Building record 14928/6 - Dorfold Hall, Gate in Wall West of Hall

<1> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 1330151 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

II* GV early C17 gate in wall west of Dorfold Hall. The gate is in a stone dressed opening. It was removed from Nantwich and re-erected in its present position following the demolition of the Roger Wilbraham Almshouses in 1872. It is a wrought iron gate with central sun feature, and infilling of scrolls in square bar frame. The gate is in an ovolo moulded stone opening, with strapwork head, surmounted by a raised pedimented canopy, which contains an arched opening. The opening contains an acroterion-like shell feature mounted on a scotia moulded base. The gate is flanked by niches, with strapwork decorated semi-circular heads, which contain busts of Elizabeth I and a male courtier. The niches are surmounted by short lengths of projecting moulded cornice, these support heraldic lions which flank the pediment. The gateway is set into a brick wall which has short lengths of twice weathered stone coping both sides of the feature.

<2> Worlledge Associates, 2018, Dorfold Hall, Acton, Cheshire: Statement of Significance, R4293 (Client Report). SCH8675.

A Statement of Significance was produced in 2019 for Dorfold Hall and gardens in support of a proposal for its development as a wedding venue. The proposal is to re-develop the former service yard and stable area, including re-furbishing the existing coach house and a garden building in the walled gardens. The following information is taken from the report.
In 1849, Nesfield was commissioned to provide a report on Dorfold Hall. The report 'on the present state of the accompaniments to Dorfold Hall with propositions for improvement’, considered the first impressions of the house as far from satisfactory, with the present drive not terminating in front of the house, but the side. He considered that this, along with the dense summer foliage masking the body of the main house, would result in a visitor to the property being unsure of whether the road was a back approach. However, Nesfield's plans were not implemented until after 1861 due to family opposition to the scheme; they were eventually undertaken by Wilbraham Tollemache. The works undertaken included altering the pool in front of the house to provide for a straight access carriage drive, a gate lodge, elaborate entrance gates, a new entrance court with carriage sweep and a bronze statue of a mastiff and her pups, all enclosed with a low wall and gates, a coach house with clock tower, and a pleasure garden to the south with parterres. Trees were removed to open up views of the house, and to the south, to create a view to St. Mary's Church, Acton. It is suggested that the statute of the Mastiff and the entrance gates to the drive were bought from the Paris Exhibition of 1855. It has also been suggested that the ornamental gateway with lions was also installed as part of this work. Much of the Nesfield work survives, with the exception of the parterres to the south lawn, which were apparently removed during the Second World War.