Clapperland Lodge

Clapperland Lodge is a mid-to-late 19th-century lodge built as an entrance to Ugbrooke Park. It may incorporate an earlier design, potentially by Capability Brown, William Spring (clerk of works for Ugbrooke House), or Joseph Rowe (architect of the stables). The lodge is constructed from local limestone rubble with grey limestone quoins and dressings, the dressings painted black. It has a thatched roof, hipped at the ends of the main range, with a tiled roof to the rear left wing, which replaced the original thatch. A rear lateral stack serves the main range. The building is in an “L” shape, with a single-depth main range of two rooms, and a central entrance lobby with a rear staircase. A kitchen wing is set at a right angle to the main range. A lean-to and a later conservatory are situated at the rear of the kitchen and in the angle between the main range and the wing. It is a rustic cottage design, sharing details with Ashwell Lodge. The lodge is two stories high and has a symmetrical two-window front with regular fenestration. The eaves are eyebrowed over the first-floor windows, which are two-light casements with diamond-leaded panes and cranked arches. A 20th-century timber porch with plank and stud panelling fronts the central entrance, which has strip hinges. The ground-floor windows are arched with keystones and have 20th-century iron casements. A single-storey bow window is visible on the right return, with a thatched porch on rustic posts, likely repositioned. The interior has not been inspected. The park at Ugbrooke Park, landscaped by Capability Brown, is characterized by its simplicity, which is reflected in the design of the Ashwell and Clapperland Lodges and contributes to the character of the estate and the setting of the Clifford family’s home. Historic photographs show the rear left wing thatched, with a thatched porch centrally placed and a rustic lattice porch to the front door.