Lodge to Knolle Park - "Greek Lodge" c.1828 (Listed)

Architectural description -
A single storey cottage of painted ashlar with 2 Greek Doric columns 'in antis' in a temple-like front with pediment. Metal glazing bars to the windows on side walls and moulded architraves. There is a cornice string at eaves level and another at sill level. Two panelled chimneys in the centre of the cottage.

Stylistically if the 'eared' architraves are original, and they are like those on Knolle Park, they are acceptable as part of the Greek Revival, but the lack of the triglyph frieze from the entablature under the pediment might have been an economy measure, or, perhaps, reflect an unscholarly idea of 'rusticity' being not quite bound to be correct? The metal framed windows of the sides correspond with the door light and are, presumably, original. The proportions of the Doric columns are slenderer than those of Gambier Terrace (c.1836) which is attributed to John Foster Jun. (c.1787-1846) brother of Thomas Foster, the Town Clerk, and therefore likely to have been the architect here too? (see our drawing of a Greek example from Delphi)

Entrance to Knolle Park (Listed) - on the corner of Church Rd has 4 octagonal stone piers, with Classical caps, and iron lamps on the centre pair and are panelled in a style similar to the panels of the pilasters of Knolle Park Mews. Indeed similarly panelled pilasters can still be seen on Knolle Park Cottage along Beaconsfield Road, which is also of painted sandstone and has an (incorrect) pediment to the road, and is likely to be of about the same date.

All this can be interpreted in two ways -- at least.

a) John Foster Jun. built Knolle Park and the associated buildings for his brother about 1828, and there have been subsequent alterations.

b) Henry William Ross built Knolle Park about 1820 and some of, or all, the associated buildings were added by John Foster Jun. including The Lodge.

Perhaps having set out the story so far we may spark off further ideas and so be led to a firm conclusion.

continued . . .