Summerhouse At North West Corner Of Gardens

The summerhouse at the north-west corner of Bridge End Gardens in Saffron Walden is a pavilion built in 1839-1840. It is constructed from yellow-grey gault brick and has an octagonal plan, oriented southeast to northwest, with its front face on the southeast side. The structure features a lead dome above a coved cornice. Five sides of the pavilion have segment-headed sash windows with glazing bars, arranged in a 3x4 pane configuration, while the north and east sides have two blank walls. Below the windows are decorative recessed wooden panels and moulded cement architraves with ornamental keystones, although many of these details are now eroded or missing. The entrance is approached by a step and features a double-leaf door similar to the windows, with a recessed arched panel above that once held a classical bust, now missing. There is also a similar coved bracket on the blank north wall. The rear northwest window has a half-round external step.

Inside, the summerhouse has Ionic angle pilasters and an inscribed frieze in memory of Francis Gibson. The two blank walls on the north and east sides are painted with vine branches, birds, and putto. The tiled floor is decorated with a central roundel featuring leaf designs and a surrounding Greek key pattern.