Croquet Shed in the garden of The Pediment

MATERIALS: roughly dressed rubble stone, partly Clipsham, laid to courses, under a roof clad in Stonefield slate salvaged from a demolished building. Hornton stone flagging on the loggia floor.

PLAN: the croquet shed is located in the south-west corner of the garden, at the terminus of one of the two main axes in the garden. It is square on plan.

EXTERIOR: the croquet shed gives the impression of being a giant classical gate pier around which a little rubble-stone building under a hipped roof has been constructed. The front (north-east end) forms an open loggia supported by four square timber pillars which shelters a semicircular wrought iron seat made by Rathbones in Kingham. The roof has exposed rafters at the eaves, and through the top rises an elaborate stone carved pillar with a moulded capital surmounted by a flaming urn. The shed is accessed by a wide, four-panelled timber door on the rear (south-west) elevation, either side of which is a six-pane window with timber glazing bars, positioned directly under the eaves.

INTERIOR: the timber roof structure is exposed, as are the stone walls. A slate plaque cut by David Kindersley’s Workshop in Cambridge and set in the north-east wall, records the name of the architect, mason and client.