Weir, Stone Basin And Footbridge At Lake Outlet, Ripley Castle

The weir, stone basin, and footbridge at the lake outlet of Ripley Castle were constructed between 1843 and 1844 for Sir William Amcott Ingilby. The weir features a horse-shoe shape and creates a cascade with six tiers, while the stone-lined basin is approximately 3 metres deep and made of large gritstone blocks. The basin's walls are built up to support the footbridge, which has a single shallow span with an iron walkway held up by a single rib. Designed in Gothick style, the footbridge includes two pairs of solid standards adorned with trefoiled panels and rounded pyramidal caps. The railings consist of two tiers of trefoil arches, a band of cinquefoil roundels at the base, and a moulded handrail that slopes down to ground level at both ends. The standards bear the cast inscription: "JOSEPH BUTLER / & CO / OLD FOUNDRY / STAININGLEY." Sir William Amcott Ingilby created the Ripley lake as part of the park's landscaping, following earlier designs by Capability Brown.