Forecourt Walls, Terrace And Gates To South Of Hazelbury Manor

The forecourt walls, terrace, and gates to the south of Hazelbury Manor were built in the late 17th century and again between 1920 and 1925 by Sir H. Brakspear using rubble stone and ashlar. The south gate features two impressive piers made of banded ashlar, topped with moulded cornices and pulvinated friezes that support ornate urns with shields on both the front and rear. The carved arms of Sir H. Speke, who died in 1661, are displayed along with the emblem of the baronetcy awarded in 1660. The inner face of the piers projects forward and includes 20th-century wooden gates, while the rear of each pier has a recessed shell-headed niche positioned low down. The enclosing garden is surrounded by rubble stone walls with ridged ashlar coping, and the side walls step up twice towards the northern ends. At each end of the terrace along the south front of the house, there are gateways: to the west, a pair of 18th-century panelled ashlar piers with cornices and ball finials, accompanied by 20th-century iron gates; to the east, a Tudor-arched chamfered doorway with a plank door. The south terrace is adorned with an ashlar balustrade consisting of six sections on each side, featuring a moulded rail, square piers with strap work panelling, and turned balusters, all seemingly constructed around 1920-25 but based on 17th-century fragments.