Description

WARE TOWN

TL3514SE HIGH STREET
829-1/9/109 (North side)
08/05/50 No.56
The French Horn Inn

GV II*

Former inn range, now retracted, with present public house
accessible from Church Street, and commercial ground floor
with living accommodation over High Street buildings. C16 and
C17, High Street range set back and refronted c1849, with
later alterations. Timber-framed, front range encased in brick
and part stuccoed over, rear range stucco first floor,
underbuilt in brick. Old tiled roofs, concealed by tall
parapet on front range.
EXTERIOR: front range 2 storeys and attics. First floor
colourwashed brick, stucco parapet above, stucco ground floor.
First floor west elevation 3 mid C19 triple-light, plate
glazed sash windows in reveal below flat arches, one similar
to south elevation. Moulded cornice below windows. Ground
floor has 2 inserted mid C20 shopfronts with plate glass
display windows facing west, one facing south. North elevation
C17, 2 storeys and attics, stucco-faced, with 2 sash windows
with glazing bars on ground floor and first floors, one
casement on first floor. North face of roof has box casement
dormer to attic.
Public house currently occupies north-east range. C17,
timber-framed, stucco-faced, old tiled roof. 2 storeys, first
floor with 2 flush set sash windows with glazing bars, two C20
3-light sash windows on yellow brick underbuilt ground floor,
and C20 closed brick porch with gabled old tiled roof. Single
storey range of former stables runs north towards detached
coach house, listed separately (qv).
INTERIOR: the principle internal feature is a mid C17 newel
staircase constructed within the northern part of the south
range to serve the new block of taller rooms, and those in the
older parts of the south range, reached from the half-landings
(RCHM). The staircase is of open-well plan. The newels have
heavily moulded finials and pierced pendants. The staircase is
of closed string construction with moulded strings. The
handrails are heavily moulded, and each flight and landing has
carved, pierced panels featuring geometrical motifs.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the French Horn is one of the most historic
inn sites in Ware, but subsequent division into several
properties and partial demolition, and later remodelling makes
the plan difficult to interpret. The ground floor projected
further southwards into High Street, and was jettied on both
the High Street and Church Street frontages, with a dragon
post on the corner. The adjoining buildings to the east, Nos
54 and 54b (qv) appear to have formed part of the premises,
which had multiple gables, facing south and west. The inn was
refurbished early to mid C17, and extended on the north, and
the present north front, facing the former inn yard, dates
from that period. The approach to the inn yard was from Church
Street, known earlier as French Horn Lane, with a long range
of outbuildings along its frontage, demolished early C20.
There was also a narrow yard to the east, approached beneath
No.54b. Although greatly reduced in size, The French Horn is
the only major historic inn site in Ware which retains its
original use and name. Listed as Grade II* for the exceptional
quality of the staircase.
(Edwards E and Perman D: Ware's Past In Pictures: Ware: 1991-:
10, 11, 135; Hunt EM: The History of Ware: Hertford:
1986-1946: 105-106; Smith JT: English Houses 1200-1800. The
Hertfordshire Evidence: London: 1992-: 172, 173; Smith JT:
Hertfordshire Houses. Selective Inventory: London: 1993-:
198; Ware 25" to 1 Mile. Surveyed by the Ordnance Survey
Department: 1851-; Forrester H: Timber Framed Buildings in
Hertford and Ware: Hitchin: 1964-: 39-40; Branch Johnson W:
Hertfordshire Inns: Letchworth: 1962-: 98; Transactions of the
East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society: Hunt EM: The French
Horn: 1945-1949: 138-9; Moodey GE: East Hertfordshire
Archaeological Society Newsletter: 1, 4: Hertford: 1949-1954).

Listing NGR: TL3584814337

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17554029

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.

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