Gate Piers And Gate At Main Entrance To Prior Park

RALPH ALLEN DRIVE 656-1/67/1360 (East side) 11/08/72

Gate Piers and gates at main entrance to Prior Park

(Formerly Listed as: RALPH ALLEN DRIVE Gate Posts at entrance to Prior Park)

GV II

Gate piers with walls and gates. c1740. By John Wood the Elder. MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, wrought and cast iron gates. Pair of rusticated piers approx 1.4m square and 4.5m high, with moulded bases mainly concealed by later paving; their wide moulded cappings with double blocking course carry colossal decorative urns. Hanging stiles have decorative scroll heads, and carry pair of fine iron gates with concave top rail, and twisted main and dog bars, with embellishments: these are probably mid-19th century. To either side short run of ashlar wall containing pedestrian opening with segmental head and keystone, doors or gates removed. To right, adjoining main road, quadrant of wall returned to main boundary wall, and salient of triangular walling, both crowned by low iron spiked railings. HISTORY: These imposing gates, one of five pairs of giant gate piers close together, announced arrival at Ralph Allen's estate: they embody the grandeur and scale of Ralph Allen's mission to create a seat of magnificence, using locally quarried stone. The urns are remarkable for their sheer size and were intended to demonstrate the quality of Bath stone from Allen's quarries, as well as the ability of his masons' workshop to turn such large blocks on a lathe. SOURCE: Gillian Clarke, `Prior Park. A Compleat Landscape¿ (Bath 1987), 40-49.

Listing NGR: ST7603262918