Potter Gateway to Sunnyhurst Wood

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Lychgate, 1904; dressed sandstone, timber and tile. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1426172
Date first listed:: 24-Feb-2016
List Entry Name:: Potter Gateway to Sunnyhurst Wood

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1426172
Date first listed:: 24-Feb-2016
List Entry Name:: Potter Gateway to Sunnyhurst Wood
Location Description:: Sunnyhurst Wood, Darwen

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Blackburn with Darwen (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Darwen
National Grid Reference:: SD6798122964

Summary

Lychgate, 1904; dressed sandstone, timber and tile.

Reasons for Designation

The Potter Gateway, Sunnyhurst Wood, of 1904 is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Architectural interest: it is a well-designed structure that utilise good quality materials with a high level of attention to detail; * Degree of survival: it survives largely intact and compares very favourably with listed examples of park entrances; * Historic interest: in common with the related structures in Sunnyhurst Wood, it attests to the widespread rise of leisure activities in the late-C19 and early-C20 and which, provided via the philanthropy of notable local people, together preserve a set of contemporary public inscriptions; * Group value: as one of a group of listed Edwardian, municipal park structures, it benefits from a historic, spatial and functional group value, strengthened further by its relationship to the Grade II registered park itself.

History

Sunnyhurst Wood, a wooded valley with a brook running through it, was purchased by Darwen Corporation in the early C20 for the creation of a public park to commemorate the Coronation of Edward VII in 1902. Funds were raised by public subscription, through the efforts of Alderman John Tomlinson, Mayor of Darwen (1900-1902) amounting to £2600. Work on the park began in 1902 and involved the construction of a number of paths, additional planting and minor works to the stream. The opening ceremony took place on 2nd July 1903 performed by Mrs Shorrock, the Mayoress. Within a few months of opening, improvements were being made and benefactors were providing further amenities at their own expense; these included a fishpond, a shallow lake for paddling and toy boat sailing, an aviary and a sundial.

In 1904 a new entrance to the wood with a lychgate was the gift of John Charles Potter (1854-1920) in memory of the years passed at Earnsdale by himself and his family. John Charles Potter was a wallpaper manufacturer and collector. In 1884 he entered the family business, C. and J.G. Potter of Darwen, Lancashire, wallpaper manufacturers. 'Potters' had patented the steam driven, rotary wallpaper printing machine in 1839 which enabled cheap production of wallpaper and was adopted universally by mid-century.

Details

Lychgate, 1904; dressed sandstone, timber and tile.

DESCRIPTION: octagonal structure forming a main entrance to Sunnyhurst Wood. It comprises a tooled stone base with moulded ashlar coping set with eight stone bases and opposing out-turned entrances (gates removed). The timber superstructure comprises eight stout Tuscan columns rising from the eight stone bases; these in turn support the bracketed eaves carrying a pyramidal roof rising above a domed plastered ceiling. The roof has a tile covering and is surmounted by a carved stone finial. The interior is paved and a stone inscribed in contemporary script, records the gifting of the gate and the names of its benefactors. A metal fixing for a lantern is affixed to the underside of the dome.

Sources

Books and journals
Hartwell, C., Pevsner, N, in The Buildings of England, Lancashire, North, (2009), 273
Other
The Landscape History of Sunnyhurst Wood, Darwen: survey and report for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. By Dr Alan G. Crosby, 2007

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.