Benger Trails
Dray Cottage / Keeper's Cottage / Keeper's Lodge

Keeper's Cottage, also known as Keeper's Lodge and as Dray Cottage, was rebuilt in the second half of the 1800s. A previous house on the same site can be seen on the 1839 Tithe map, identified as 'Cottage' in an area known as 'Pleasure Grounds'. There is no name given for the occupier or gamekeeper at that time.

The cottage is now a Grade II Listed Building. An extract from the official Historic England listing is as follows

Gamekeeper's cottage of Draycot estate, 1858, squared rubble stone with Bridgwater tile deep-eaved roof and two rebuilt ridge stacks. 1 1/2 storeys, symmetrical front with two gables and recessed centre, also gabled, the gables with ornate Gothic barge boards, also continued on side eaves. Picturesque Gothic style with 2-light pointed windows, cusped with quatrefoil heads and hoodmoulds. Each main gable had one upper window and two below each side of door in rough tufa surround. Right gable has 1858 date plaque in apex, upper window is blank and door is blocked.

See https://historicengland.org.uk

Dray Cottage is on the Draycot Estate, near the M4 and at the top end of French Gardens Lane. It was originally the Gamekeeper's Cottage.

It is a Grade II Listed Building, and was rebuilt in 1858, with additional additions around 1900 and 1986.