Railings, Plinth And Piers To Raby Gardens

The railings, plinth, and piers bordering the Bathwick Hill side of Raby Gardens were built around 1820 and altered in the 1990s. A low limestone ashlar plinth supports spearhead cast iron railings, featuring two top rails and enclosing circles between each rail. The railings consist of seven panels approximately 18 meters long and two panels about 8 meters long that flank a 20th-century gate at the acute east corner. There was a former gate at the center of the Bathwick Hill side, designed with diagonal bars that divided two concentric circles into four quadrants, each adorned with an anthemion motif and scrolls at the outer corners. The tall panelled piers have cornices and tall capitals, each featuring a tall semicircular headed Soanian anthemion panel on each facet. Historically, these railings, likely produced locally, protected the private gardens at the bottom of Bathwick Hill, opposite Raby Place. They are named after the County Durham seat of the Earls of Darlington, who are the heirs to the Bathwick Estate. This elegant perimeter in the Grecian style enhanced the character of the development. The railings were recently conserved under the direction of James Elliot.