Gates, Gatepiers And Walls At Milton Lodge

The gates, gatepiers, and walls at Milton Lodge were built between 1860 and 1868, likely designed by G H Stokes with advice from Sir Joseph Paxton for Sir Edward Page-Turner. This entrance gateway, which leads to the now-demolished Battlesden House, features red brick with ashlar dressings and cast iron gates. The structure includes central double gates flanked by single gates, supported by four piers and connected to outer piers on the road edge by gracefully curving walls. Each of the six piers stands about 2.5 meters high, while the walls are approximately half that height, with each section of wall measuring around 10 meters long. The piers are rusticated with ashlar blocks and topped with heavily moulded cornices. The piers adjacent to the walls have elaborately moulded ashlar consoles at the junctions. The stone-coped walls feature brickwork arranged in an ornamental pierced design that mimics balusters. The iron gates are adorned with ornamental cresting, with the central gates displaying the initials E.P.T. The architectural history of this site is documented in Architectural History, volume 26, 1983, pages 92-95, and further details can be found in the Beds Record Office under lease T18/36 from 1866.