(c) 2016 Mount Merrion Historical Society
Lady Beatrix's Gate lives on
By BRIAN HOLLINSHEAD / Posted: September 02, 2014
Part of what we came across when preparing for the ‘Mount Merrion 300’ year was a photograph, taken by Lady Beatrix Wilkinson, of a wrought Iron gate. I immediately took a liking to it and while I realised that I was unlikely to ever own it (!) I thought it would be nice to visit it if it was again in use.
Knowing the Pembroke’s had returned to the Home Estate at Wilton, near Salisbury, after 1907, I sent a copy of the photograph to Wilton. I explained that as I lived only a couple of hundred yards from its presumed previous location, I was interested to know if it was still in use and if so whether it could be seen by public visitors to Wilton. The good news was YES. In fact they had made additional matching panels to put on each side and the gates are now the main Gates to the house in Wilton. So I decided if possible I would visit it on some future trip to England.
Got to Wilton in July 2014 and was given permission to photograph the gate from inside the grounds. See the original photo and my recent ones below. I was in a bit of a hurry to make a timed visit to nearby Stonehenge but one of the ladies at visitor reception let me in far enough. It turns out that she was the one who assisted Henry Herbert, 17th Earl of Pembroke to unpack the cup and saucer which was used when the decision was made by the 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam whether to leave the Mount Merion Estate to a Fitzwilliam nephew or to a cousin (the 12 Earl of Pembroke). On a repeat visit I got to see the cup and saucer but maybe more about that another time.
back to....Miscellany Corner
By BRIAN HOLLINSHEAD / Posted: September 02, 2014
Part of what we came across when preparing for the ‘Mount Merrion 300’ year was a photograph, taken by Lady Beatrix Wilkinson, of a wrought Iron gate. I immediately took a liking to it and while I realised that I was unlikely to ever own it (!) I thought it would be nice to visit it if it was again in use.
Knowing the Pembroke’s had returned to the Home Estate at Wilton, near Salisbury, after 1907, I sent a copy of the photograph to Wilton. I explained that as I lived only a couple of hundred yards from its presumed previous location, I was interested to know if it was still in use and if so whether it could be seen by public visitors to Wilton. The good news was YES. In fact they had made additional matching panels to put on each side and the gates are now the main Gates to the house in Wilton. So I decided if possible I would visit it on some future trip to England.
Got to Wilton in July 2014 and was given permission to photograph the gate from inside the grounds. See the original photo and my recent ones below. I was in a bit of a hurry to make a timed visit to nearby Stonehenge but one of the ladies at visitor reception let me in far enough. It turns out that she was the one who assisted Henry Herbert, 17th Earl of Pembroke to unpack the cup and saucer which was used when the decision was made by the 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam whether to leave the Mount Merion Estate to a Fitzwilliam nephew or to a cousin (the 12 Earl of Pembroke). On a repeat visit I got to see the cup and saucer but maybe more about that another time.
back to....Miscellany Corner
During its tenure in Mount Merion it was believed to have been the gate to the orchard, near what is now the school end of Trees Avenue.