The Lodge, Woodside

The Lodge, Woodside is a Swiss-style lodge with American influences, dating to 1863-64 and altered around 1874 by William Leiper. Further additions and alterations were made in the 20th century. The east elevation is characterised by coursed pink sandstone ashlar to the ground floor, with the remainder whitewashed. Deeply overhanging eaves are accentuated by carved and pierced bargeboards, and the roofs have a shallow pitch.

The principal, east elevation is asymmetrical, featuring a glazed timber door at its centre on the ground floor, flanked by canted windows. Paired timber brackets support the eaves. A tripartite dormer window is situated in the left bay’s attic. A central bipartite window has external louvred shutters, kingpost detailing and eaves supported by timber uprights. The first floor to the right is painted white, with a blue and white painted verandah that returns to the north, supported by pierced timber balusters.

The north elevation is also asymmetrical, displaying an open lean to the ground floor with pierced timber railings. It has a window to the left bay, a door to the central bay, and a window to the right bay. A first-floor veranda provides access, featuring a glazed timber door in the central bay, topped by a gable supported by turned uprights with pierced timber queenpost detailing. A flanking bay to the right window is present. A single-storey addition to the right incorporates a gabled canted window within a gabled bay, with 20th-century additions extending further to the outer right.

The west elevation was not inspected in 1998. The south elevation features a later 19th-century timber conservatory on the ground floor and irregular fenestration including pitched and piended dormer windows.

The windows are predominantly two-pane timber sash and case windows. The roofs are grey slate with lead ridges, complemented by polished, corniced stacks with octagonal cans and cast iron rainwater goods.

The interior, restored in 1998, retains a well-modelled timber screen between a hall area and a room to the right (recently reverted to its original form). An Art Nouveau fire surround was installed in 1998. The Aesthetic Movement Billiard Room remains intact, featuring stained glass by Daniel Cottier, a timber-panelled ceiling and dado rail, and an ingleneuk fireplace with turned balusters.

A sandstone pedestal fountain with a circular pool is situated in front of the principal elevation. To the southeast of the house stands a small summerhouse, originally a boathouse, dating to the later 19th century. It has timber boarding on a brick base course, with decorative pierced shutters and gable openings. The pitched slate roof has wide, overhanging eaves and shaped brackets. A timber boarded door is on the NW gable, while modern timber replacements serve as windows and French doors on the SE gable. A timber veranda, with stick balusters and pierced panels, extends to the northeast and southeast of the summerhouse, which is now in residential use.