North Lodge, Ashfold

Summary

Lodge designed by George Devey, circa 1875 for Eric Carrington Smith, owner of the Ashfold estate. Builders John Adcock of Dover and Wheatland. Extended and refurbished 1991-2 and early C21. The extensions of 1991 onwards are not of special interest.

Reasons for Designation

Ashfold Lodge, an 1875 lodge designed by George Devey to a mansion called Ashfold, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural merit: a robust design in local materials by a distinguished architect which imitated features of the main house. Externally the original part of the building has undergone little alteration;
* Historic interest: the two estate lodges to Ashfold are a visible reminder of the mansion, which was demolished in the 1960s;
* Comparators: comparable with Devey's other Ashfold Estate lodge at Lower Beeding which is also listed.

History

This building was constructed as the north lodge of Ashfold, a Jacobean mansion refaced in the C18 and shown in a watercolour sketch of 'Mr Granger's House, near Slaugham Green, 1787' and early C20 photographs. In 1875 Eric Carrington Smith, a grandson of George II, commissioned the architect George Devey (1820-1886) to build large additions to the mansion and add a lodge and cottages to the estate. These works were executed between 1875 and 1884, by the builder John Adcock of Dover and Wheatland. RIBA retains 21 plans and elevations of Devey's commision at Ashfold.

The north lodge is not shown on the first and second editions of the 25 inch Ordnance Survey sheets for Sussex, but appears on the third edition map of 1911 labelled 'Lodge.' For about 30 years in the C20 an independent school - Ashfold School - occupied the mansion but the school re-located to Buckinghamshire in 1960 and the mansion was demolished soon after. In 1973 North Lodge was listed at Grade II and the other lodge to Ashfold in Lower Beeding parish, known as Lower Lodge, was also listed.

In 1991 Listed Building Consent was granted to build an extension, a large extension linked to the existing building by a narrow link block, with internal refurbishing also taking place. In the early C21 the narrow link block between the C19 and circa 1991 parts was replaced by another single storey link block. The property's name has been changed from North Lodge to Ashfold Lodge.

Details

Lodge designed by George Devey, circa 1875 for Eric Carrington Smith, owner of the Ashfold estate. Builders John Adcock of Dover and Wheatland. Extended and refurbished 1991-2 and early C21 and these extensions are not of special interest.*

MATERIALS: base and plinth of sandstone ashlar, the upper part is of red brick in English bond with a diaper pattern of grey headers and roughcast to the north-east and south-west gables. Gabled tiled roof with a multi-flue brick chimney. Extensions are brick faced with tiled roofs.

PLAN: originally roughly T-shaped with a projection to the south-east. This original plan was modified circa 1991 by the addition of a link block and a large extension to the south-east.

EXTERIOR: the north-east or entrance front has a projecting gable, roughcast with wooden barge boards and a dentilled band, a casement window to the first floor and a four-light canted bay to the ground floor with a tiled roof; both have sandstone surrounds but replaced windows*. Set back entrance in a recessed porch with an elliptical arch and a triangular buttress to corner. Late C20 two-panelled door.* The main feature of the north-west front is the massive end chimneystack with four diagonally set flues. There is one casement window on the first floor and two narrow casement windows on the ground floor. The south-east elevation has a gable with a first floor central and ground floor right hand casement window, and an elliptical-headed opening into the porch. The south-west elevation is now obscured by the later extension but has an identical gable to the north-eastern one with a two-light casement to the first floor, and a three-light casement to the ground floor, both in original sandstone surrounds but with later C20 windows, the ground floor one with stained glass and leaded lights. The C20 replacement windows are not of special interest.* Later extensions* include a single storey early C21 brick extension with a raised roof-light and a one storey-and-attic brick-faced range with a tiled roof, brick chimneystack and end gables with wooden barge boards to the same pattern as the original part of the property. The south-east front has a gabled dormer, gabled projection and a canted bay to the ground floor.

INTERIOR: the cornices, ceiling roses and the pine staircase in the original part of the building all date from the 1990s*.

* Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 ('the Act') it is declared that these aforementioned features are not of special architectural or historic interest.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

302767

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Nairn, I, The Buildings of England: Sussex , (1985), 516
Allibone, J, George Devey Architect 1820-1886, (1991)

End of official list entry

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