NHER 5039 (Structure record) - Remains of Langford Lodge medieval warrener's lodge

April 1935. Field Observation.
Rectangular ruined building of flint, brick and chalk.
"Ruins" marked on First Edition One Inch Ordnance Survey Map (S1). Now located in the midge of Forestry Commission plantation (TL 8179 9771).
Possible former chapel?
Information from Ordnance Survey Record Card (S2) and repeated on HER Record Card (S3).
H. Hamilton (HES), 26 August 2022.

August 1977. Field Observation.
Still located in a Forestry Commission plantation.
East wall exterior about 3m high built of flint, with tile course near base and brick southeast quoins: thin bricks similar to those in the Broomhill kiln (NHER 5695). But the interior of this wall is rounded to form an apse, of alternate lines of flint and chalk. Towards the top traces of a ?corbel-vault in brick. On exterior are some brick-edged putlog holes: the centre of the interior has a hole roofed by a brick, but it does not line up with any of the former. South corner of west wall also has a regular flint exterior, but rough flint and chalk inside. North corner a pile of debris. Rest gone. Depression where floor should be. Building was about 4m square. The apse, which was obviously designed to be seen from the inside to judge by its ornamental walling, makes it seem unusual for a house; perhaps a converted chapel?
Shown on Faden's map 1797 (S4) as Langford Lodge.
Information from HER Record Card (S3).
H. Hamilton (HES), 26 August 2022.

August 1987. Field Observation.
Trees around ruins cleared 1987. Since 1977 the southwest corner has also collapsed in a pile of rubble but the southeast corner still stands as before. It is now clear that this is a late medieval building - the bricks are far earlier than suggested in 1977 and it is probably late-15th century. It is a warrener's lodge, similar to Thetford Warren Lodge (NHER 2760) and the Ken Hill tower at Snettisham. The apparent "apse" is probably the rounded corner chamber of a staircase to the upper level; the brick corbelling shows that the ground floor was vaulted, probably as a store room, with living quarters above. (Another parallel would be the demolished warren lodge at Methwold (NHER 55577)). The external putlog holes can now be seen to be regularly set on two levels; most of the upper floor has gone.
A Foresty Commission staff member believes the ruins to stand upon a low mound which he suggests is a round barrow (see NHER 44216). No evidence for this was observed, although the ground does rise slightly here.
Information transcribed from record card (S3).
See also photographs (S5).
H. Hamilton (HES), 31 August 2022.

2008 - 2009. Breckland warrens field survey.
The earliest known date for the associated warren is 1476 where it is mentioned in an Indenture. There are no maps indicating the extent of warren but the presumed eastern perimeter bank runs along the edge of the conifer plantation with two more short sections of bank running east to west and two sections to the north and south of the lodge site. The lodge is named on Faden's 1797 map (S4) as Langford Lodge. An earlier reference to the lodge is in a 1742 mortgage deed. A section of upstanding masonry remains on the site but is very badly eroded but retains evidence of regular coursed flintwork and the use of think bricks as cornerstones. The current owner of the lodge area is the Forestry Commission.
See unpublished report (S6) and project website (S7).
S. Howard (NLA), 12 May 2010.

July 2011. Interpretation.
Photographs from 1985 and 1990 (in former H&L slide collection with some digitals in image library) reveal more extensive remains including evidence in the still upstanding corner of the original winding stair now obscured by fallen rubble. Another corner was still upstanding in 1985 and less so in 1990 now a mound. SPAB volunteers are to attempt a repair of remains starting with emergency work to brick quoins. The fine brick quoins are of highly fired clay of varying colours and straw marks certainly of late medieval type. Core work contains a lot of clunch. Date late C15 or early C16 on brick and technique, very probably the building referred to in the indenture of 1476.
S. Heywood (HES), 29 July 2011.

August 2011. Emergency Repair work.
Emergency repairs were undertaken by M. Tighe and J. Orsi of the Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings.
Information from unpublished report (S8).
H. Hamilton (HES), 01 September 2022.

September 2011. Vegetation Clearance.
Friends of Thetford Forest Conservation Volunteers carried out vegetation clearance around the remains under the supervision of the Foresty Commission.
Information from unpublished report (S8). See also photograph (S9).
H. Hamilton (HES), 01 September 2022.

April-May 2012. Excavation.
Work was undertaken by C. Pendleton of Suffolk County Council Archaeological Services and the Friends of Thetford Forest.
An undefined area around the standing remains was exposed, revealing some additional portions of the stone foundations.
The corners of the lodge and a possible doorway were revealed.
Analysis of pottery and glass finds recovered from the excavated area indicate that the soil had been previously re-worked, dug, or ploughed, creating a mixed deposit. The presence of prehistoric worked flint means the the possibility of the lodge residing on a prehistoric barrow could not be completely ruled out. The presence of a 12th-14th century pottery sherd could indicate that there was a timber medieval predecessor to the stone lodge.
The finds included:
An undisclosed quantity of prehistoric worked flint.
2 body sherds of sandy Medieval Coarse Ware and Gritty (MCWG) - 12th-14th century
1 slip ware base of Late Medieval Transitional Ware (LMT) - 15th-16th century
1 body sherd part-glazed Local Early Post Medieval Ware (LEPM) - 16th century
1 small fragment of thin window glass of 17th-18th century date.
1 bottle fragment of likely 19th century or later date.
Information from unpublished report (S8). See also photograph (S9).
H. Hamilton (HES), 01 September 2022.

September-October 2012.
Conservation of the standing structure was carried out by J. Orsi of the Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings and eight volunteers.
Information from unpublished report (S8). See also photograph (S9).
H. Hamilton (HES), 01 September 2022.

September 2012.
Location/mapping corrected. Previously recorded as at TL 81800 97700, to the east of the actual location on the ground.
Shown on Ordnance Survey First Edition 6 inch map (S10).
D. Robertson (HES), 25 September 2012.

July 2013. Interpretation panel installed.
D. Robertson (HES), 8 May 2015.

January 2019. Breckland National Mapping Programme.
The lodge is visible on aerial photographs from the 1940s (S12) and more recent imagery in 2006 (S14) and can be seen very clearly in 1996 (S13). This feature has not been mapped by this survey as the lodge has been recorded in more detail from other sources such as the First (S10) and Second edition (S11) Ordnance Survey maps.
J.Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 7 January 2019.