The building began life as the lodge to Churchill Manor, serving as the gatehouse and living quarters for staff responsible for security and managing access to the estate. Built in the 1700s in the William and Mary style, it was originally around a quarter of its present size and has been known locally as Ivy Cottage and also as Gardener’s Cottage .
The 1901 census shows the residents of Ivy Cottage as Emma Stockley, widow, 65 and her daughter Fanny Clarke, 30.
By 1911, the young Dean family were there: James Edward Dean, 27, his wife Alice Mary Dean, 25 and their newborn son James Edward junior.
By 1919, John A Holland and his wife Clara had moved in – and found themselves embroiled in a tussle with the Emerys who lived just round the corner in Pear Tree Cottage!
In the 1960s, the lodge was quadrupled in size, though only at ground‑floor level.
Here’s the building in the 1960s after expansion, (please note this image has been enhanced with AI as the original was very blurred).
A 1977 advert advertising Churchill Lodge for sale shows an asking price of £35,000.
The house was presumably sold to Mr Albert Frake who was living there in 1978 when he suffered a burglary.
When the roof later collapsed onto the extension, a rebuild created a two‑storey structure, but because the foundations were only designed for a single storey, the upper floor had to be supported on stilts, which the owners tell us are visible in the loft space. Work on the house can be seen in progress in the photo below.
The original spiral staircase was replaced with a narrow traditional staircase built to accommodate a central chimney. Although the house features many chimneys, only one is functional; the rest are decorative additions designed to echo the style of the manor.
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