Gate Piers, Gates and Flanking Walls at Ashton Cross

Reasons for Designation

The gate piers, gates and flanking walls at Ashton Cross are designated for the following principal reasons: * They form a highly imposing and impressive West entrance to the former Garswood Park estate, where much of the original parkland designed by Humphry Repton survives as a golf course * They are a good and highly distinctive example of their type, and are highly detailed with elaborately carved stonework and ornate wrought-iron gates * They have group value with the nearby Grade II listed Le Chateau, which is believed to have formed part of a dower house to Garswood New Hall

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 27/04/2017

455/0/10024

SENELEY GREEN
MILLFIELD LANE
Gate piers, gates and flanking walls at Ashton Cross

07-OCT-09

II
Former West entrance to Garswood Park estate, six 12 ft high sandstone gate piers, wrought-iron gates, low flanking sandstone walls with cast-iron railings, ashlar and vermiculated stonework, late C19/early C20, Baroque Revival style.

DESCRIPTION: Central vehicular entrance (gate removed) and pedestrian side gates flanked by four gate piers. Highly elaborate tall C18 French-style wrought-iron gates to side gateways, painted black with gilded decoration. Large iron gate fixing to inside face of gate pier to left of central entrance. Long, low curved flanking ashlar walls projecting from side gates lead to outer gate piers. Side facings of copings to walls incorporate slender moulded bands framing vermiculated decoration, inner edges of walls with curved step up to join side gate piers. Walls surmounted by cast-iron railings with simplified fleur-de-lys style design. Gate piers: Identically styled, set upon large square stone plinths with moulded relief panels to each face containing vermiculated decoration, lower body of each pier with columns to each corner with decorative composite capitals and projecting bands containing vermiculated decoration, entablature above. Deep moulded entablature to upper part of each pier with dentil eaves cornice, tall square plinth above with paired supporting scrolls to each corner and panels to each face containing Greek cross-style designs, piers surmounted by large ornamental urns (that to right outer pier is removed).

HISTORY: The site of the Ashton-in Makerfield Golf Club was originally part of the Garswood Park estate, which was the seat of the Gerard family. The main house, Garswood New Hall, was built in the C17 and was later extended and improved in the C18. The gates at Ashton Cross provided the West entrance into the estate. Two further principal gates and lodges existed to the north east corner of the estate and another to the east (now demolished). The house was demolished in 1921 along with its associated outbuildings, and the formal gardens were also lost, although most of the parkland designed by Humphry Repton including a large fish pond survived and still exists today. During WWII the estate was used as a POW camp and also as a training base for American troops preparing for the D-Day landings. After its demolition the area to the north of the house site was mined, and the M6 motorway was later constructed through part of the eastern section of the estate. In 1963 Ashton-in-Makerfield Golf Club were looking for a new home and an agreement was reached with Lord Gerard to purchase the south west section of the Garswood Park estate on which to construct a 9-hole golf course and clubhouse. A further portion of land was purchased in the 1970s and the course was increased to 18 holes.

The exact date of construction of the gate piers, gates and flanking walls at Ashton Cross is unknown but it is believed to have been in the late C19/early C20. The West driveway to the hall was realigned in the mid-late C19. The central gates were pulled off and heavily damaged in an act of vandalism in 1989 and were subsequently removed.

SOURCES:
Pollard R & Pevsner N. 2006. The Buildings of England Series. Lancashire: Liverpool & the South-West.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION:
The gate piers, gates and flanking walls at Ashton Cross are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* They form a highly imposing and impressive West entrance to the former Garswood Park estate, where much of the original parkland designed by Humphry Repton survives as a golf course
* They are a good and highly distinctive example of their type, and are highly detailed with elaborately carved stonework and ornate wrought-iron gates
* They have group value with the nearby Grade II listed Le Chateau, which is believed to have formed part of a dower house to Garswood New Hall

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

505083

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Pollard, R, The Buildings of England: Lancashire, Liverpool and the South-West, (2006)

End of official list entry

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