Buckwell Place

Julius Charles Hare

Rev. Robert Hare - of the Hare family who owned nearby Herstmonceux Castle - built the original wing of the house in 1792 as a rectory for himself. His nephew, the theologian Julius Charles Hare later occupied the house and extended it in 1833, by constructing a parlour wing and bedroom above.[2] Julius Hare also constructed a domed conservatory between the original wing and the new parlour wing.[2] It has been written that Julius Hare's library at Buckwell Place was "famous" and he entertained a number of "eminent victorians" including the essayist, historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle.[1] Julius Hare was known to have collected a number of important books and paintings at Buckwell Place, which were later bequeathed to the University of Cambridge, and then subsequently to the Fitzwilliam Museum.[3]

Augustus Hare

Julius Hare had a nephew, the travel-writer and raconteur Augustus Hare, who was born in 1834, in Rome. Augustus Hare was adopted by his aunt Maria (the widowed sister-in-law of Julius), after his parents renounced all further claim to him.[2] Augustus was then brought up and home-educated by Maria Hare at Julius Hare's house, the newly extended Buckwell Place. Augustus wrote about his childhood at Buckwell Place in his autobiography, The Story of My Life (1896-1900).[4]

After Julius Hare's death in 1855, the house was occupied by the Rev. Henry Wellesley, an illegitimate nephew of the Duke of Wellington. Wellesley constructed a service wing to the west in c.1860. Little is known about the history of Buckwell Place following the death of Wellesley, but it remains a private house today and is no longer a rectory.[5] In 1932, the house was still known as Herstmonceux Rectory,[6] but by 1937, was listed as Buckwell Place.[7]

Buckwell Place consists of the original rectory built by Rev. Robert Hare in 1792, the extensions - including the domed conservatory - by Julius Hare in 1833 and the service wing built by Rev. Henry Wellesley in c.1860. The architect is unknown, and likely to have been a local builder.[8]

The northeast entrance front was constructed in 1792. It has two storeys and four bays. The front door features a Gibbs surround, set within a curved recess. The southeast garden front is similarly of two storeys and four bays. The southwest front exhibits the parlour wing built in 1833 by Julius Hare, which has a canted bay window and balcony above. To the west of the house lies the range constructed in c.1860 by Rev. Henry Wellesley, with a set of tripartite windows to the ground floor. Between the southeast garden front and the southwest parlour wing, Julius Hare constructed a domed conservatory in 1833 for the display of ferns and other tropical plants.[8]

The house retains its original curved staircase, along with the 1833 marble fireplace surround in Julius Hare's library and its bookcases.[8]

Photograph of Buckwell Place's stables from Historic England's archive