Temple Lodge | gates – the Ironwork studio

Description: Our client gained a new understanding of this currently decaying entrance through an analysis and evaluation of the physical and historical information.

Temple Lodge Gates frame a deceptively unassuming entrance which has fallen into dilapidation and disuse. However, as the current owner recognised, this Grade II listed gateway with overthrow, given its location and the original design intent, was certainly formerly intended to make a grand statement and impress. With small random pieces of information known about the entrance The Ironwork Studio provided the first consolidation of related historical information to date. In addition, we carried out a survey resulting in the first formal analysis of the physical evidence. The resultant report provided a new understanding of the entrance, its history and most likely origin in the early 18^th Century. It also highlighted that, despite their current severely neglected state, there is no question that these gates are a superb example of their kind. While they have previously undergone restoration work, it has not been overzealous, so that original work and physical evidence of what once was is clearly visible. This is in sharp contrast to the majority of surviving ironwork from this period, which has been inappropriately restored with inappropriate techniques and the removal of evidence of, for example, the stubs where leaf work was once attached. Despite the missing elements, the evidence in these gates provides a clear story of what the original design once was. In conclusion the report identified historical information that has not been taken into consideration when the current listing was established, and the owner decided to apply to English Heritage for a reassessment of the entrance.