When Ashcombe Hall was demolished in the 1950s, its ornate Tudor gatehouse was left standing alone in a field — and locals have been fighting to keep it that way ever since.
Battlements, window shapes, and stone coursing can tell you more about a gatehouse's age than any plaque — if you know what to look for.
Behind the romance of the gatehouse lay a job with long hours, cold rooms, and the delicate task of deciding who was welcome on the estate.
Across the country, redundant gatehouses have been rescued by trusts, councils, and neighbours who refused to let them decay into ruins.
@Magazine Images
