A view of the junction of Cranbrook Road (to the right) and The Drive (to the left) in Ilford, Essex. The single storey building was known as ‘The Lodge’ and was the gatehouse to Cranbrook Manor House and Park. The manor, farm and mansion of Cranbrook were first recorded in 1347 under the possessions of Barking Abbey. Cranbrook Manor and Park were sold and redeveloped for private housing around the turn of the twentieth century. The Lodge was demolished in 1923 and in 1928 Valentines Telephone Exchange was built on the site, which still stands today. The area, known as ‘The Wash’ would have been situated along Cranbrook Road, to the right of the picture.