) is a Georgian revival-style H-shaped house of two stories with flanking cross-wings. There is an adjoining two-storey service wing which is now Clifton House. The steep roof is made of red handmade tiles and there is a large rectangular central chimney stack and balancing slabs of chimneys atop the two cross-wings.

At the front elevation, the roof sweeps down to a single storey at the entrance - ‘the low eaves of the entrance front are intimate in scale’. There are central double doors which are flanked by small-paned four-lights casement windows. On the roof slope are three hipped, lead-glazed, dormer windows which are set in oak frames.

The rear garden elevation (view C) is symmetrical with seven french casements at ground level and above them seven casement windows at the first floor - ‘they make for a distinctive appearance’. An echo of Temple Dinsley are the tall piers capped by stone and urns - these are linked by a panelled parapet.

Langley End Cottage (formerly Cottage at Hill End, below) is a T-shaped asymmetrical house with a long single storey wing and a short 1 ½ -storey wing. It has white, small-paned wooden casement windows with heavy glazing bars. Some windows have a tile lintel and drip

The steep roof is constructed with red hand-made tiles. There are two large internal square chimneys, each with clasping corner pilasters and waisted top.

1 and 2 Hill End Farm Cottages (below), originally with an adjoining dairy, are a in a single 1 ½ storey block with gable windows. In the recessed centre, which gives a two-storey elevation between the lower wings, there are red tiles hung to the first floor.

The steep roofs are made of red tiles with a continuous tiled eaves corbel and there is a huge central chimney stack with clasping corner pilasters and waisted top. The front doors are made of planked wood and there are small-paned, wooden flush white windows.

To the south of Langley End Cottage is an 17/18th century weather boarded barn. The white-painted boards on the gable tops which represent a V-shaped roof truss may have been added by Lutyens around 1911.

In addition to the building mentioned above, Lutyens also designed two other buildings at Langley End. Firstly, a barn at Hill End Farm; it is a long 1 ½ storey building with a steep red-tiled roof. He also designed a generator house, which has now been converted into a house, and an adjoining wall.

Hill End, which is now known as Langley End, is approached by a lane from the B651 between St Pauls Walden and Ippollitts. It is on the brow of a hill which rises above woodland (shown right).

In 1911/12, Lutyens was commissioned by Mr H G Fenwick of Temple Dinsley to design several houses and buildings at Hill End, now Langley End:

Hill End (now Langley End House, Bathgate House and Clifton House).

Cottage at Hill end (now, Langley End Cottage).

1 and 2 Hill End Farm Cottages and dairy.

A generator house ( now a house, Bridle Ways) and wall.

A barn at Hill End Farm and possible alterations to two other barns.

The houses are of similar unifying construction using narrow red bricks with a dressing of lighter red bricks in English bond, alternate rows of ‘headers’ and ‘stretchers’.

Hill End - (above) side and front elevation; (below) rear garden view

Lutyen’s Legacy -

Hill End