Meersbrook Park And Adjoining Service Buildings City Council Recreation Department

This is a late 18th century house, with mid 19th and late 20th century additions and alterations, originally part of Meersbrook Park, and formerly known as Ruskin Museum. It now serves as offices for the City Council Recreation Department.

The building is constructed of brick with ashlar dressings, and has gabled and hipped roofs covered in slate, concrete tile and artificial stone slate, with various stacks. The north front has two storeys and a three-window range. It features modillion eaves and two ridge stacks. A central canted bay window rises two storeys with a hipped roof and three 12-pane sashes on each floor. Flanking the bay are single 12-pane sashes on each floor, all with brick flat arches. To the left of the main block is a single-storey service wing with a three-light window, and further to the left, a two-storey service range with five windows.

The west front, dating to the 19th century, has a string course. To the left is a pedimented gable containing a two-light stone mullioned window on each floor. To the right is a square bay window with a three-light mullioned window on each floor. The ground floor has a central plain sash window. The right return has a plain sash window and below, a three-bay round-arched open arcade with keystones.

The south garden front has a recessed centre with a Venetian stair window set within a round-headed recess, flanked by pedimented wings. Each wing has a 12-pane sash on each floor; the right-hand window also has an inserted smaller sash to the ground floor. A 20th century flat-roofed single-storey infill with a glazing bar window sits between the wings. To the right is an early 19th century two-storey block with coped gables and two gable stacks. This block contains two 16-pane sashes with splayed lintels, and a triple sash with a renewed lintel on the ground floor. A smaller 20th century window is situated to the left of this. Adjacent to this is a 19th century block constructed of coursed squared stone with a hipped slate roof and two ridge stacks. This block has two storeys and a four-window range of 12-pane sashes. The ground floor has two cross casements to the left and two windows converted to doors to the right. Further to the right is a lower 19th century service range, also in coursed squared stone, with a 20th century extension to the right. This range has two storeys and a five-window range.

The interior features a cantilever open-well wooden staircase with a cut string, vase and stem balusters, and a ramped scrolled handrail. Hallways and stairwells display moulded arches and cornices.