Gates And Screen Across The Main (South West) Approach To Cholmondeley Castle

SJ 55 SW CHOLMONDELEY C.P. CHOLMONDELEY PARK

1/13 Gates and screen across the main (S.W.) approach to Cholmondeley Castle (formerly listed as iron railings 12.1.67 and gate overthrow to W of Cholmondeley Castle) GV II* Gates and fencing across the south-west drive and across the flanking grass verges leading to the castle west front, 1722 by Robert Bakewell of Derbyshire (Jackson-Stops). The gates originally fronted the Old Hall but were refixed in their present position following its demolition in 1801. Wrought iron with stone end piers and dwarf wall beneath screen. Pair of high-standing gates, with elaborate overthrow, hung from built-up metal piers and flanked each side by two panels of railings, also with central built-up metal piers, standing on low stone wall. The outer ends of the screen have large panelled stone end-piers which support heraldic animals and elaborate ramped screen ends, based on scrolls and volutes. The screens are of square bars with spear and leaf cresting, water lily pendants and with volute and leaf dogbars as on the chapel gates (q.v.). The intermediate piers also have the decorative features of the chapel gate piers being similarly based on volutes, leaves, bobbins, sun motifs and with ogee caps. The gates, and main support piers, are plainer being based mainly on square bars. They rely on the segmental head of the gates, the high quality overthrow, the ogee pier caps, with cavetto cornice, and small ramped screen-end brackets for decoration. The dwarf wall, on which the screen rests, is chamfered with flush coping. The stone end-piers have moulded plinths, recessed panels and projecting cornices. They support a hound with shield (east) and Griffin with shield (west). Gervase Jackson-Stops in Country Life, 19 July 1984.

Listing NGR: SJ5348751278