Croquet Shed in the garden of The Pediment

The Croquet Shed, located in the garden of The Pediment, is a Grade II listed building made of roughly dressed rubble stone, partly Clipsham, arranged in courses. The roof is covered with Stonefield slate salvaged from a demolished building, and the loggia floor features Hornton stone flagging.

Situated in the south-west corner of the garden, the shed is square in shape and appears as a large classical gate pier with a small rubble-stone building beneath a hipped roof. The front, or north-east end, has an open loggia supported by four square timber pillars, which shelters a semicircular wrought iron seat made by Rathbones in Kingham. The roof displays exposed rafters at the eaves, and an elaborate stone-carved pillar with a moulded capital and a flaming urn rises through the top. Access to the shed is through a wide, four-panelled timber door on the rear (south-west) elevation, flanked by six-pane windows with timber glazing bars, positioned directly under the eaves.

Inside, the timber roof structure and stone walls are exposed. A slate plaque, crafted by David Kindersley’s Workshop in Cambridge, is set into the north-east wall and records the names of the architect, mason, and client.