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Ryde Road Lodge
This impressive lodge opposite Palmer’s Brook Farm was the southernmost of Queen Victoria’s lodges. It was built in 1864 and the drive led north to Brock’s Copse Lodge. Built mainly of red estate bricks, made just 400 yards away, it has buff bricks used as a banding and wonderful decorative diamond patterning around the upper walls. It is the most ornate of all the lodges, and still has some of its decorative chimneys and the brick-built gateposts with the iron mounts for the gate, which can still be seen. The design reflected again the lodge at Brock’s Copse. Heraldic arms and a plaque on the gable confirms the date of construction.
It has been said that the lodge was built for the Queen to use when she went to catch a train at Whippingham Station. Unfortunately, this myth is untrue, as the station and railway line were not constructed for 11 years after the lodge was built, in 1875. Even if this was true, it is believed that Victoria only used the train once at Whippingham. However, the lodge did give access to the estate for those arriving from Ryde by train, as a carriage would be sent to meet them.
William Cooke was resident at Ryde Road Lodge in 1888. He had already served the Queen for 14 years. Dotty Wilson (nee Cooke) lived there as a young girl, walking to school at Whippingham along the quite roads in the 1930s. Her father worked as a gardener at Kent House in East Cowes. The lodge was sold by Crown Estates in 1956, and was called Palmer’s Lodge in the sale documents.
Source: Whippingham by Sarah Burdett
This page was last edited on: 26th January, 2022 17:50:46
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