Lululand

TQ 1395 BUSHEY MELBOURNE ROAD (Northwest side) Bushey 13/138 Lululand 21.6.78

• II*

Fragment of large house, now serving as facade to a club building. Begun 1886 and completed 1894 for Sir Hubert von Herkomer, RA, with elevations designed by H.H.Richardson. Ashlar and snecked Bavarian grey tufa with rock-faced red sandstone dressings. Free Romanesque Style. Large entrance porch, originally the base of a 4 storey tower and a short 3 window range set back to left. Steps up to a timber panelled door, multi panelled lower half with hollow moulded frames to 3 upper panels. Splayed ashlar reveals. Heavily voussoired sandstone round arch over lintel and imposts with free acanthus ornament in a band. Similar relief carving in tympanum with hollow and roll moulded surrounds. Massive battered sandstone plinth to porch. Sandstone course at key level. Porch truncated with stepped parapet. Left return has a tall casement in a reveal. 3 window range to left has a similar plinth with heavily blocked sandstone surrounds to vertical casements. Coped parapet. At left end a wall breaks forward with a remnant of scrolled acanthus relief carving at top. Lululand, named after Herkomer's second wife Lulu Griffiths, is the only European work by H.H.Richardson. All but this fragment was demolished in 1939. Building to rear is not of special interest. (Pevsner 1977: Country Life 16/12/39 and 01/02/73).

Listing NGR: TQ1364695195