My wife's ancestors - Gibbon - Contents

Lawn House, Hunton Bridge

Beside the railway line, Hunton Bridge Hill, Hunton Bridge (or Huntonbridge), near Watford, Hertfordshire.
Also called "The Lawn".
Though NOT called "The Lawn House".
Now called "The Kings Lodge".

• References:
  • Kings Langley, Scott Hastie, 1991, [WCL] LOC RR.
  • The King's Lodge at English Heritage.

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • Article about the house, Country Life, 9 April 1943.
  • Hertfordshire Archaeology, vol.8, 1983, p. 163.

Lawn House (now The Kings Lodge).
Click to rotate. From street view.

Lawn House is of late 15th century origin.
Re-built 1642 as a hunting lodge for Charles I (executed 1649).

It was the home of Arthur F.V. Gibbon and family.
The Gibbons were living there by 1913.
The Gibbon family portraits hung here.
See photo of portraits hanging here in 1913.
Think they left by 1917.

The house is now called The Kings Lodge Hotel (a restaurant, bar and hotel), 28 Bridge Road, Hunton Bridge, Kings Langley.

Huntonbridge on 1913 map.
Lawn House (now The Kings Lodge) is at the railway line, just below "I.040".
See modern map.

Lawn House for sale.
Cutting in the Gibbon papers, showing this is their house.
Picture is of the back.
See full size.

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The front

The front. Photo 1914.
See larger and original and full size original.

The front. Photo 1914.
See larger and original and full size original.
See also small scan of c.1913 photo. Original photo has been destroyed.

The front, when the Gibbons lived there.
See larger and original and full size original.

The front. Photo taken later than the above.
The LHS door has been moved to the LHS corner, and a new window constructed where the door used to be.
Photo hanging on the wall of the pub as at 2019. See full size.

The front. Photo 1998.
See larger and full size.

The front. Photo 1998.
Date "1642" over the door.
See full size. See other scan.

The front. Photo 2003.
See larger and full size.
See other scan.

The front, 2008.
Note panels have been painted.
Photo copyright Jaffer Bhimji. Used here with permission. Reproduction prohibited.
See larger and full size.

The front.
Photo 2019. See full size.

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The back

The back. "View of back of house taken from the orchard, Apr 1913".
Scan 1999. Original photo has been destroyed.

The back, when the Gibbons lived there.
See larger and original and full size original.

The back. Photo 2003.
Clearly the same house as above.
See larger and full size. See other scan.
See other angle.

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The Royal crest

The Royal crest is over the fireplace in the lounge.
This is NOT the Gibbon crest.

The Royal crest over the fireplace, when the Gibbons lived there.
This proves it is the same house, despite some changes to the front.
The crest here is clearly not painted.
See larger and original and full size original.

The Royal crest over the fireplace. Photo 1998.
See larger and full size.

The Royal crest.
Photo 2019. See full size.
See wider view.