Lost to time but not forgotten, Lululaund whispers stories of artistry and ambition. This was once the Romanesque Revival-style house of Hubert von Herkomer. He was a Bavarian-born British artist. Lululaund stood proudly on Melbourne Road in Bushey Hertfordshire.
Let’s journey back to the late 19th century. Herkomer, seeking a unique home, commissioned a design from American architect Henry Hobson Richardson. Richardson sketched a Romanesque castle shortly before his death. Herkomer then adapted these plans. He enlisted his father and uncles to help in its creation. The house became a family affair. They immortalized their contributions in the triptych, “The Makers of my House”.
Imagine white tufa from Bavaria and red sandstone creating a striking facade. A wide arch spanned the front flanked by turreted towers. Herkomer, ever the artist, designed the interiors himself. They were in German Gothic style. Elaborate wood carvings adorned the rooms. The master bedroom boasted a copper ceiling. Its walls were covered in gold leaf. The dining room featured a frieze of nude female figures. It illustrated Human Sympathy. Electric lights illuminated the room. It was a modern innovation. Each bedroom even had hot and cold water.
Herkomer named the house Lululaund. This was in memory of his deceased wife, Lulu. Locals nicknamed it the “Bavarian castle”. Herkomer created a theatre on the grounds. Here he staged his own “pictorial-music-plays”. Later, the theatre became a film studio. He directed and acted in films. He also established an art school nearby.
After Herkomer’s death in 1914 Lululaund’s story took a turn. His third wife moved out. The house was requisitioned during World War I. It later became a film production base. Financial troubles led to its closure. The estate was sold off in pieces. Lululaund fell into disrepair.
Sadly, Lululaund was demolished in 1939. Anti-German sentiment and fears it could aid enemy bombers may have hastened its end. Ironically, its masonry was used to build Bovingdon Airfield.
Today, only fragments remain. The front door and its tympanum found a new home. They became part of the Royal British Legion hall. That doorway has been retained within new housing. The rose garden survives. It is now the Bushey Rose Garden, a public space.
Lululaund may be gone but its spirit lingers. Herkomer himself said it should always have the “possibility of growth”. Though the physical structure vanished Lululaund’s legacy lives on in art, film, and the whispers of history. It reminds us of the creative spirit and the ephemeral nature of even the grandest creations.