Former gatekeeper’s lodge to Wanstead Infant Orphan Asylum (now Snaresbrook Crown Court)

Gatekeeper’s lodge. Built in around 1841.

MATERIALS: coursed, squared and hammer-dressed Sneaton stone with Bath and Caen stone dressings, tiled roof coverings and a London stock brick chimney.

PLAN: a single-storey gabled lodge with attic rooms built to a T-shaped plan.

EXTERIOR: the gatekeeper’s lodge is situated at the former entrance drive to Wanstead Infant Orphan Asylum, now Snaresbrook Crown Court. It is of a single-storey with attic rooms and is three bays long by three bays wide. A plinth of two stone courses carries around the building. The north front, facing the driveway, comprises from left to right: a projecting gabled bay containing a two-light metal-framed casement window with lozenge glazing under a Tudor arch and a stone coping to the gable; a single-light window; and then a canted bay window. The lodge has a tiled roof with a central corbelled chimney stack of several flues set in a cruciform arrangement. The lower part of the chimney is built of stone but the upper part is of London stock brick separated by a string course. The east elevation, facing Hollybush Hill, has from left to right: the gabled cross-range range, which is two bays wide; and then the main gable end of the lodge which is a single bay wide with two-light casement windows to the ground floor and attic and a stone coping with moulded kneelers to the gable. The cross-range has a projecting entrance porch under a hipped tiled roof which contains a three-light casement window and a glazed timber doorway with side lights. In the attic is a two-light casement window. The south elevation has the gabled cross-range at its centre, which has two windows to the ground floor and a window to the attic. The west elevation has from left to right: a two-light casement window to the attic and a stone coping with moulded kneelers to the gable; and then a square-headed doorway flanked by windows to the cross range.

INTERIOR: the lodge is entered at the east via the porch in the cross range, which has a tiled floor. There is a tiled hallway and two rooms to the ground floor entered through flush timber doors, which have wooden floorboards, skirtings, picture rails and ceramic tiled fireplaces. Next to the stairs is a pantry. A quarter-turn staircase with stick balusters and a wooden handrail leads to the attic landing. The attic has two rooms entered through four-panelled doors with brass door knobs, which have wooden floorboards, skirtings and fitted cupboards.