Archways, Gates and Forecourt Walls at the Principal NW Entrance to Leighton Hall

Cadw's description

Location

On E side of the B4388 approximately 1.3km SSW of Leighton church and forming the main entrance to Leighton Hall.

History

Early 1850s and designed for John Naylor by the Liverpool architect W.H. Gee. John Naylor, a Liverpool banker, had acquired the Leighton Estate in 1846-47 and embarked on an ambitious programme of building, notably Leighton Hall, church and Leighton Farm, all designed by Gee and completed by the mid 1850s. Leighton Hall was constructed 1850-56. Naylor continued to extend and improve the Estate until his death in 1889. His grandson, Captain J.M. Naylor, sold Leighton Hall and the Estate in 1931.

Exterior

Tripartite grand entrance portal comprising central carriage entrance with flanking side arches. Of rock-faced Cefn stone and ashlar dressings. The archways are flanked by polygonal turrets (spiked finials to the inner turrets, orb finials to the outer turrets). The principal arch to centre is Tudor with panelling in the spandrels and a hood mould. Above is a scroll and a shield with 2 lions rampant, and a shaped gable with a sculpted lion above the apex. Either side of the main arch are narrower and plainer Tudor arches beneath a string course which is continuous with the hood mould of the central arch. Above the arches are a blank shield and a gablet above embattlements. The inner face of the gateway is similar. The ornamented cast iron gates are swept up to the sides in the central bay. They have two tiers of railings separated by a transom. In the upper tier they are formed into Gothic tracery and have poppy-headed finials; in the lower tier alternate railings have fleur de lys finials. (The lower tier also has an heraldic shield.) Below is a frieze of Tudor flowers. The gates in the outer bays are similar but plainer. The flanking walls are S-shaped in plan and have a pierced parapet with a cusped trail beneath a ramped coping. Intermediate piers have saddleback copings and end in taller octagonal piers with conical caps and ball finials.

Reason for designation

The Leighton Estate is an exceptional example of high-Victorian estate development. It is remarkable for the scale and ambition of its conception and planning, the consistency of its design, the extent of its survival, and is the most complete example of its type in Wales. The imposing and lavish entrance, displaying characteristic attention to detail, is an integral component of the group of buildings which contribute to the setting of Leighton Hall, the centrepiece of the Leighton Estate.