Conservation & Heritage Issue 50 Winter 2025/Spring 2026 - Flipbook - Page 91
original materials, complicated the structure and obscured
original design intentions. Original rivets and clasps were
lost or replaced, and several decorative elements, including
repoussé acanthus leaves and masks, had been substituted
with low-quality replicas.
Comparison with archival sources—including H. Walter’s
watercolour of Leicester Infirmary (c.1800) and William
Stead Mills’ measured drawing (c.1920–30)—enabled the
reconstruction of the gates’ historical form and documented
the sequence of modifications, providing essential guidance
for conservation decision-making.
Significance
Conservation Philosophy
The Quenby Hall gates are Grade II* listed and are among
the most important examples of early eighteenth-century
English wrought ironwork. Their design includes full-length
decorative panels incorporating inverted repetitions of
scrollwork, paired leaves, and beaded vines, assembled using
traditional smithing techniques. The gates also contain
repoussé ironwork—including acanthus leaves, shields, masks,
and finials—a method dependent on technical innovations in
sheet wrought iron production.
The overarching philosophy of the project was to preserve
authenticity, reinstate legibility, and recover symbolic
significance, while ensuring long-term structural stability.
Each component was individually assessed to determine
whether it should be retained, repaired, replaced, or
reinstated. Original wrought iron elements were conserved
wherever feasible, using forge welding or gas welding with
silicone bronze braising rods. Components exhibiting
significant corrosion or loss were replaced with wrought iron
matched to the original in material, form, and finish.
The iconography embedded in the gates reflects the status
and power of George Ashby. The overthrow and piers contain
family armorial bearings, ciphers, and badges of identity,
while the central masks, initially misinterpreted as ‘Green
Men’, likely represent Ashby and his wife Hannah Waring
(1650–1733). Additional motifs, such as paired scales, likely
reference Ashby’s service as High Sheriff of Leicestershire.
Art historical evidence suggests stylistic connections to Jean
Tijou’s designs (1689–1712) and the work of his apprentices,
William and Simon Edney, situating the gates within a
significant lineage of English decorative ironwork.
Non-original additions that detracted from the original
design, including spiked finials, serpentine bars, and
poorly executed replacements, were removed to restore the
symmetry characteristic of eighteenth-century wrought iron
design. Repoussé elements, which had suffered extensive
disintegration or been previously replaced with resin or
sheet metal, were reconstructed in aluminium, balancing
durability with visual fidelity.
Conservation Treatment
The conservation treatment of the Quenby Hall gates
involved a carefully staged and methodical process,
beginning with the dismantling and removal of the gates,
piers, stays, and decorative overthrow. Lorry-mounted cranes
and hand tools were employed to lift each component, while
elements embedded in concrete foundations were detached
with precision to prevent damage. All components were then
placed on neoprene-lined timber supports for safe transport
to the workshop.
Condition Assessment
Prior to intervention, detailed surveys identified extensive
deterioration. Protective paint layers had failed, exposing
the wrought iron to advanced corrosion. Crevice corrosion
and rust jacking had caused panel frames, scrollwork, and
shadow bars to distort, fracture, or detach. Large pier scrolls
were delaminating, exhibited severe corrosion. Earlier
interventions, often executed with crude welding or non-
I
Conservation & Heritage Journal
89
I
