Lulworth Castle North Lodges and park walls

Reasons for Designation

Lulworth Castle is an unusually large post-medieval hunting lodge. Its design reflects a contemporary taste for the use of 'castle architecture' within unfortified residences during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I and its setting is typical of early 17th century hunting lodges, which were often isolated within a prominent part of a deerpark. Successive owners continued to enhance the castle and its estate following the conversion of the hunting lodge into a full scale residence. These enhancements included the first Roman Catholic chapel built since the Reformation in 1786/87 and the ealled park with its gatehouse. The North Lodges were built in strongly ornamented style reflecting the overall status and appearence of the castle and are an important component of the whole Lulworth ensemble. They are also in their own right important and distinctive examples of 18th century ornamental architecture, drawing much of their character from its relationship to the castle and to its location.

Details

The monument includes Lulworth Castle North Lodges and adjacent area of park walls, situated on a gentle north east facing slope, to the north of Lulworth Castle. The North Lodges which are Listed Grade II*, date to 1785 and mark the northern entrance to the park formerly associated with Lulworth Castle. It comprises two lodges of two-storeys, which flank a main gateway. The structures are all ashlar faced, with brick backing. The two lodges are each triangular in plan, with a rounded turret at each corner. The front has an embattled parapet, with moulded cornice below. The entrance doors are situated on the northern side and are associated with windows in flat wall faces. The two lodges lie on each side of a gateway, which consists of two narrow openings with segmental heads, flanked by stone piers from which plain wrought iron gates are hung. The stone piers each have a round headed niche below an oval panel which bearing the Weld Arms (to the north) and the date 1785 to the south. The lodges and gateway form part of an extended facade comprising approximately 55m lengths of park wall terminated and punctuated by six rounds towers, 1.8m in diameter and 4.5m high.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

33496

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 149
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 149
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 149
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 149
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 149
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 149

End of official list entry

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