Early 19th century cart lodge at Brocketts Lodge, Stones Green Road, Tendring (EHER 80406)

An early 19th century, around 1800, Napoleonic-era cart lodge likely constructed at the same time as the main farm house, Brocketts Hall.

January 2022. Level 3 building survey. The outbuilding is a substantial timber-framed, weatherboarded and slate-roofed structure of 1.5 storeys and five bays with a later timber-framed and weatherboarded lean-to against its western gable. The weatherboarding is now hidden externally by mid-20th century pebble-dash cement render. The original structure extends to 13.5 m in length on an east-west axis by a total of 5.8 m in width. and its walls rise to 3.4 m at their roof-plates. The building was originally fully open on its lower storey and enclosed on the upper. The mid-rails and storey posts of the northern and southern elevations were connected by diagonal braces tenoned and pegged at both ends and the gables contained only central posts pegged to the binding joists/mid-rails. The building evidently formed a large cart lodge and implement shelter at the entrance to the barn yards. The original framing is substantially intact apart from the roof structure which was renewed in circa 1900 along with the upper gables and the pegged braces of the side elevations. The outbuilding is a large and impressive ‘Napoleonic’ cart lodge and granary of around 1800 that was probably built at the same time as the listed former farmhouse. It represents a distinctive Essex form, open on all four sides rather than enclosed to the rear as is more common in Suffolk. The presence of pegged braces rather than knee-braces in its side elevations is also unusual. Although heavily disguised by 20th century pebble-dash render over its earlier weatherboarding, its high quality framing with neatly chamfered ceiling joists and central supporting posts survives largely intact, apart from the replacement of its roof in around 1900. <1>