589

 

II  

Designated  

25/02/1991  

15/08/2001  

Lower Lodge to Soughton Hall  

 

Flintshire  

Northop  

Mold  

Soughton Hall  

324365  

367996  

E  

Situated 0.5km S of Northop at the entrance to the N drive to Soughton Hall. The lodge is set back behind a gate and flanking quadrant walls. Its garden is bound by wicket-fence style iron railings.  

Domestic  

 

Built in 1868 by John Douglas, architect of Chester, and contemporary with the 1867-9 remodelling of Soughton Hall for John Scott Bankes.  

Two-storey lodge in Tudor-Gothic style with distinctive variety of materials and detail. Half-timbered 1st floor, red brick ground floor and rubble plinth. Slate roof with tiled cresting and overhanging eaves; red brick stacks, one octagonal. Stone-framed windows to ground floor; leaded quarry glazing. L-shaped plan, the main range orientated E-W with wing to N and porch in angle also facing N. Open timber porch with hipped slate roof which continues down from main roof; timber handrail with decorative work below; boarded door. To the R of the porch is a low hipped roof over a 1st floor 2-light casement window. The main roof continues down to the R over a 2-light ground floor window with plain glazing. Small 2-light window set down to L. The E gable end has a close-studded 1st floor with pargetting on a Gothic-carved jetty bressumer with inscribed floral ornament. Finial to apex with 'B' (Bankes) monogram over an imitation hammerbeam roof truss. The gable contains a 3-light casement. To centre of ground floor is a 3-light window, the lights round-headed with colonnettes. The ground floor has splayed angles containing single round-headed lights with large keystones and stained glass. A freestone band links the E window with these corner windows. The 1st floor close-studding is returned around the S side, also with pargetting, as far as the central stepped chimney breast which has ribbed ornament to stack. To the L of the stack, the roof continues down over a 2-light ground floor window, the lights also round-headed and with a colonnette. Simple windows to rear with central boarded door; low brick walled yard including privy at one corner.  

No access to interior at time of inspection.  

Listed as a good Victorian lodge in Tudor-Gothic style, and part of the work of the architect John Douglas at Soughton Hall. Group value with Soughton Hall and associated buildings.