Record Details

NHER Number:7854
Type of record:Building
Name:Drayton Lodge

Summary

This ruined medieval house is rectangular in shape and made of brick. It was built around 1437, and was originally two storeys high with a tower at each corner. Some of the bricks were made from chalk and earth and may represent an early attempt to make white bricks. It was owned by the Paston family and was used as a retreat. Partly demolished in 1465, for a time it may have used as a warrener's lodge.

Images

  • Drayton Lodge, a ruined medieval house.  © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service

Location

Grid Reference:TG 1864 1315
Map Sheet:TG11SE
Parish:DRAYTON, BROADLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

January 1952. Listed, Grade II*.
Listing Description:
Ruined "plaisance" early C15 of soft pale red brick. Rectangular plan, formerly of two storeys, with drum towers at the corners. English bond brickwork, patched on north and south faces, at the base with C16 brick. Slit windows in drums, with arches over internal splayed reveals. Springing of former arched entrances from drums to interior. Central door opening in south wall with 4 centred arch with window opening to its west. 3 slit windows above, all with splayed internal reveals. Remains of fireplace and tapered flue above in west wall, now containing later doorway. Seating for transverse first floor beam in south wall. Some small amounts of plaster remain. Ancient Monument, County Number 141. Graded II* for early brickwork. Norfolk Archaeology Vol. II 1849, p. 363. Norfolk Archaeology Vol. XXIX 1946 p. 228.
Information from (S6).
H. Mellor (HES), 26 June 2017.

April 1978.
Shepherd's Castle on (S1).
Rectangular ruined building with round tower at each corner. Pink brick (surprisingly called yellow in (S2) and (S3), and this followed by (S4)). Dated by (S2) to soon before 1437. Destroyed by rioters in 1465 (S6).
Southwest tower formerly had staircase, now all gone; northeast tower has brick arch across, southeast tower cracked through. Two floors; joist holes marking division, except one in south wall set midway between floors, with two windows - another staircase? All windows small, like loopholes. Large fireplace in west wall with chimney shaft, latter knocked out into a doorway when made into warreners lodge. (S2) claims redder bricks and squared flint facing plinth are contemporary with building, but they seem very like the 18th century. Brick used on this doorway. South wall, the most complete.
W. Taylor, Norwich Antiquary in 18th century, in his poem reproduced in (S3), refers to a vaulted roof, but if this is not poetic licence it has all gone now. Interior overgrown; exterior walls have many iron loops over them suggesting ivy once trained. Traces of plastering inside. In poor condition - bricks very powdery.
Stands in grounds of 'Tudorbethan' nurses' home of 1914, but originally prominent on an open ridge.
E. Rose (NAU), 27 April 1978.

(S6) suggests darker red bricks are 16th century patching, taking a middle view!
E. Rose (NAU), 29 November 1984.

(S7) suggests the building may have been an early experiment to make white bricks, as analysis shows the bricks are mainly chalk and earth, not clay.
E. Rose (NLA), 3 August 1998.

Monument Types

  • BUILDING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • LODGE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Scheduled Monument
  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Designation: [unknown]. Ancient Monuments Form. SAM Record. DNF39.
---Drawing: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
---Unpublished Document: H. Paterson (A&E), MPP. Section 17 Management Agreement.
---Designation: Corbishley, M.J.. 1983. AM107.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 11 SE 10.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 448.
---Newspaper Article: Former nurses' home goes on the market. 2002. Eastern Daily Press. 28 November.
---Photograph: A.E. Coe & Sons Ltd. 1937. Drayton Lodge.
---Serial: 1830. Woodward Correspondence.. Vol IV, p 89.
---Photograph: Drayton Old Lodge. Print.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Drayton.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S2>Article in Serial: Barnes, H. D. 1946. Drayton Lodge. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXIX pp 228-237. p 228; Plates I-III.
<S3>Article in Serial: Harrod, H. 1849. Letter to Dawson Turner, Esq., V.P. on The Ruined Lodge at Drayton. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol II pp 363-368. p 363.
<S4>Unpublished Report: Ministry of Works. Scheduling Report [generic record].
<S5>Serial: Gairdner (ed.). 1983. The Paston Letters.. Vol 1, p 10.
<S6>Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1306023.
<S7>Serial: Firman, G.. 1998. British Brick Society Information Bulletin.. June, No 74, p 4.

Related records

MNO6004Related to: Drayton Old Lodge Drayton High Road DRAYTON (Revoked)

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