Cottered. Town Houses

 

Block of 3 houses with front garden. Photo by A. Whitford Anderson. Aug 1909

Courtesy of Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies ref DE/X1042/2/16b

 

Cottered Town Houses. Mar 2017

Colin Wilson

 

Cottered Town Houses from the main road. Sep 2017

Colin Wilson

 

Cottered Town Houses showing the rear. Sep 2017

Colin Wilson

 

The front entrance to Cottered Town Houses. Sep 2017

Colin Wilson

 

The cartouche above the front door. Sep 2017

Colin Wilson

 

OS 25" map Hertfordshire XIII.3 1923, showing location of Town Houses and Page's almshouse

Courtesy of Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies

Robert Page died in 1492. The details of his bequests do not mention any almshouse provision.

The original building, which belonged to Robert Page’s Charity, was built next to the churchyard. VCH says that the charity purchased other properties in 1553 and that the building belonged to the charity. Hence it may or may not have been built later.

That building was pulled down by Dr. Chauncy, the rector from 1723 till 1762, who left £200 for the erection of a new building a short distance from the original site. According to Historic England the date 1767 is cut into the brick by the central cartouche but this was not apparent when visited in 2017. In 1819 it was used by the parish as a poor-house, retaining the name of the Town House. Originally 3 almshouses, it is now one house. When visited in 2017 it was confirmed as being a private property.

Cussans makes no reference to the building. It was grade II listed by Historic England in 1967, ref 1101288.

Readers are also referred the the article about Cottered Page.

Location

OS 25” map Hertfordshire XIII.3 1923
Georef:      531682 229288
Grid ref:    51 56′ 48″N   0 05′ 08″W

References

Books

Glimpses of Cottered, by Neville Chuck,
Includes photo by Joan Cartwright dated 1905
Copyright Friends of Cottered Church 2006
ISBN10: 0-9553142-0-9 and ISBN 13: 9783-09553142-0-9

The Victoria County History of the County of Hertford (4 vols). Ed William Page
Vol 3 pp 227 / 32. Includes a drawing by Paul Rock dated 1911. This is almost the same as Whitford Anderson’s photograph.
Issued Archibald Constable & Co. 1912. Reprint by Dawsons of Pall Mall 1971 (ISBN 0 7129 0477 8)
This publication been digitised by British History Online (BHO) and is available online at www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/herts/vol3/pp226-232

Documents held at HALS

DP/32/25/7; surrogate: mf 332
Terrier of Town Lands, 1603
Copy of Cottered Enclosure Act, 1806; copy of Robert Page’s will, nd
1603 – 1806

DE/X1042/2/16b
Town Houses. A block of three houses with front garden [were used as almshouses]
11 Aug 1909
Whitford Anderson photo.

DE/X1025/2/28/40 and DE/X1025/2/28/41
Photographs: the old town house [Previously the almshouses]
nd [mid 20th century]

Websites (accessed Feb 2021)

Historic England
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1101288