History in Structure

Footbridge E of Serpentine Pond at Leighton Hall

A Grade II* Listed Building in Forden with Leighton and Trelystan (Ffordun gyda Tre'r-llai a Threlystan), Powys

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Coordinates

Latitude: 52.6346 / 52°38'4"N

Longitude: -3.121 / 3°7'15"W

OS Eastings: 324229

OS Northings: 304682

OS Grid: SJ242046

Mapcode National: GBR B1.7287

Mapcode Global: WH79X.112L

Plus Code: 9C4RJVMH+RH

Entry Name: Footbridge E of Serpentine Pond at Leighton Hall

Listing Date: 24 December 1982

Last Amended: 20 March 1998

Grade: II*

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 19531

Building Class: Domestic

ID on this website: 300019531

Location: Situated to the E of the Serpentine Pond, on the NE side of the landscape gardens at Leighton Hall.

County: Powys

Town: Forden

Community: Forden with Leighton and Trelystan (Ffordun gyda Tre'r-llai a Threlystan)

Community: Forden with Leighton and Trelystan

Locality: Leighton Park

Traditional County: Montgomeryshire

Tagged with: Footbridge

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History

Designed by Edward Kemp, a pupil of Joseph Paxton, c1860 and part of the landscape gardens at Leighton Hall where bridges were used to span the natural hollows. Leighton Hall has formal gardens S of the library wing and SE of the Tower. In contrast, NE of the Hall and Tower it has a landscape garden which was planted with trees and shrubs, its woodland walks also contrasting with the terrace walks of the formal garden. The bridge E of the Serpentine Pond forms part of the path through the landscape garden, one of 3 such bridges.

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 W.H. Gee and completed by the mid 1850s. Leighton Hall had been constructed 1850-56. John Naylor's grandson, Captain J.M. Naylor, sold Leighton Hall and the Estate in 1931.

Exterior

Triple-arched bridge of coursed, rock-faced Cefn stone with ashlar dressings. Consisting of rusticated Tudor arches, the central arch wider and with a blank shield as a keystone. The outer arches have blind mouchettes in the spandrels and machicolations above. Beneath the parapet is a string course with prominent gargoyles. The parapet consists of stepped pierced trefoil arcading and ramped coping (much of which is now fallen). The abutments have no parapet but similar coping and end in low square piers. The flat deck is laid with modern concrete but the original drainage channels along the parapet survive.

Reasons for Listing

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. Leighton Hall represents the centrepiece of this development, and the garden features are a key element in the setting of the house. The gardens are also a tour-de-force of landscaping and formal design whose individual components are remarkable for their consistency of detail and the extent of their survival. The bridge is listed Grade II* as one of the architectural landmarks of the landscape garden and for the high quality of its design.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

Other nearby listed buildings

  • II Statue of Icarus in Serpentine Pond to NE of Leighton Hall
    Forden with Leighton and Trelystan
  • II* Footbridge and boundary wall on N side of Leighton Hall
    Located on the N boundary of the landscape gardens of Leighton Hall, with the Serpentine Pond immediately to S.
  • II Cascade at Leighton Hall
    Situated in the landscape garden at Leighton Hall immediately S of Serpentine Pond and N of the bridge E of Leighton Hall Tower.
  • II Arbour at Leighton Hall
    Within landscape gardens at Leighton Hall SW of Serpentine Pond. It is linked by paths to W and N to bridge E of Leighton Hall Tower and bridge E of Serpentine Pond respectively.
  • II* Footbridge E of Leighton Hall Tower
    Situated E of Leighton Hall Tower, S of Serpentine Pond and NE of a terrace walk at Leighton Hall.
  • II Terrace Walk at Leighton Hall
    Situated on the N and E sides of Leighton Hall and with gardens to N and E.
  • I Leighton Hall Tower
    Located approximately 1.4km S of Leighton church. The Tower is SE of Leighton Hall, reached by short private road E of B4388. A second (currently disused) service road leads to SW side of the Tower.
  • I Leighton Hall
    Located approximately 1.4km S of Leighton church. The Hall is reached by private road on the E side of the B4388 Buttington to Forden road, and is set in landscaped gardens.

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