King of the Belgians
The King of the Belgians Public House, originally called King of Prussia, dates back
to the mid Cl 6th. It is painted brick and probably timber framed. It is one storey
with attics; five windows with C19th sashes and casements and two gabled dormers
with old two light casements. The roof is half hipped and there is an exterior stack at the west end and a central brick stack with decorative projecting courses. The public
house was said to be the preferred Ale House of Oliver Cromwell. It is also said to be haunted!
The Hurst
The Hurst is C18th with a painted brick front elevation comprising two storeys. The door is panelled double in a plain arched recess. It has a tiled roof with two gabled dormer windows. There is a single storey barn wing to the right. The rear was extended in the early C19, The chief feature is a big bow window on the south front_ Originally its grounds extended down to the river.
Isabella Bird Bishop (1831-1904) lived for a time at The Hurst She was an intrepid traveller, photographer and the first woman to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society.
The Barley Mow
Barley Mow was built in 1804 as an L-shaped one story building and attic. Its construction enjoys somewhat elevated origins. St Benet’s Church stood at 44 High Street Huntingdon. In the C16th it had four bells in the steeple, The Church suffered in the civil war but the tower remained standing in a ruinous and useless state until it was taken down in 1802 and the stones used to build the Barley Mow.
The Manor House
The Manor House dates from the late Cl5th or early C16th, a wall plaque states 1542. The house is two storey, timber framed and plastered with gable cross wings at both ends. The chimney stack was introduced into the main block at a later date. Inside the house the ground floor room of the main block has an original moulded ceiling beam. The walls are lined with early Cl8th panelling and the staircase has turned balusters and cut strings with curved brackets. The first floor has some early Cl8th panelling, doors and a fireplace with a moulded surround.
The Manor Farm House
The Manor Farm House is thought to be late Cl7th when it was home to the Steward of the Manor_ it was originally a three storey building with a gabled roof with a front facing dormer window. After falling into disrepair in the early C20th it was remodelled as two storeys with a hipped roof and the external rear and side walls were rendered. The central brick chimney stack was retained. Inside, three original inglenook fireplaces are retained.
Hartford House
is an L-shaped red brick house dated about 1720 and probably incorporating some earlier work. There are two storeys and an attic, five windows with sashes and glazing bars; rubbed brick segmental arches on the ground floor and flat arches on the first floor. A modern glazed door has replaced the second window from the left. There is a brick dentil cornice. parapet and old tile roof with one dormer window and brick end stacks. There is a wing with similar windows to the west.
The Garden Wall of Hartford House is listed in its own right. It is a red brick wall of scenic value, It is mostly Cl8th with some recent renovation along The Hollow.
All Saints Church
All Saints Church is partly Norman and belonged to the Augustinian friary of Huntingdon. It has two aisles and an attractive tower. While undergoing repairs in 1861 it was found to include stone coffins, mural paintings, and other interesting objects of the Saxon and the Norman times. The church's great tithes and the patronage formed part of the marriage settlement of Oliver Cromwell's wife.
Its commanding position offers a particularly beautiful view (much admired by William Cowper) of the River Great Ouse as it flows from Bedford down to the sea beyond King's Lynn.
All Saints website has interesting articles of local history
4,5 & 6Church Lane
Numbers 4,5,6,Church Lane are a row of three cottages (017th & 18th) in Church Lane next to the Church and overlooking the river. The three roofs are old tiles with an old brick central stack to number 4. The cottages were originally red brick though number 5 was re-fronted in white brick with 3 storey modern bays.
HARTFORD was popular with artists in Victorian time especially the river and the water meadows. However around this time Karl Marx published a criticism of the very poor housing conditions of cottages in the area.
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