West Gates

The West Gates and their remarkable globes originally sited very close to the King Charles and King William buildings were re-sited with their lodges by Philip Hardwick in 185-51, resulting in the iconic west gates screen sited on the King William Walk boundary. Thoughts of a full restoration of the astonishing ‘astronomical’ and ‘terrestrial’ globes (the latter recording Commodore George Lord Anson’s voyage around the world in early 1740’s) and their piers, gates and gate lodges will follow in due course. However MAA have assisted with preliminary works to record and draw the fragile condition of the Portland stone of the globes and their bronze elaboration (which will be a challenging conservation project in due course). Also initial stone conservation repairs and cleaning to stabilise and lift the visual appearance of the entire gate screen assembly, also the physical lifting of the central ironwork arch which was being repeatedly hit by coaches and pantechnicons visiting the busy site. Statutory consents were obtained, stonework and corbel-brackets adapted, the ironwork arch raised to a height allowing high vehicles to leave the site turning southwards onto King William Walk, and finally the ironwork was redecorated and the original heraldic arms of the Royal Hospital and ‘nautical coronets’ were gilded.