Penshurst Entrance Lodge: Pinnacle/Pepperpot

"Leigh West Entrance" - now Pepperpot 1904

Leigh, West Entrance 1904 (Pepperpot/Pinnacle) from post card sold at W Anderson, The Post Office, Leigh

Entrance Lodge – Pinnacle Lodge/The Pepperpot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above picture is taken from the front of the 1870 Sales Particulars.

This lodge house formed part of the Hall Place Estate.  It is described in the 1870 Penshurst Sales Particulars as a highly ornamental building, built of red and black brick, with Bath Stone dressings and tower, lofty imposing embattled entrance archway of brick and sculptured stone, with coats of arms and gothic ornaments and entrance gates.  The lodge contains 3 rooms with wash-house etc.  (The quantity is included in the park)  Estimated rent £6 per annum.

From the 1870 Sales Particular map you can see that at one point the drive approach to Hall Place ran across the south front of the old house to a gateway at Pinnacle Lodge which was built at about the same date as East Lodge (1852).  Pinnacle Lodge replaced an earlier lodge (shown on the 1841 map) which was about 150 yards further east and on to which the line of the drive can still be traced in the park.  As well as Pinnacle Lodge it is also known as The Pepperpot and, according to the above, at one point Penshurst Entrance Lodge.   According to the 1872 Drainage Report, it was at that time occupied by Mr Fitzjohn.  Following the building of West Lodge ca 1875/1876, in 1906, to mark the coming-of-age of his eldest son, Samuel Hope Morley moved the disused gateway shown above and re-erected it at West Lodge: according to Lawrence Biddle, the new West Lodge at one point became known as Penshurst Lodge, being on former Penshurst land.

On the opposite side to this entrance gate is another house which in 1872 (according to the Drainage Map and Report) was two properties occupied by Mr Muggleton and Mr Miller (owned by Mr Morley).   The report describes “guttering and downpipes in good condition and connected either with an old drain which is led under the public road in front, or with the newly constructed drain, closet, with pan to each house which with the sink, are all connected to new drainage.

Joyce Field (updated Aug 2021)

Sources:
Leigh in Kent 1550-1900: Lawrence Biddle
1870 Hall Place Sales Particulars
1872 Drainage Map and Report