Nos 65 And 66 (The Archway) With Flanking Walls

This is an impressive archway with lodges and flanking walls, dating from about 1756 and forming the entrance to Fonthill Park. It was originally built for Alderman William Beckford and likely designed by John Vardy. The flanking walls are later, dating from around 1860 and possibly by G Devey.

The archway is constructed of limestone ashlar, with extensive vermiculated detail, while the flanking walls are built from a redder stone. The arch has a slate roof and the lodges have lead flats. The design is classical, featuring vermiculated block rustication to the pilasters and voussoirs, a keystone in the shape of a rocky mask, a heavy modillioned cornice, and a pediment with large urn finials accented with vermiculated bands.

To either side of the archway stand two-storey lodges, which are designed to appear as single-storey buildings. Each lodge has a large 20-pane sash window with thick glazing bars, vermiculated pilasters, and a balustraded parapet. At No. 65, there are large ashlar stacks and a single-storey extension with a keyed oculus and a large, enriched volute detail. No. 66 has a 20th-century single-storey extension that is partially concealed behind a curved wall with a balustrade and end piers topped with urn finials.

Inside the archway, six-panelled doors face each other, with oculi positioned above. The north-facing side of the lodges features similar detail, but with blind windows. Attached to the walls are round-arched openings leading to the rear yard of the lodges. The lower, long flanking walls are topped with large enriched volutes. Interior spaces within the lodges include stone newel stairs leading to the first floor of both the lodge and the archway. No. 65 retains original six-panelled doors, and planked doors in round-arched openings to the first floor.

The long, north-facing flanking walls, approximately 85 metres in length, are constructed in six stepped sections, with a short vermiculated pier topped with an urn finial positioned between each section. Large end piers feature vermiculated bands, modillioned cornices, and large urn finials. Photographic documentation from the collection of G Devey, held by the NMR, depicts the walls under construction. This is a very fine and significant entrance to Fonthill Park, likely built concurrently with Fonthill Splendens (1756, by Hoare, demolished in 1807), and executed by Vardy following designs by Inigo Jones.