South Lodge

A gate lodge to the Hestercombe Estate built in around 1895 for Hon. E.W.B. Portman.

MATERIALS: of sandstone construction with ashlar dressings and mullioned casements with leaded panes. The roofs are tiled and have ashlar stacks. The rainwater goods are cast iron.

PLAN: built on an irregular plan the lodge is of two storeys with a central stair.

EXTERIOR: built in the Domestic Revival style prominently featuring stone gables with coped verges and kneelers, quoins and mullioned openings with eared architraves, drip moulds and diamond-patterned glazing. The main (south) elevation is of four bays, those to the right set are set forward within a wide gable. The Portman coat of arms in a sandstone panel is set in the gable with diagonally-set ashlar chimneystacks above. To the left is a square flat-roofed projecting porch, built of sandstone and with the front door set well behind. In the roof above is a dormer with timber mullions and carved architraves and bargeboards. The west front is of two bays in a wide gable with stacks to the apex. To the left is a four-centre arched garden gate, constructed of timber plank and braced. Beyond the gate is the rear kitchen yard, which is covered in diamond setts. Set back against the north flank of the west front is single-storey privy and wash house with lean-to roofs and iron rainwater goods. To the left is the kitchen door and under the eaves to the right is a cast-iron extractor fan outlet. To the left is a further timber plank gate with four-centred arch, with some historic fitments and modern bracing and repairs. Beyond this gate is the principal north front, which is a wide gabled bay with chimneys to the apex, and with ashlar corbelling. The east front has three gabled bays, the central one set forward. There are stone ball finials to the gable apexes. The rainwater hopper heads to the lodge have decorative detailing.

INTERIOR: at the front door is a hallway corridor to the kitchen at the rear. At the entrance to the kitchen is an inserted curved section of brick wall. The kitchen fireplace has been sealed and there is a partition and door to a small room to the south. The hallway corridor turns to the east by the kitchen door and there is a stair to the left and a principal room to the right. There is a door to the larder to the left of the foot of the stair. The tiled corridor continues around the stair where there is a small projecting bay to the east front and a part-glazed door to a principal room at the north end of the lodge. Both principal rooms have fireplaces with at least some modification. The stair has a turned balustrade and there are fireplaces and timber cupboards and wardrobes to the first-floor rooms. There is timber detailing to the ceilings. The braced plank doors across the building are of a single phase with chamfers and stops to the timbers. The windows have late-C19 iron fitments. The floors are covered in pine floorboards and encaustic tiles.