Entrance Lodges And Gates To Arnos Vale Cemetery

The entrance lodges and gates to Arnos Vale Cemetery, dating from 1837-8, were designed by Charles Underwood. The lodges are now offices and are constructed from pennant stone flags and rubble, with Bath stone walls and slate roofs. Wrought-iron railings and gates complete the composition.

The lodges are each of a rectangular double-depth plan and are built in a Greek Revival style. Two temple-like structures face each other and are linked by railings to piers, with a sliding gate between them. Each lodge is one storey high, with an attic and a basement, and has a two-window range. The Greek Doric temples feature tapering columns set beneath a deep entablature, with a frieze detailed with triglyphs and a pediment. Banded rustication is visible on the exterior. The front elevation has a five-light door with two fielded panels, and seven-light windows with margin bars on either side. The elevations facing the road are blank, with banded rustication. A 20th-century extension has been added to the rear. Chimney pots replace traditional acroteria. There are three steps and paving made of Pennant stone beneath the portico.

The entranceway features sliding gates flanked by spear-headed railings on dwarf walls. A hinged pedestrian gate is also present. Ashlar piers with pediment caps support the railings; the piers are pierced to allow the gates to slide through, and rails run between them. Curved rails are set in cobbles inside the railings to accommodate the pedestrian gate.

The interior of the West lodge contains a dogleg staircase with stone steps to the basement. Fine details include deep shirtings, plaster cornices, panelled doors (the pair to the offices being mahogany), marble fireplaces, and shutter boxes to the sash windows. The East lodge has simpler interior detailing, with an iron handrail to the stone staircase.

Historically, the cemetery was established in 1836 by the Bristol General Cemetery Company to address the pressing need for additional burial grounds. The land, located within a mile of the city center, was consecrated in 1840. The cemetery’s design was inspired by the style of Claude and represents a pioneering example of its kind.