The Swiss Cottage

The Swiss Cottage is a garden house built in the 1820s when the 3rd Lord Ongley was developing the garden. It features roughcast render, likely over brick, with significant timber work and a thatched roof adorned with wood finials. The building has an octagonal plan and two storeys, set into a steep bank to allow for entrances at both levels. Designed in an ornate picturesque ("Swiss") style, the pyramidal roof extends on all sides except the north, creating a verandah; the west side has a single-storey verandah supported by rustic timber, while the east side has a two-storey verandah with painted timber supports, likely intended for climbing plants. The north elevation includes a chimney with paired octagonal stacks. There is an arcaded circular porch on the south side at the upper level, featuring a thatched half-conical roof and seven round-headed arches, all decorated with twig-work. The porch dome is also embellished with twig-work and pine cones in floral and geometric patterns. The upper room contains French windows flanked by two casements to the west, all featuring octagonal leading. Inside, the cottage has ornate fretted wood panelling and a fireplace surround. The ground floor rooms, one octagonal and one circular, have studded doors and leaded casements to the east, and are likely used as service rooms, with relatively plain interiors.