Pair Of Arches At Entrance To Royal Avenue From Marlborough Lane

The pair of arches at the entrance to Royal Avenue from Marlborough Lane are located on the west side of Royal Victoria Park. They were built in the mid-19th century and are made of limestone ashlar. Each arch features piers on plinths with circles in the centers of recessed panels and paired corbels on the inner sides, creating a shouldered arch. The lintels are similar to the piers but smaller in scale, and above the piers are small recessed panels flanked by similar corbels that support a wide cornice and blocking course, which serves as a plinth for stone sphinxes. The north arch is inscribed with "THE GIFT OF MR REEVES," while the south arch reads "GIVEN BY I WILLIAMS ESQ.," referring to the donation of the sphinxes. These arches are part of a notable group of entrance arches to the park, differing in design from those at the southeastern entrance, which were attributed to the architect Davis. Early plans from around 1829 do not show gates in this location. The donor, Mr. Reeves, is likely Charles Reeves of the Bath masonry firm Reeves and Son, which may have produced the sphinxes and other masonry elements. Victoria Park was established in 1830 on the former Barton Fields, a common land area, and was opened by the Duchess of Kent and her daughter, Princess Victoria, on October 23, 1830, making it the country's first municipal park.