Avenue Gate
You will find the Avenue Gate on the North West side of the estate near the river Clyde. The avenue is split into two. The gate used to located further along the coast coming out at the A78 main road, but when the nuclear power stations was built in the 1950s the avenue was cut in two with the new access road so the entrance on the A78 disappeared. During this time it used to be called Hunterston Gate. The old parts of the avenue still are in existence but not used now. The part between A78 and the current gate is called "Largs Avenue" and between the mansion house and the gate is called "Netherton Avenue".
The avenue gate had two tall sandstone pillars and a wooden gate identical to the Bulls gate. When the new access road was built the whole structure was moved to its new current location at the fork in the road. The left fork is the start/end of the old road and the right fork goes directly to the mansion house.
During the 1980s and 90s the avenue gates remained closed and locked with the only access to the mansion house being via the bulls gate. But more recently the gate is open. During the storms of the last few years the sandstone pillars have suffered damage, the fancy heavy top of one pillar has fallen off and not been replaced.
The pillars are a category B listed structure and comprise of Square, rusticated, stone piers with dentilled entablatures; urn finials decorated with shell ornament; low curved screen walls and smaller terminal piers
The avenue gate had two tall sandstone pillars and a wooden gate identical to the Bulls gate. When the new access road was built the whole structure was moved to its new current location at the fork in the road. The left fork is the start/end of the old road and the right fork goes directly to the mansion house.
During the 1980s and 90s the avenue gates remained closed and locked with the only access to the mansion house being via the bulls gate. But more recently the gate is open. During the storms of the last few years the sandstone pillars have suffered damage, the fancy heavy top of one pillar has fallen off and not been replaced.
The pillars are a category B listed structure and comprise of Square, rusticated, stone piers with dentilled entablatures; urn finials decorated with shell ornament; low curved screen walls and smaller terminal piers
