Thornton Abbey Gatehouse and Wing Walls, Precinct Walls and Barbican

Details

TA 11 NW THORNTON CURTIS COLLEGE ROAD (east side)

10/77 Thornton Abbey Gatehouse and wing walls, precinct 6.11.67 walls and barbican (formerly listed as Thornton Abbey Gatehouse) GV I

Abbey gatehouse and wing walls, precinct walls and barbican. Gatehouse and wing walls of 1382 for Abbot Thomas Gresham, with later C14-C15 extensions to wing walls and precinct walls; C15-C16 barbican. C20 renovations, including replacement of gatehouse chamber floors. Gatehouse of brick with limestone ashlar dressings and decorative details; limestone and ironstone ashlar facing to plinth, turrets, lower stage of central front section and central section to rear. Wing walls of brick with ashlar dressings, extended in squared chalk with ashlar dressings and outer brick facing. Precinct walls of squared chalk and chalk rubble with outer brick facing. Barbican of brick with chalk and limestone ashlar dressings. Plan; rectangular gatehouse with angle turrets has main central passage with foot passage branching to right and single rooms either side. Wing walls with round mid-wall turrets and square outer turrets continue as precinct walls extending c125 metres south and c40 metres north to base of outer square turret. Barbican c38 metres long across moat in front of gatehouse. Gatehouse of 3 storeys, 3 bays, has 2-stage front with projecting octagonal turrets at angles and between bays, flanked by 2-bay wing walls, the inner bays sloping down to 3-storey round towers and the wider outer bays extending down to single-storey square turrets. Barbican of 15 bays with round turrets flanking entrance. Gatehouse: pointed entrance arch of 3 shafted orders with a cusped segmental outer arch flanked by blank bays with segmental arches supporting corbel table and outer wall passage. Upper stage has two tiers of elaborate canopied niches, some retaining carved figures, corbel table and fragmentary embattled parapet. Central passage has unusual pointed tunnel vault with longitudinal ridge-rib flanked by intersecting diagonal ribs springing from small wall shafts with foliate capitals. Inner arch of 2 orders with upper sections of original 2-fold oak doors with carved reticulated tracery. Pedestrian side passage has two sections of similar ribbed vaulting. Gatehouse inner face has plinth, moulded stringcourses between floors; pointed main arch of 3 orders, segmental-pointed arches to side bays; four-centred arch doorways, that to left turret with shafts and fleuron frieze above; first floor oriel window, 2-, 3- and 4-light traceried windows and corbel table beneath parapet. Interior contains first floor hall with fireplace, carved corbels for ceiling beams, moulded arch and ribbed vaulting to oriel window; series of wall passages and chambers, turret staircase ceiling with cusped and traceried ribs. Wing walls: ashlar plinth, moulded string courses, cornice and arrow slits to inner bays and round turrets; chamfered brick plinth and string courses to outer bays and square turrets; blind pointed arches on inner face, internal galleries and turret chambers. Barbican: roadway flanked by pointed blank arches with cruciform arrow slits, cogged brick cornice and fragmentary remains of crenellations; turrets with chamfered ashlar plinths contain round chambers with corbelled ceilings, chamber to left with adjoining garderobe. The largest and one of the most impressive gatehouses in England, notable for its use of brick, ambitious design and rich ornamentation. For plan and detailed description see DoE (AMHB) guidebook, Thornton Abbey, 1978; N Pevsner and J Harris, The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire, 1978, 400-2; illustrations in NMR.

Listing NGR: TA1152618971

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

165878

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Thornton Abbey Guidebook, (1978)
Pevsner, N, Harris, J, Antram, N, The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire, (1989), 400-402

End of official list entry

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