QUEEN ELIZABETH S LODGE. 5I 



the repairs of the Lodge up to April, 1899. Since that date 

 the restoration has been accomphshed, and the Epping Forest 

 Committee have issued some statements respecting it, which may 

 appropriately be reprinted, in order to make the story of this 

 excellent piece of work complete. 



In the Report presented to the Common Council on the 

 25th January, 1900, the following statement occurs : — 



" On the 17th April last (1899) we reported to your Honorable Court as 

 to the proposed additions and alierations of Queen Elizabeth's Lodge with 

 the object of strengthening the structural condition and improving the 

 external appearance of this historical and interesting building, and enlarging 

 the Museum established there by the Essex Field Club (which has received 

 much public favour) in accordance with the reports furnished to us by Mr. 

 J. Oldrid Scott, the eminent architect, and we recommended that your 

 Honorable Court should make a special grant of ;^500 towards the cost, 

 which recommendation was agreed to by your Honorable Court. 



" Mr. Scott's approximate estimate for the work, made in May, 1897, 

 waS;^75o; but after your Honorable Court had agreed to the Report, we 

 communicated further with that gentleman, and he submitted drawings and 

 specifications of works, and stated that, in consequence of the increase in the 

 cost of labour and materials, his estimate must be increased from /'850 to 

 ;^g5o. We accordingly invited Tenders for the work, and accepted the 

 lowest, being that of Mr. Arthur Porter, at the sum of £yg7, and a contract 

 was entered into with him for the work. 



" When the external plastering was removed, it was found that in several 

 places the timbers had seriously decayed and weakened the building, and Mr. 

 Scott reported that it was desirable, if not essential, that some renewal of the 

 timbers should be undertaken ; which work was not included in the contract. 

 We, therefore, authorised Mr. Scott to do what was necessary with regard to 

 replacing the timbers, and to provide additional sanitary accommodation. 



" The works included in the contract are nearly completed, but it will be 

 necessary to provide better means of warming the Lodge for the protection of 

 the building itself and of the exhibits in the Museum, possibly by means of 

 hot-water pipes. The annual expense of heating will, we have every reason 

 to believe, be increased but slightly, if at all.'^ 



In addition to the suggestion that the building should be 

 warmed by hot-water, the Council of the Essex Field Club asked 

 the Committee to favourably consider a request that a small 

 room should be set apart, in which curatorial work could be 

 carried on. It was found that the scullery at the base of the 

 great staircase could be so adapted at a cost of about ^50, and 

 the Club offered to contribute this amount out of the Museum 

 Fund. The whole of the work of restoration was accomplished 

 by the summer of 1900, and in the report of the Epping Forest 



