THE ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF THE LODGE
The lodge today presents the appearance of a typical timber
framed building with brickwork and plastered walls of the Tudor
period but its present condition dates only from the late 19th
century restorations. In its original state the upper storeys were
open platforms with no infilling between the studs. At a later
stage it was completely enclosed, lath and plaster covering over
almost all the massive timber work which now forms such a
distinctive feature of the building. We have then today the lodge
bearing some resemblance to its original external state. The
infillings, some of the windows, the chimney, bargeboarding and
the present door being later additions.
The principal part of the structure measures internally thirty
feet by twenty feet and the staircase which is on the south side
at the western end is exactly fifteen feet square giving the building
an L-shaped plan. It might have been expected in view of its
style and date that there would be overhanging or corbelled storeys
but there is no structural or other evidence to indicate that this
was ever so. All sides of the lodge are flush a reflection of its
function and its isolation from any other building or roadway.
Expert opinion does not consider that the chimney stack is con-
temporary with the rest of the structure and there is no trace of
any earlier stack. But there is a reference to a ' chimney of lome
which must be taken down because it annoyeth greatly' in the
Commissioner's Report of 1589 to which I have referred above.
It seems likely that the present chimney was first constructed when
the building was converted from a standing and the upper floors
enclosed, probably in the early part of the 17th century.
Inside, on the ground floor, one is immediately confronted
with impressive evidence of the scale of the timber used in con-
structing this fine building. The heavy champfered beams span
the whole frame. The massive staircase too is interesting for,
as has been pointed out by James Cubitt7 the well is enclosed by
a wooden partition from the ground almost to the roof. This is
unusual in England though it occurs in some larger old Scottish
buildings, notably Glamis Castle. The entrance to the large room
on the second storey, known as the Oak Room, is noteworthy as
an indicator of the date of the building for the head of the door
frame is a depressed four-centred arch of the perpendicular phase
7The Essex Naturalist. Vol. IX 1896.
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