Morley Ponds
Wareside, Hertfordshire
Architect: Patty Hopkins
Request viewingRegister for similar homes“A slice of The Hamptons in leafy, rural Hertfordshire”
Designed by pioneering high-tech architect Patty Hopkins OBE, this five-bedroom house has been beautifully remodelled and extended by its current owners. A contemporary and curated take on the farmhouse form, its impressive footprint spans over 3,570 sq ft. The house has expansive gardens that amass over three acres and provide a tree-filled backdrop strewn with enchanting interventions including a photographer’s garden studio, a Cape Cod-style wood cabin and a productive apple and plum orchard.
The Architect
The house was designed in 1970 by the celebrated architect Patty Hopkins, who established the internationally renowned Hopkins Architects with her late husband Michael. The pair were honoured with the prestigious RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture. Perhaps best known for their larger projects such as Portcullis House in Westminster (part of the Parliamentary Estate) and the London Velodrome, Hopkins completed this smaller-scale, domestic project as a family retreat. For more information, see the History section.
The Tour
A quiet country road approaches the house, leading to a newly created path that guides towards the front of the plan. The house’s rooting in its expansive grounds is clear at first sight, with mature maple trees and well-tendered wisteria that climbs the hewn boarded façade.
The principal entrance is to a generous hallway, with speckled terrazzo floor tiles and plenty of natural light. Adjacent is ample storage and a WC/shower room, as well as a side entrance with a handy boot and utility room, ideal for after a muddy walk.
Double Crittall-style doors lead through to the open-plan living space that stretches across the width of the original footprint. Beautiful honey-hued oak parquet unfurls underfoot and a dramatic wood burner flue extends up to the dramatic triple-height pitch. A bank of glazing opens to the terrace, harmoniously blending inside and out.
The kitchen area has been expanded to include a substantial Corian-topped island. Special attention has been paid to interspersing colour into the space, achieved here through Bert and May tiles and Paper and Paint ‘Apple Smiles II’ on the cabinetry. There is also a walk-in pantry just off the kitchen.
Tucked around the corner is an expansive sitting area that overlooks the wrapping grounds and the tranquil pond. A grand fireplace sits centrally, providing a cosy focal point on colder days.
The main bedroom sits on the ground floor, continuing the lofty theme with a ceiling that rises with the roofline. A bank of bespoke wardrobes line one wall and double-glazed doors lead to a patioed area and the garden, a spot ideal for a morning coffee. A luxurious en suite has soft pink and green tiles and fittings that contrast with the free-standing soaking tub. There is a further double bedroom on this level; impeccably finished, it has rectangle picture windows that frame leafy views.
Stairs ascend from the kitchen area (with the original bannisters in keeping with the Hopkins’ signature high-tech style) to a mezzanine level. White-painted floorboards with a pink checkboard design spread across the landing area (currently set out as a study space) and lead the eye towards a set of built-in steel ladder steps that reach to the second floor. With limited head height, this provides overflow play and work space. Two further light-filled double bedrooms, both with colourful en suites, complete the considered first-floor layout.
Some of the newest additions outside are the garaging, photography studio and office space, along with the enchanting cabin. The latter is clad in Siberian larch that, while striking now, will develop a deep, arresting patina as it ages.
Outside Space
Formerly part of the nearby Morley Hall estate, the house is reached via a newly created track leading off a country road. Surrounded by verdant gardens, there is a sprawling lawn, an area of woodland, two ponds, a chicken house and planted borders. There is also a hidden garden surrounded by tall evergreen yew trees.
There is a wonderful array of plants and trees, including wild cherry, Chinese handkerchief tree and impressive elms. The gardens mainly border barley fields and provide a wonderful setting all year round. An orchard with apple and plum trees produces around 100 bottles of cider yearly. The cider press will come with the house.
The Area
Set just outside the picturesque village of Wareside, the house is around a 10-minute walk to its centre which has a post office, shop and The Chequer’s Inn, a family-run Grade-II listed pub dating from the 15th century. There is a host of ancient footpaths and bridleways to explore and easy access to an abundance of walks in the area such as the Amwell Nature Reserve which forms part of the Lee Valley.
A monthly farmer’s market in Ware is only three miles away and has a wealth of independent and organic growers selling delicious locally-grown fare. Ware Priory Lido, built in 1934 and renovated in 2023, is an enticing outdoor swimming spot.
The historic market town of Bishops Stortford is under 25 minutes away by car and has several enticing cafés and bakeries for coffee and pastries, including Rosey Lea, Pasticceria Di Leo and a handy Waitrose.
Schooling options in the area include plenty of primary schools rated as”Good” by Ofsted within a three-mile radius and the ‘Outstanding’ Presdales Secondary School and The Chauncy School are very handy
There are easy commuting links to London. A mainline runs directly from Ware Station to Liverpool Street in around 42 minutes, while Welwyn Garden City trains run to Kings Cross in 28 minutes. London is approximately 25 miles south and can be easily reached by car via the M11 or A10.
Council Tax Band: G
Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.
History
The house near Ware was designed in 1970 by Patty Hopkins (later Lady Hopkins) for the brother of her husband, Michael Hopkins (later Sir Michael Hopkins).
On the site were former farm workers’ cottages, part of which were retained with this house. To a small extent, the house is a conversion, although later extensions by Hopkins make the original parts only a very small part of the overall building.
Although this was an early design by Hopkins, who was in her late 20s at the time, the themes that would emerge in the later work of Hopkins Architects are apparent here. Principally, there is an interest in clarity of construction and spatial arrangement. It wasn’t much later in the mid-1970s that Michael and Patty designed their famous steel-frame house in Hampstead. Although at first glance this appears to bear little resemblance to the house in Ware, Hopkins has said that “they both show [their] strong interest in frame houses”.
In 1970, Patty and Michael bought a 16th-century timber frame farmhouse in Suffolk; their extensive work on this and investigations into the way it was built largely informed the design of the house at Ware and, perhaps to a lesser extent, their house in Hampstead.
Patty and Michael went on to form Hopkins Architects later in the decade, with the pair being among a powerful group of architects who redefined British architecture at that time. Alongside the likes of Richard Rogers, Norman Foster and Nicholas Grimshaw, they became known for what was termed the ‘high-tech’ style. Although in many senses this was a futuristic approach to architecture, embracing as it did new materials and ideologies, it was also an attempt to get back to the simple, elemental essentials of architecture.
