The Singing Duchess Gate
The ornate gates, created by Northumbrian blacksmith Stephen Lunn and his daughter, and apprentice Ashlee, sit proudly at The Garden. After two years in the making the 11ft gates weigh a hefty 640 kilograms.
The Duchess Gate at The Alnwick Garden (2015-01-04)The Alnwick Garden
A singing gate
The gate features an itricate design of plants and native birds that burst into song as you walk past.
The Duchess Gate at The Alnwick Garden (2020-05-02)The Alnwick Garden
The Greater Spotted Woodpecker
A bird that can be found in The Garden is the the great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major). It is a medium-sized woodpecker with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly. Males and young birds also have red markings on the neck or head.
The Cuckoo Bird
Another bird to be heard singing in The Garden is the cuckoo - a dove-sized bird with blue grey upper parts, head and chest with dark barred white under parts. With their sleek body, long tail and pointed wings they are not unlike kestrels or sparrowhawks.
The Starling
You can also hear the starling - smaller than blackbirds, with a short tail, pointed head, triangular wings, starlings look black at a distance but when seen closer they are very glossy with a sheen of purples and greens.
The Sparrow
A slightly more common bird is the sparrow. It is a small bird that has a typical length of 16 cm (6.3 in) and a mass of 24–39.5 g (0.85–1.39 oz). Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings
The Seagull
When it isn't trying to steal your sandwiches, you can find the seagull here. Typically medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They typically have harsh wailing or squawking calls; stout, longish bills; and webbed feet.
The Duchess Gate at The Alnwick Garden (2015-01-04)The Alnwick Garden
Creating the Duchess Gate
This is the story of how The Duchess Gate came into existence, as told by Stephen Lunn - The Master Blacksmith.
This is the story of how The Duchess Gate came into existence, as told by Stephen Lunn - The Master Blacksmith.
The Duchess Gate at The Alnwick Garden (2015-01-04)The Alnwick Garden
When were you first asked to create this gate?
It was 2011 when we first had the meeting and [The Duchess of Northumberland] told me that The Gate was to be a legacy. By the time ideas were presented in 2014, my ideas had changed, but it made it better – it improved it.
The Duchess Gate at The Alnwick Garden (2015-01-04)The Alnwick Garden
What was the brief?
The main thing was to focus on the wild rose and make The Gate feminine and nice, but with a mystery about it – a darkness. That’s why we put the thorns on. I wanted to add another element to it, to make it a one-off design which is why I added the glass.
The Duchess Gate at The Alnwick Garden (2015-01-04)The Alnwick Garden
Tell us about the grand unveiling...
There was a big ceremony when The Gate opened – the entire section was screened off so we had the issue of getting a crane to lift the gate over the top and back down again. For the great unveiling we made a silk lined box for the key.
The Duchess Gate at The Alnwick Garden (2015-01-04)The Alnwick Garden
How did you manage to transport it to The Alnwick Garden?
I loaded up the day before, but I was so stressed out about having my [previous] trailer pinched, I sat in the van all night and set off in the morning. You’re so full of adrenalin and happiness that I wouldn’t have slept anyway!
The Duchess Gate at The Alnwick Garden (2015-01-04)The Alnwick Garden
It's award winning!
It’s won the Tonypandy Cup – the top award for ironwork by an English Blacksmith, awarded by the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths in 2018. It’s the second time I’ve won it – I’m the only person to have won it twice. I didn’t nominate myself, I was nominated
The Duchess Gate at The Alnwick Garden (2015-01-04)The Alnwick Garden
How long did it take to make?
We did it in mega quick time – 8 months. There was a lot of hours to get in – 1700 hours on the job. We got focused – shut the doors, ignored the phone and cracked on!
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