Building record 0122305001 - ENTRANCE TO WYCOMBE ABBEY FROM THE RYE

Grade II. Railings, gatepiers and gates. 1780s, 1790s and mid C19, salvaged from houses occupied by the old War Office when in Pall Mall, London. Centre sections salvaged from Cumberland House, nos 85-87 Pall Mall, part Robert Adam's remodelling in the 1780s, gates and piers mid C19. Outer sections salvaged from Buckingham House, no 91 Pall Mall, Sir John Soane's remodelling of 1792-95. These were purchased by Lord Carrington 1908-9 and first erected as entrance gates and screen to Daws Hill House drive from High Wycombe. It was moved 25 metres south to its present location in 1924. Cast and wrought iron. on stone plinths. Its total length is 50 metres, of which 23 metres is from Buckingham House. Centre Sections (former forecourt screen to Cumberland House) comprise four gatepiers with former lamp supports, hollow piers with scrollwork, and four intermediate standards with urn finials with wrought iron decoration by Robert Adam. The central gates were removed for scrap during World War II. The mid C19 phase comprises two of the four carriage gates incorporated [non-opening] with alternating pointed and open fleur-de-lys finials. Main railing stretches with spear head finials and panels to base of railings. The outer sections (former area railings to Buckingham House of the 1790s) comprise spear head railings with three area gates incorporated [non-opening]. Seven decorative panels survive with three oval paterae within wrought iron lozenges. At the far left is a tall wrought iron panelled standard, provenance unknown. [See 'Survey of London' Vols 29,30 pp. 360-367. Illustrated in Plates 204,209, 224 and 225. Athlone Press 1960.](B7).