The north lodge was the first of Adam's buildings at Kedleston to be completed (1760-62), and there is a drawing for it set within a landscape in the Kedleston drawings collection. It is located to the north-east of the house, providing an entrance into the park, and comprises the first landmark along the new approach to the house (the turnpike road was moved to the park boundary). There is also a south lodge at Kedleston - this one leading into the village - which may also be by Adam though no drawings for it survive.

It is clear from Adam volume 40/50 that the lodges either side of the gate were intended for domestic use as one lodge contains a closet, chimneypiece, and front door containing a window, and moreover, there is a staircase leading to the roof space and pediment seen in Adam volume 40/47.

All three elevational drawings show wooden doors across the gates, though pencil annotations on Adam volume 40/47 show details of cast-iron gates more like what was executed (see Adam volumes 40/48 and 40/49); Adam volume 9/197 and 40/47 show doors in the lodges to either side, but these are now windows as in Adam volume 9/172, and Adam volumes 9/172 and 9/197 make use of the Corinthian order, while 40/47 uses the Doric that was executed.

Group

Digitisation of the Drawings Collection has been made possible through the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation

If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk