2-42, RUSHBY MEAD

Rushby Mead consists of workmen's cottages numbered 2 to 42, built in 1911 by Bennett and Bidwell. These cottages are arranged in four terraces and were constructed for the Letchworth Cottages and Buildings Limited, later taken over by the Howard Cottage Society Limited. They exemplify the best of Garden City housing and serve as a model for later developments. The cottages are one and a half storeys high, featuring one or two windows each. Each terrace is symmetrical but varies in design based on the arrangement of the dormer gables. The roofs are tiled with brick ridge stacks, and the walls are roughcast. There are gabled and flat-topped casement dormers. Cottages numbered 34 to 42 have projecting gabled end bays, with the bay at the north end being tile-hung. They feature two-light casement windows with glazing bars and tile labels. The end bays of these cottages also include splayed bay windows on the ground floor. The doorways are recessed with segmental arched lintels and labels, and the entrance to No 42 has a hood that extends over the bay window. The original paintwork specification of cream walls and windows, along with green doors, has been preserved throughout.