The 20th century was a time of relative peace and plenty at Julians Park. This secluded, 183-acre residential and farming estate sits on the edge of the small rural village of Rushden, six miles from Baldock and eight miles from the commuter hub of Stevenage in north Hertfordshire. It’s now for sale via Strutt & Parker at £5.75 million.
At its heart stands a beautifully proportioned Georgian house, listed Grade II*. Originally known as Rushden Place, it was built in 1605 for William Stone, re-fronted and remodelled in 1710 for one Adolphus Meetkerke and further altered in the late 1930s by Col Reginald Cooper.
An article by Christopher Hussey in Country Life (June 20, 1947) sets the scene of ‘Julians, in the arable country near Buntingford’:
‘It is an old house, originally built in Jacobean times and reconstructed during the 18th century. But its present appearance, setting and internal character are barely 10 years old. As we see them today, they are due to Mrs Pleydell-Bouverie, since she came to live here in 1940, and during whose time the garden has come to maturity. But the actual restoration of the place was done during 1937–39 by Col Reginald Cooper, whose remarkable flair for discovering and resurrecting derelict houses has already been illustrated at Cothay Manor, Devon (Country Life, October 22/29, 1927).’
Col Cooper reinstated the enclosed court, which had been replaced by an informal carriage sweep, remodelled the gardens to the north of the house and added a dramatic, Roman-style swimming pool set in one of the walled gardens.
He also created the single-storey wing at the side of the house that contains the magnificent, 59ft-long music room.
The current owners have been there since the 1940s and the house remains much as it was then, apart from the addition of a new kitchen and the conversion of part of the stable block to a comfortable, four-bedroom house.
For Mark Rimell of Strutt & Parker, who is handling the sale of the estate at a guide price of £5.75m, Julians Park, with its timeless charm and 12,755sq ft of accommodation, including five reception rooms and 10 bedrooms, is his ‘very favourite house in the whole of Hertfordshire’.
Julians Park is for sale via Strutt & Parker at £5.75 million — see more details and pictures.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
A day walking up and down the UK's most expensive streetWinnington Road in Hampstead has an average house price of £11.9 million. But what's it really like?
-
Damon Hill's former home in Marbella is the perfect place to slow downThe glorious Andalusian-style villa is found within the Lomas de Marbella Club and just a short walk from the beach.
-
A 327-acre estate in the heart of 'England’s Côte d’Or', with a 26,000sq ft Georgian style home at its heartStokes Hall in the Crouch Valley is an inspiring property looking for a new owner.
-
Schreiber House, 'the most significant London townhouse of the second half of the 20th century', is up for saleThe five-bedroom Modernist masterpiece sits on the edge of Hampstead Heath.
-
Is the 'race for space' officially over?During the lockdowns, many thought the countryside was the place to be. It seems many are now changing their minds.
-
What's a 'wellness village' and will it tempt you back into the office?The team behind London's first mixed-use ‘wellness village’ says it has the magic formula for tempting workers back into offices.
-
A mini estate in Kent that's so lovely it once featured in Simon Schama's 'History of Britain'The Paper Mill estate is a picture-postcard in the Garden of England.
-
Hidden excellence in a £7.5 million north London homeBehind the traditional façades of Provost Road, you will find something very special.
