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With a history spanning over a millenium, the town has a wide range of buildings dating back hundreds of years, along with many interesting examples of modern architecture.

The storeys and roofs above the eyeline are often missed as we go about our daily lives.

This gallery takes a look at our buildings from street level and alternative views of the rooftops of Hertford.

Chimneys and aerials. This view was taken from the top of the Gascoyne Way multi-storey car park looking towards Castle Street. The group of four chimney pots in the immediate foreground are in Church Street. The stack with three pots behind is the Old Vicarage. The two chimney stacks in the background with the three pots on can be found at 20 Castle Street.
Chimneys in Old Hall Street. These cottages were built in the latter years of the 19th Century by the Andrews and Thornton families. Coal fireplaces were the source of heat in most homes until central heating became established in the 1970s.
24 Castle Street was once the gateway to Hertford Castle, built around 1800 when it was a private residence occupied by the Marquess of Downshire. The building was listed in 1950. The Official listing describes the roof as including "castellated parapets with stone copings and red brick Tudor style clustered shafted octagonal chimneys"
These 17th century buildings in St.Andrew Street feature a mosaic of rooftiles and chimneypots.
Five individual dormer windows, only two the same - can you tell which?
This turret is a feature of the 19th century post office in Fore Street
The girls school in the foreground was built in 1778. The larger dormitories behind were built in 1904.
Hale's Grammar School was built in the early 17th century. Although the octagonal chimney is original, other features may be later additions.
In the centre of this picture is No.8 The Wash, built in the late 1500s it features a slated gambrel roof. A gambrel roof, also known as a Dutch colonial roof, is characterized by two slopes on each side. Several examples can be found in Hertford. To the left is a later C16/17 building with a tiled roof. The other buildings are early 20th century additions to the streetscene.
Glazed turrets or roof lanterns can be found on some buildings around the town. This fine example can be found not far from the town centre.
Replica owls can sometimes be found on rooftops to scare off other birds and predators. This example sits on the roof of 64 Fore Street.
Unlike the replica owls, this is probably for decorative rather than any practical purpose.
One of the more recognisable rooflines of Hertford - Bircherley Court - opposite the bus station.
Originally built in 1974 and renovated in 2011 by Kyle Smart Associates, this bold redevelopment saw the introduction of angular vertical and horizontal lines, along with striking colours and features.
Porcelain insulators like these were once commonly used to support overhead telephone and telegraph wires and can still be found on the side of buildings around the town.
This bi-place sits atop Beeson's Yard in Railway Street
The slated roofs of these mid-Victorian workmens' cottages in Spencer Street contrast with the "aircraft hanger" aluminium roofs of Smeaton Court beyond.
These mock tudor chimneypots on the former Queens Head in Fore Street can give the impression that the building is older than its mid-Victorian origins.
The spire of St.Joseph's Catholic Church rises above the rooflines of Shaftesbury Quay in the foreground and Mitre Court beyond. A skylight in the roof of The Waterfront in Mill Road can also be seen.
Another roof that will be familiar to many residents - that of the Gravesons building, with its two distinctive dormers and decorative slates.
The roof of the Grade II listed Hertford East station features a louvred cupola and glazed rooflights.
View showing John Briant's clock on Shire Hall, along with St.Andrew's church spire beyond and the roof of BEAM Hertford theatre. Can you spot decoy owl on the roof of Sheffield's pharmacy?

Published 25th September 2024

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