Railings To Former Burial Ground Of Christchurch

The railings, dating to the 18th century, enclose the former burial ground of Christchurch and include corner piers, a gate, and gate piers. Some alterations were made in the 20th century. The railings are made of cast iron, set into a low rendered wall with a stone coping. The corner and gate piers are constructed of tuck-pointed red brick, with stone bases and caps. The railings consist of square-section bars connected by a flat horizontal top bar. Short pointed intermediary uprights are held by a low horizontal bar at the back. The vertical bars have simple pointed heads, and principal bars have urn finials grouped in fours around a central bar with a scrolled finial. The central double gates have a flat bar at the top and bottom, with a decorative scrolled head above the gates. A row of decorative cast-iron spikes spans the top of the gate piers and gateway. Each corner pier has a bracket-mounted lamp. Modern railings form the remainder of the burial ground boundary and are not considered of interest. The railings are part of the boundary of the former burial ground of Christchurch, built between 1677 and 1691 by Christopher Wren. The church was largely destroyed by bombing in 1940; the surviving remains are listed at Grade I. The railings are designated at Grade II for their group value, representing a strong historic and visual connection with the Grade I listed remains of Christchurch.