Gates, Piers And Wall At North End Of Crewe Hall Drive

The gates, piers, and wall at the north end of Crewe Hall Drive were built in 1878 and serve to separate the Hall and gardens from the surrounding park and farmland. The structure features wrought iron gates, stone gate piers, and brick walls. There is one pair of gates and two single gates positioned between sandstone piers adorned with strapwork decoration. The inner gate piers are topped with a griffin and a lion, while the outer piers have convex "prisms" with strapwork supported by four inverted consoles. The lower sections of the gates display lyre-like panels inspired by leaves, spearheads, twists, and scrolls. Pairs of central rails are interspersed with scrolls, and the upper sections are designed with Jacobean arched panels and pilasters. The top rails, which support the overthrow, feature the inscription "Quid retribuam domino" on the central gates, while the flanking gates display the date. The overthrows consist of an intricate arrangement of roundels with shields and emblems, scrolls, spears, and leaves, all topped with crowns that include grain sheaves and sickles. The gate piers are accompanied by a wall of open arcading, complete with springers and keystones. This wall has piers with stone-dressed sinkings that match the arcading and ogee caps carved to resemble the tile covering of the Hall tower.