Battlemented Wall Including Triple Archway Along South Side Of The Wilderness

STAINBOROUGH WENTWORTH CASTLE SE30SW 1/49 Battlemented wall including triple archway along south 18.3.68 side of the Wilderness GV II Entrance gateway, battlemented retaining wall and ha-ha. Probably 1738-39 for Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, (Wilkinson, pp397-8). Ashlar sandstone gateway, otherwise coursed, dressed sandstone and rubble walling. Gateway, known as Archer's Hill Gate, has plinth and impost band to 3 round- headed archways set in canted, rusticated walls with 7 ball finials; arches, now shored-up, retain iron gates. Wall to west forms southern boundary of The Wilderness and has embattled parapet. Wall to east is a low rubble retaining wall which links to dressed walling of convex ha-ha at south end of lawn to Wentworth Castle (q.v.). Ha-ha has projecting piers and ashlar copings. Wilkinson records instructions set out by the 1st Earl for the construction of ha-ha's during the winter of 1738-39.

J. Wilkinson, Worthies, Families and Celebrities of Barnsley and District, 1883, pp397-8.

Listing NGR: SE3182002942