Boundary Wall And Railings To Main Road, Westbury Court Gardens

SO 71 SW WESTBURY-ON-SEVERN WESTBURY VILLAGE

11/279 Boundary wall and railings to main road, Westbury Court Gardens

GV II

Boundary wall to garden, with clairvoyees; early C18, for Maynard Colchester I and II. Ashlar stone, Flemish bond red brick, wrought-iron. Wall about 2.lm high on garden side, 450mm thick. Commencing with the gatepiers to the former house, they are square, of rusticated ashlar, splayed plinth at ground level; moulded edge to top, capped with stone, erect demi-lions. Main wall runs about 6m towards Gazebo to first clairvoyee, with plain, weathered stone coping. clairvoyee framed by plain, ashlar stone piers, with plain, moulded stone plinth: coping to wall sweeps up to piers each side, with stone scroll above. Piers have wide projecting moulded caps with stone pineapple finials on high bases. Between piers a low random rubble wall: above iron screen, alternate bars at an angle or twisted, ending in spikes above top rail: two main bars with wrought-iron finials; curved flourishes at each end, and a central twisted stay bar. Brick wall extends about a further 29m to second clairvoyee: last lm of wall appears to have been rebuilt about 1970. Piers to second opening square, of rusticated ashlar, on moulded stone cap to brick plinth: wide projecting moulded cap, above square base and tall, decorative stone urn. Coping to main wall turned up slightly to meet piers. between piers base as first opening, screen of flat bars with twisted tops, top rail sweeps up to piers at ends. Main bars at each end and in centre with spiked tops with wrought-iron decoration. Three twisted stays at back, down to top of sill wall. Main wall extends about a further 28m to the Gazebo (q.v.): a further 9m beyond appear to be of same date. Wall built as part of Dutch water garden attached to Westbury Court (since demolished): first section and clairvoyee built by 1704 for Maynard Colchester I, second probably between 1715 and 1725 for his son. Gatepiers probably built 1745 for latter, lions may have been carved by Biswick of Bristol. (G. Jackson-Stops, Westbury Court Garden, 1975, revised 1984, for National Trust.)

Listing NGR: SO7186413939