Monument record RBK 001 - Rushbrooke Hall (site of)

Rushbrooke Hall (site of). Square moated site in park, 600 yards SW of the church.
House built circa 1550 by the Jermyn family. E-shaped brick house with long wings and recessed centre, it covered 3 sides of the moated island and had polygonal turrets at each corner. The east & west sides rose sheer from the edge of the moat. The main range ran along the north edge of the moat, which had been partially infilled to give a wide causewayed approach to the Georgianised north facade (pediment & windows); brick revetting to edges of causeway, with blank arches. Stone south porch (said to be of Barnack stone- (S1)) with Tuscan columns, central tablet with coat of arms (Rushbrooke), clock face above. This was approached by a brick bridge across the middle of the south of the moat. On the outer edge of this arm were iron railings and stone posts. The sides of the building were said to be 146 ft long (S1)(S2)(S3).
The house was destroyed by fire during its demolition in 1961. Some internal fittings were re-used at St Edmund Roman Catholic church, Bury St Edmunds, and some panelling in St Edmundsbury Council offices; the porch was dismantled and transferred to another of Lord Rothschild's houses with the intention of re-using it at some stage (S4).
1970: Debris from the demolition has partly filled the moat about the main north causeway. OS maplet also shows that the shape about the NE corner has been distorted by infilling. Continuing the western arm northwards is a broad ditch, possibly the remains of an outer work, although there are no positive traces of an eastern or northern ditch (S5).
1980: Details of survey in parish file (S8).
1990: Moated island overgrown with trees, brambles and scrub, with some clear grassy areas. The line of the main range can still be detected (the cellars still exist, though filled in - (S4)). Some areas of brick revetting can still be seen, though much overgrown and by no means complete. The corner turrets seem to have disappeared, though a jutting piece of brickwork on the NE corner can still be seen, part of a low structure next to the turret. Part of the brick retaining wall on the outer edge of the moat, alongside the northern causeway, still survives, as do some of the iron rails and stone posts on the outer edge (though these are in bad repair). The wooden bridge across the east arm of the moat is now unsafe. Just to the south of this, an arched brick opening can be seen in the side of the moated platform. The western arm of the moat is largely choked with fallen trees (S6).
Ditch to the S is possibly a second moat to Rushbrooke House & moat.
May 2001: Scheduled (S11).
See details in Lost Country Houses of Suffolk by WM Roberts.