Entrance To Tunnels,Pool And Beaches,Including Flanking Walls And Gate Pier

The entrance to the tunnels, pool, and beaches in Ilfracombe dates back to around 1836. It features painted stone rubble with dressed stone details and consists of a pointed arch with a keystone, set within a retaining wall against the cliff face. The approach is flanked by stone walls that have stepped and ramped copings, which end in square stone gate piers topped with flattened, pyramidical caps. Access is currently provided by an iron gate, which includes remnants of turnstiles made by Ellisons of Salford. This gate retains some decorative late 19th-century ironwork but has been significantly altered in the 20th century. The tunnels themselves, which were excavated by Welsh miners in 1823, and the beach-side entrances lack architectural features, being made of bare rock with occasional brick reinforcements. The entrance architecture is likely contemporary with the nearby Baths House, also from 1836, and both structures are depicted in an engraving from 1838. This entrance is notable for its connection to the development of the late Georgian resort.