Gates And Gate Piers And Lamp Standards Approximately 18 Metres South Of South East Corner Of Museum

The gates and gate piers, along with lamp standards, are located approximately 18 meters south of the southeast corner of the Museum of North Devon in The Square. Likely built in the mid-19th century, the gate piers are made of limestone ashlar and are oblong in shape, featuring moulded caps and panels of red sandstone on both the front and back. The cast-iron lamp standards are set on granite plinths and are designed with pairs of dolphins entwined around the stem of a flower, with the inscription "COALBROOKDALE" moulded on both sides. The iron gates are adorned with spearheads, quatrefoils, and scrolls, and they have scissor-braces in the lower part with bosses inscribed "YOUNG & SON 1894". The railings flanking the forecourt are late 20th-century replacements. Historically, the original railings and the tops of the lamp posts are depicted in J & J Baxter's book, "Barnstaple Yesterday," published in 1980. The Coalbrookdale Company, known for its ironwork, was established by Abraham Darby in Ironbridge, Shropshire, in 1708, while JD Young & Son were iron and brass founders based in Silver Street, Barnstaple.