Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
285
Building Number
Grade
I
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
06/11/1962
Date of Amendment
05/12/1997
Name of Property
White Gates, Screens and Piers NW of Leeswood Hall
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Flintshire
Community
Leeswood and Pontblyddyn
Town
Locality
Leeswood Hall
Easting
325015
Northing
361538
Street Side
Location
Situated on the N side of the by-road between Mold and Leeswood Village, situated at the terminus of axis of the landscaped avenue which slopes downhill from the NW façade of Leeswood Hall.
Description
Broad Class
Domestic
Period
History
c1726, designed as a screen or 'clair-voie' at the S end of Switzer's great N-S landscape axis. Switzer introduced the concept of 'ferme ornee' at the beginning of the eighteenth century and the screen acted as a terminus for the formal managed parkland and was designed to lead the viewer's eye out into the open informal landscape. Long thought to be the work of the Davies brothers of Wrexham; recent restoration work has suggested that infact the ironwork may be by Robert Bakewell who is known to have worked with Francis Smith, architect of Warwick on a number of other projects. An C18 view shows the screen and gates flanked by the lodges and side gates later positioned with the Black Gates, although the latter have now been moved to The Tower.
Exterior
Magnificent 30.5m spread consisting of double wrought ironwork gates to centre, openwork iron piers, twin-bay side screens with iron work piers and outer stone piers topped by lead sphinxes. Low curving brick walls to either side.
Double arched centre gates with plain uprights, spear dog bars and wavy lock-bar. Arched overthrow bearing scrollwork foliage, diamond fret pattern and Wynne crest; pilaster supports with foliage corner bosses. Main openwork piers with diamond fretting to scrollwork panels, foliage bosses ogee domed caps with square urn finials containing ironwork flower sprays. Twin open pediments to screens with arched dolphins the Wynne emblem, other detailing as before. Outer scrolled finials attached to rusticated Doric piers with triglyph frieze and fluted corner pilasters, rusticated plinths. Modillion cornice support fine (later?) sphinxes.
Interior
Reason for designation
Listed grade I as an exceptionally fine example of C18 iron work of national importance and for its important contribution to an outstanding early C18 planned landscape park.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
Export