Listed Building: LETHERINGHAM LODGE (286504)

LETHERINGHAM WICKHAM MARKET ROAD TM 25 NE (North side) 5/91 16/3/66 Letheringham Lodge G.V. II* House, formerly hunting lodge. C16 with later additions and alterations. Timber framed with colourwashed render and a plaintiled roof. Two storeys with an attic. South front: stucco to the ground floor, grooved in imitation of ashlar. Massive wooden corner posts at far right and left, jowled at their tops which have miniature arcades to their upper bodies and fleurons. central double doorway with C20 plank doors. Three-light C19 casement to left of this. ,To the jettied first floor are lateral 2-light casements. Hipped roof above to the apex of which is a massive chimney stack. Right hand side: to ground floor level at left is a canted C19 bay window with 3 central lights and 2 to each angle and, at right of this, a 3-light casement with, at right again a further corner post, similar to those on the south front. Immediately to right of this is an extension which has brick walling to the ground floor and a first floor which is not jettied. This section of ground floor walling has a small basement area with a 3-light cambered-headed window and to the ground floor two C19 three-light casements. The first floor level has three 2-light casements extending across the whole of the front. To the attic is a 2-light flat- roofed C20 dormer at left. To the ridge at far right is a massive chimney stack supporting 4 diamond-section flues which have broach bases and banded upper body. Left hand side: projecting staircase tower-wing. Slightly to right of centre, at right of which is the earliest portion with its jettied first floor. The staircase tower has a cross window to the ground floor at left and a 4-light window to the mezzanine level between the ground and first floors and a further 3-light window above this. At right there are 2-light ground and first floor windows, both of early-C19 date. To left of the staircase tower is a lean-to with a plank door and a 3-light casement and a further C20 lean-to at left of that. Behind and to left of it is a ground floor window of 4-lights above a deep brick plinth and at first floor level are three 2-light windows of varying size. North face (rear): brick gable end with a 2-light basement window in the walling which rises from the moat. Blank walling above save to the gable which has later 2- light windows, one of which is partially blocked. The whole of this front has put-log holes in the brick work, now partially filled with loose bricks. Setback between the ground and first floor and kneelers at either side of the gable. Massive chimney stack to the apex. Interior: within the kitchen outshut is a moulded lintel originally to an outside door which bears the date 1610 and the initials E.W. To the right of this is the name J. Blandfield which may be a later addition. The drawing room has late C16 richly-moulded ceiling beams with roll and cavetto mouldings which continue as a cornice around the room. The sitting room has a plain ceiling above which are two separate decorated ceilings, now obscured. The C17 staircase has turned balusters and moulded handrail and is of open-well plan to the lower body and close-stringed above, of 5 flights. The first floor has close-studded walls, and richly-moulded lengthy dragon beams to three of the rooms connected to the corner posts by short arched braces. The cross-axial gallery has one 4-centred archway and the springing of a further, similar archway. To the centre of the northern wall is a blocked window of 4-lights with a very richly moulded frame, partially altered to accommodate a doorway through to the extension. Winder staircase to the rear wing. The attic rooms have slender rafters with staggered purlins but this masks an earlier roof which can be seen in the loft space above which has more substantial timber but does not appear to be earlier than the late C17. Listing NGR: TM2759457039