Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

Grade II listed building. Main construction periods 1833 to 1866

Summary from record TQ 57 SE 180:

A two storey building, with a semi basement, probably dating to the late 18th century. The Lodge acted as a gatehouse onto the London Road and may be a replacement for an earlier Lodge dating to the late 17th century.

Monument Types

• LODGE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1770 AD? to 2004 AD (between))
• SITE (Post Medieval - 1833 AD to 1866 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
1. 5274 SWANSCOMBE AND GREENHITHE THE AVENUE (east side) Greenhithe
Lodge to Ingress Abbey TQ 57 SE 4/89
II GV
2. Mid C19. T-shaped lodge. Two storeys and attics built of squared flints with stone dressings. Slate roof. Gable ended. Mullioned windows with leaded lights. Projecting 2 storey porch with hood moulding. First floor 3-light oriel window. Windows have Gothic glazing.
Listing NGR: TQ5879975165

Description from record TQ 57 SE 180:
The London Lodge served as the Gatehouse onto the London Road at Ingress Abbey, in the southwestern corner of the parkland. It is not visible from the mansion. The Lodge is a two storey building with a semi-basement at its eastern end. The current building probably dates back to the late 18th century, although it is also possible that it dates to the major building work instigated by James Harmer in the 1830's, which culminated in the construction of the current Ingress Abbey [TQ 57 NE 93]. No building appears on historic plans until 1799, although the report conjectures that the current building may be the replacement for an earlier Lodge. A programme of historic building recording was carried out as part of archaeological fieldwork taking place at Ingress Abbey. At the time of recording the Lodge, which is grade II listed, had no roof, floors or internal partitions apart from in the basement.
Cartographic sources indicate that the plan form of the lodge has not changed since it was built and the report has concluded that the fabric of the building can be considered original to its build. The walls are built of brick with flint secured to it. All the decorative quoins, hoodmoulds, string courses, copings and sills are of Portland stone. The surviving fenestration reveal elements of decorative tracery. As a whole the Lodge is quite ornate, although not as architecturally delicate as the main building. With so little of the internal arrangements surviving, only suppositions could be made about the walls, roof and floors. Much of this debris had collapsed into the cellar and was examined, although no architectural details (such as coving or decorative plaster) were recognised. The roof was pitched between east and west gable ends, with a northern projection over the porch.

Architectural details of the Lodge:

The basement: a single room partitioned off from a wooden stairway to the ground floor. The room contained a fireplace, an in-situ 'Butler' sink and a window which looked out into a sunken bay. At the lowest level of the structure visible, were a small number of ragstone blocks. Ragstone is not used elsewhere in the structure, so these blocks are thought to be from an earlier building in the parkland, perhaps even an earlier gatehouse.

The Ground Floor: this consisted of a main room, a porch to the north and an annexe to the south. No evidence for further partitons had survived. The porch had 'Tudor Arch' design entrances on its three external sides and these arches are open and do not have doors. The ceiling does partially survive in the porch, with coving around the top of the walls. The main room had four windows, each with a wooden frame and some surviving wooden tracery. The western window had an additonal function as the remnants of a hatch and canopy were recorded, the report hypothesises that it is perhaps for identifying guests, tradesmen and visitors as well as for dispensing wages. Two fireplaces, built as one with the wall, were also recorded in the main room. This suggests that the main space was partitioned into at least two rooms. The annexe was a small single room with an external door and two windows. It may have shared duties with the porch as the main entrance to the Lodge. Its internal doorway was moved at some point in the building's history to the east, perhaps so it did not open directly onto the basement stairs. The annexe's external doors are set in a doorway composed of a Tudor Arch with square spandrels, in the same style as the front porch. Above the arch is a gable end containing a small decorative pierced Portland stone panel, with a square hood mould. The windows are similar to the other windows in the structure.

The First Floor: this floor had a similar layout to the ground floor, but the annexe does not extend to the first floor and the porch has a three-sided oriel window. The porch also has a straight sided gable facing north. The windows and fireplaces in the main room are in the same position as those on the ground floor, which again suggests that the upper space may have been partitioned into at least two rooms. There is an additional window on the south side overlooking the annex, which may have provided light onto the suggested position of a staircase leading up to the first floor. Beneath the western window traces of plaster had previously been recorded, revealing a frieze of six rectangular panels with a possible floral motif

Planning permission has been given to turn the Lodge into accomodation [1].

The listed buildings record for the Lodge was made in 1970, when it was still, at least partially roofed and glassed. It refers to a slate roof and to mullioned windows with leaded lights and Gothic glazing [Listed Building Record-Green Back-TQ 57 SE 4/89].

<1> AOC Archaeology Group, 2004, Results Of Archaeological Excavation And Recording At Ingress Abbey, Greenhithe, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE12239.

Sources and further reading

Related records