Fitzwilliam Lodge

Fitzwilliam Lodge is a former miners’ lodging house, now converted into 14 dwellings. It was built in 1853 for the Fitzwilliam estate and restored in 1982. The building is constructed of deeply-coursed, dressed sandstone with a Welsh slate roof.

The principal elevation is symmetrical, spanning seven bays, with the central three bays projecting slightly and topped by a pediment. To the right is a two-storey, single-bay addition, and at the rear is a two-storey wing connected to the main block by a lower link block. The central doorway features a pair of fielded-panel doors and a fanlight with radial glazing bars, all set within an ashlar surround incorporating moulded imposts, archivolt, paterae and a cornice. A first-floor band runs around the building, also serving as a sill level for the windows above. The windows are mainly sash windows with glazing bars; those on the ground floor have sunken apron panels, while the second-floor windows feature projecting sills. The building has an eaves cornice, and the gables are coped. The central pediment contains a glazed oculus window. The roof retains two gable and two ridge-stacks, all with stone tabling. The gable ends have three bays with bands and cornices, the central bays with doubled sashes and pedimented gables framing a central oculus.

Inside, a notable feature is a cantilevered stone staircase with an iron balustrade.

Fitzwilliam Lodge is located in Elsecar, a village established from the late 18th century by the Earls Fitzwilliam, who invested in coal mining and iron working. The survival of many buildings in Elsecar makes it an important example of an industrial village, illustrating three centuries of coal mining, Christian paternalism, and industrial development. Originally designed to provide lodgings for unmarried miners, the rear wing was initially a subscription reading room. The building is considered the most impressive element of the housing provided for the Fitzwilliam mining village and was restored in 1982 after a period of dereliction.