East Lodge circa 1795 is one of the four lodges (north, south, east and west) to the Bridge Hill House estate built in Belper in 1796. All four are still occupied although Bridge Hill House itself was demolished in 1938.
East Lodge is the largest and prettiest of the four lodges and was presumably built as the main entrance, but in practice South Lodge situated on the main London road (now the A6) would have been used more.
South Lodge had a long drive including a private bridge over the river Derwent.
All the lodges are built of stone dressed the same as other Strutt buildings constructed at that time.
East Lodge incorporates a stone staircase, the design of which was used as an external cantilevered staircase on the Belper Unitarian Chapel which Jedediah had built in 1788 and where he is believed to be buried.
The lodge has a stone porch for the gatekeeper to sit in and the open driveway gate can be seen at an angle at the bottom left of the old photo.
