Summary

Two early C18 gateways set in a garden wall: the bold, muscular design of the gateways is similar to that of the nearby Vanbrugh Arch, being possibly designed Sir John Vanbrugh, or at least clearly influenced by his work.

Description

Garden wall with gateways, partly early C18, partly late C19 reusing earlier materials.

MATERIALS
Inner face mainly C18 red brick, but including larger C19 brick, generally laid in English Garden Wall bond. Outer face mainly coursed, squared limestone rubble. Archways of Hildenley limestone ashlar. Flat coping mainly stone but including some concrete.

DESCRIPTION
The wall, generally about 2.5m high, stepping up the hill, runs west for about 100m before turning south for about 30m. Near central to this western wall, facing the west entrance to the Talbot Hotel, is a very boldly designed square headed archway of radiating stone voussoirs and heavily rusticated jambs. The outer, west face is not ornamented, having a simple flat arch of stone voussoirs. The archway is infilled with brick on the inner face and stone on the outer. Near central to the wall along Yorkersgate there is a similar (although repositioned) archway, but with the stonework to the northern, outer face and brickwork with a gauged flat arch to the south face. This archway is not blocked, but is closed with a later iron gate.

History

In origin, the garden boundary wall is thought to date to a 1721 lease by Sir William Strickland from the Earl of Malton, Thomas Wentworth. This lease was for a parcel of land identified as being most of what is now the upper terrace to the east of the Talbot Hotel (NHLE 1202751). This had been a hunting lodge bought by Sir William Strickland in 1672, however in 1721 it was occupied by a tenant. It has thus been suggested that this parcel was intended as an extension to the gardens of Strickland's York House (see NHLE 1290865) linked by a grand flight of steps (see NHLE 1290839) to the riverside gardens. However it may have been in preparation for the younger William Strickland taking up occupation of the former Hunting Lodge later in the 1720s, this becoming his principal residence until his death in 1736, and its subsequent sale to the Wentworths in 1739.

Only the southern part of the west facing section of garden wall is thought to date to 1721. This section includes an archway (now infilled) which would have provided mounted (but not carriage) access to a track down to the river where there was a mineral spring in use as a spa from at least 1669. The original line of the north facing garden wall is interpreted as being marked by a break of slope and is shown on early maps. The current north facing wall was rebuilt, mainly with reused early C18 material, in the late C19, including a reset early C18 archway that has similarities to both the archway in the western wall as well as the Vanbrugh Arch (which is also not in its original position) which is sited on the north side of Yorkersgate (see NHLE 1282012). The stone for all three of these archways is thought to have been quarried from Hildenley which was on the Strickland estate. At the south end of the western wall there is another blocked, but more utilitarian doorway which is thought to date to the mid C19.

Reasons for Listing

Two early C18 gateways set in a garden wall are designated at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:
* Architecture: principally for the monumental form of the two archways, being good quality examples of early C18 ostentatious design;
* Association: although the identity of the architect of the gateways is unknown, it could well have been Sir John Vanbrugh. The muscular Classical design was clearly influenced by his work;
* Group Value: the significance of the archways is heightened via group value with the Grade II* listed Talbot Hotel and York House and the associated listed garden structures, particularly the Vanbrugh Arch and the grand staircase which are thought to have been part of the same garden scheme.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17540331

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]