Rooks Nest House

The house was originally known as Upper Rooks Nest, but was known as Howards to distinguish it from its neighbour, but were less fortunate in the 19th century and it was probably too small to be economically viable, The Howards family were all baptised, married and buried at the nearby St Nicholas' Church. Wilkinson already owned land in the hamlet of Rooks Nest as part of his Chesfield estate, and with the purchase of the house he then owned the whole hamlet. and he and his mother lived there from March 1883 to 1893. Aged 5, while living in the house, Forster gave lessons to the servant girls, who were aged 10 to 15, in dancing, geography and astrology. Forster also played hide and seek…

Rooks Nest House is located on a hill at the northern edge of Stevenage. In 1882 it was described as "Beautifully situated with extensive views over some of the prettiest parts of Hertfordshire." The house was always in Stevenage parish. The house originally had a thatched roof, which attracted mice, and some is still intact under its later covering of tile. The Howard family had 17 acres of land with the property. It was the Howards who rebuilt the front of the house in the 18th century and installed "fashionable" panelled doors in all rooms. She brought her own furniture into the house and set about decorating the house to her own taste, surrounding the fireplace in the drawing room with…