Triumphal Entrance Arch And Flanking Lodges

The Triumphal Entrance Arch and Flanking Lodges, located in Wilton Park, were originally constructed between 1758 and 1762 as an early work by Sir William Chambers. Initially serving as an eyecatcher to the south of Wilton House, the arch was relocated around 1801 by architect Robert Wyatt, who also added the lodges. The entire structure is made of ashlar stone.

The triumphal arch was designed to support an equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, likely a Restoration piece. It features detached pairs of Corinthian columns on either side, a dentil cornice, and a blocking course. Inside, there is an archway supported by free-standing Doric columns, with a stone inscription tablet above and garlanded paterae in the spandrels. The north side displays Corinthian pilasters instead, and the arch is coffered.

Notable features include excellent 18th-century wrought-iron gates, which were acquired in 1855 by Sidney Herbert from Mount Merrion in Dublin. The arch is connected to the single-storey lodges by short covered passages at impost height, featuring outer detached columns topped with blocking courses. The lodges themselves are single-storey structures made of ashlar, each with one window (a glazing bar sash in an architrave surround) on the north and south sides, and accessed from the passage. The side piers are adorned with panels, and the lodges have balustraded parapets and hipped roofs. They are linked to the kitchen courtyard walls by a one-window extension on the left and a two-window extension on the right. The east lodge now houses the Muniment Room.