Ever since I moved to Market Harborough in 1973 I have been passing the Triangular Lodge on the train and thinking "I must visit it one day". Today I did.Rushton Triangular Lodge was built in the 1590s by Sir Thomas Tresham, who had been imprisoned for his Roman Catholic beliefs. It is dominated by the number three, which is symbolic of the Holy Trinity.
It has three storeys and three walls, each thirty-three feet long and with three windows and three gables. The exterior also features biblical quotations together with numbers; some of the numbers remain mysterious in their meaning.
Rushton Triangular Lodge is often called a folly, but in fact it had a practical purpose too. It was a warrener's lodge - the Treshams had extensive rabbit warrens to provide meat and fur.
The lodge stands beside the road from Desborough to Rushton. In railway terms, it is between Market Harborough and Kettering.
It is looked after by English Heritage, and the man in the cabin there will sell you an outstandingly good guide to it written by Mark Girouard. He sells no refreshments beyond bottles of water, but there is a good pub in Rushton village.
It is looked after by English Heritage, and the man in the cabin there will sell you an outstandingly good guide to it written by Mark Girouard. He sells no refreshments beyond bottles of water, but there is a good pub in Rushton village.
You can find more history and photographs on Bashing Secularism, and everything2 discusses the building's symbolism and numerology.
Brilliant. Though modest compared to this one: http://www.pbarolo.com.ar/homein.htm.
ReplyDeleteIf you like that, you'll love Lyveden New Bield: Tresham's other catholic 'folly' and the Triangular Lodge's big brother. In the care of the National Trust, but IIRC not spoiled by lavender-flavoured-tea-towel-shaped biscuit shoppes.
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