Thoresby Estate lodges.

 

Above: A building known as White Lodge stood in this area in 1683 when the 3rd Earl Kingston purchased 1270 acres of Bilhaugh woodland for £7,000, thus making it a part of Thoresby Estate. It is not known just how much of the present building (if any) is that original house, but records indicate that the private road alongside the property and leading into Thoresby Estate, was originally laid by Evelyn Pierrepont the 4th Earl. However, the arches that stand at its entrance today are the ones which stood at Buck Gates until the 1950s. (See separate post).

White Lodge, stands on the A614 approximately a mile from Ollerton roundabout. It was once called Proteus Lodge, and is referred to as such on late 19th and some early 20th century maps. Local records from 1904 / 08 refer to it as White Lodge.

In 1832 it was occupied by Chas Paschoud the park keeper, and the Estate's fox hounds are believed to have been kept in the vicinity. In 1851, subsequent park keeper Richard Kemshall shared the lodge with Reverend Augustus C Masters, followed in 1862 by Joseph Cross, in 1864 by head game keeper Thomas R Kemshall, and in 1922 by Thoresby Estate Agent Hubert Davys Argles. When Lady Sibyl Pierrepont (daughter of the 4th Earl) married Davys Argles in 1923, alterations were carried out on the lodge which then became their marital home. Lady Sibyl Pierrepont was superintendent of the Perlethorpe Sunday School at that time.

Above: Cameleon Lodge (above) stands approximately two miles South West of Shepherd's Lodge, on the other end of Netherfield Lane. It was known as Red Lodge in the 18th century because of its red tiles. However, Repton had the lodge washed with stone colouring, painted, and thatched. The name Cameleon was taken from the Roman Goddess.

This property has been most associated with the head woodsmen who have worked on Thoresby Estate over the decades, examples including David Jamieson in 1864, and James Smith, who started at Thoresby in 1910 and lived at Cameleon Lodge until 1930. Dennis Turnbull took on the role of Head Forester at Thoresby directly after his demobbing from National Service, and lived there in the 1950s / 60s. (Note: Cameleon Lodge is spelt as such on Ordnance Survey maps from at least 1906 to the present day. Some sources do spell it as Chameleon lodge. I have chosen the former.)

Above: Shepherd's Lodge stands near the mini roundabout aside the A614. At various times in the 20th century it has also been referred to as Clarke's Lodge. It was built c.1800 by John Carr, at a time when he was engaged in modifications to Thoresby Hall itself. Records indicate that in 1862 John Carnall lived there, and in 1864, Joseph Ellis. One can only assume from the Lodge's title what their occupations were. In the 1930s George Hind, who worked the boilers at Thoresby Hall, was the resident.