Description

The following buildings shall be added:-

TL 1406 NE HOLYWELL HILL

14/333 No 27 (Including gates and
gatepiers adjoining south side)

GV II

Offices. 1910-11 by Percival C. Blow for Messrs Ryder and Sons,
seed and bulb merchants. English bond red brick with stone
dressings and granite ashlar plinth. Plain tile hipped roof
behind parapet. Double depth plan with central entrance hall with
stair-well behind 4 main offices flanking at front and rear.
Combination of Arts and Crafts and Wrenaissance styles. 2 storeys
and basement. Symmetrical 1:3:1 bay west front with stone
modillion cornice continuing around projecting end bays which
have banded pilasters with wreaths in their friezes and slightly
bowed 4-light stone mullion transom first and second floor
windows with leaded panes; between the first and second floor
windows large carved stone reliefs depicting agricultural scenes
of ploughing, sewing and harvesting with large figures of a god
and goddess. At centre steps to stone portico with composite
half-column panel in frieze dated 1911 and segmented pediment
containing fielded panel double doors and overlight; flanked by
stone cross-mullion-transom, windows with keystones in flat brick
arches: band above and 3 first floor bullseye window with moulded
terracotta festoons. Including gateway and adjoining right
(south) with stone banded brick piers on granite plinths and with
moulded caps and ornate cast-iron double gates to carriageway
with balusters and geometric patterns. Interior: largely
unaltered and containing many original features including:-
Entrance lobby with vaulted tiled ceiling and pilastered and
pedimented mahogany screen. Staircase with mahogany balustrade
with wreathed handrail and moulded balusters. Stairs, landing and
central first floor office lit by domes with leaded stained glass
panes and with moulded trailing vine pilaster- work on walls.
Front right hand first floor office has mahogany chimneypiece
with segmental pedimented overmantel containing arms.
Note: built by local builders Miskins for Samuel Ryder, the seed
merchant. He became mayor of St Albans in 1905 and a deacon of
Trinity. Ryder was the presenter of the Ryder Cup, the Great
Britain Versus U.S. golf tournament trophy. Buried under the
foundations is a Bottle containing packets of seeds, a seed
catalogue and a history of the firm.

Listing NGR: TL1467106965

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26543273

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

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy