Building record MDR11208 - East Lodge, Hardwick Old Hall, Ault Hucknall
Type and Period (2)
- LODGE (Jacobean to Stuart - 1622 AD to 1628 AD)
- SERVICE WING ? (Jacobean to Stuart - 1622 AD to 1628 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
The East Lodge at Hardwick is one of two similar lodge buildings to the fore of Hardwick Old Hall [see SMR 270 for the West Lodge]. While the Old Hall itself was built at the end of the 16th century, the lodges date from the early part of the 17th century, sometime after William Senior's map of 1609 as this does not show them. Both are constructed of local sandstone and were originally plastered and painted white, their ashlar quoins, plinth course, balustrade and window and door surrounds providing a visual contrast. This can be seen in a 17th century view of the Old Hall. The East Lodge has two floors and, being adjacent to a formal gateway, may have served as a porter's lodge or for housing someone charged with control of access to the two Halls. Both lodges continued to be used after the Old Hall had been abandoned, probably having been downgraded in status by the 19th century to estate cottages. The East Lodge was being used as a laundry in the early 20th century, until it was converted for use as a residence for the night watchman. In the 1950s the Old Hall and its grounds were taken into English Heritage guardianship. In the 1970s the East Lodge was extensively renovated to provide accommodation for English Heritage staff. The roof was repaired and re-leaded in summer 1999. Examination showed that it had been reassembled in the past, perhaps in or not long before 1836, a date recorded within the outline of a shoe that was engraved into the roof's lead sheeting and possibly left by the plumber responsible. (1)
The East and West Lodges within the grounds of the Old Hall do not appear in the accounts of 1589-95 but they are shown on a survey map of 1628. In order to attempt to date their construction more precisely, the timbers of the roof of the East Lodge were sampled in the autumn of 2000. Analysis indicates an estimated felling date in the period 1622-47, with the fact that the buildings are shown on a map of 1628 suggesting a likely felling date early in the range. (2)
Results from timbers taken from the West Lodge [SMR 270] gave a felling date of 1625. It is suggested that both lodges were part of a single building operation in the early 17th century. This was well after the work on the Old Hall ceased (1590) and that on the New Hall was completed (1597) and was therefore also not connected with Bess of Hardwick who died in 1607. (3)
Sources/Archives (3)
- <1> SDR19981 Unpublished document: Sheppard, R. 2000. The West Lodge, Hardwick Old Hall, Derbyshire. A Building Survey..
- <2> SDR20484 Unpublished document: English Heritage. 2000. Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from the Roof of the East Lodge, Hardwick Old Hall, Hardwick.
- <3> SDR19983 Unpublished document: Howard, R E, Laxton, R R & Litton, C D. 2002. Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from the Staircase of the West Lodge, Hardwick Old Hall… Chesterfield. English Heritage Report 57/2002.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 46201 63701 (12m by 7m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | AULT HUCKNALL, BOLSOVER, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- EDR3697
- EDR2568
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Sep 12 2022 8:04PM