Details
RUSHDEN JULIANS
TL 33 SW
7/24 Julians
9.6.52
GV II*
Country house. c.1605 for W. Stone. Refronted and remodelled c.1710 for
A. Meetkerke, altered early C19. Again refronted, remodelled and
extended 1937-9 for Col. R. Cooper. Red brick, largely cement rendered.
Portland stone dressings. Tiled roof. Neo-Georgian Style. 2 storeys and
attics. 2:3:2 front with centre breaking forward. Plinth, angle quoins.
Central entrance: paired 8 panelled doors, Ionic pedimented doorcase.
Early C18 thick glazing bar sashes in reveals with C20 architraves.
First floor centre, 9 panes, lugged architrave with scrolled jambs.
Central pediment with Meetkerke arms in cartouche with putti and swags.
Cornice with coped parapet over outer bays. Roof hipped to front, 2
light segmental headed dormers at each end. Central valley has main
stack and tall C20 clock turret, round arched openings to octagonal
belfry, copper ogee head with weathervane. Left end: projecting at angle
with front is evidence of C18 refronting in an earlier section of wall
with 2 offsets. Projecting again is 2 storey 4 bay secondary entrance
elevation. Large door with integral semi-circular fanlight, rendered
surround. Scattered 1, 2 and 4 light casements and a sash. Moulded
eaves. Right end is 3 bays, glazing bar sashes. Central entrance, half
glazed door in reveal with early C18 pseudo-Ionic pedimented timber
doorcase, removed from front. Attached to rear and extending to right
is a C20 5 bay 1 storey music room with tall 18 pane architraved sashes,
parapet to hipped roof, central round headed windows in both ends,
extruded stack to rear. Rear elevation is largely C18 red brick. 3
storeys. 3 bays to left project slightly. Ground floor: entrance to
left, early C19 canted bay to right. First floor: large round-headed
staircase sash with gauged brick head. 2 sashes with gauged brick flat
arched heads. Plat band to second floor with three 2 light small pane
casements. Coped parapet. To right irregular fenestration, stack at
angle. Attached to rear left a lower 1 and 2 storey kitchen range,
square on plan with a hipped roof. Segmental headed 2 and 3 light
casements and a sash. Ridge stacks. Passageway through to rear. External
stack with offsets on left end which has an entrance. Right end and rear
to garden is 1 storey, an entrance with a leaded semi-circular fanlight,
scattered casements and a horizontal sliding sash, dentilled brick
eaves. 2 light dormer with a moulded flat head. Interior: early C18
dog-leg staircase, barley twist and fluted colonnette balusters arranged
2 to 1, fluted colonnette newels, open string with cheek pieces, moulded
ramped handrail, dado panelling. Early C18 dog-leg secondary staircase
with slightly bulbous balusters, closed string, moulded handrail. Late
C18 panelling and columnar screen in dining room. Neo-Georgian 'hall'.
Julians was formerly known as Rushden Place. (East Hertfordshire
Archaeological Society Transactions, Vol. 4, pt. 1, 1908-9: RCHM 1910:
VCH 1912: Country Life, 20 and 27/6 and 4/7/47: Pevsner 1977: RCHM
Typescript).
Listing NGR: TL3079232548