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The Watergate
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Architect:
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Samuel
Butler or J. Constable (/) |
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Date: |
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1852 |
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Location: |
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Custume
Barracks, Grace Road,in townland of Ranelagh. |
The Watergate is the best surviving example of Classical architecture
in Athlone and thus has been adopted by the Athlone Architectural
Heritage Group for use as its logo. It is one of three surviving
entrance gates to Custume Barracks and by far the most decorative
but it is not now in everyday use. In 1850 when the railway
came to Athlone the military authorities gave a linear strip
of land, parallel with the Shannon, to facilitate the building
of a new road to "accommodate passengers" coming and
going from the new railway station.
The military authorities still felt that they needed access
to the river and thus negotiated with the railway authorities
to provide a new cut stone wharf for military use, and a new
gateway, to be known as 'The Watergate' to access that wharf.
The gate-way is signed and dated by Samuel Butler (a military
engineer) in 1852. However the National Inventory of Architectural
Heritage states that drawings exist for the gateway, signed
J. Constable, 1850. It seems likely that Constable designed
the gate and Butler built it.
This is a wonderful gateway - remarkable for its design, its
stonework and its fine decorative metalwork. The gateway consists
of three arches, the two side arches, with single gates are
designed for pedestrian use while the taller central arch, with
its double gates, was built to accommodate military carriages.
There is a fine example of a decorative Victorian cast-iron
lantern holder attached to the key-stone of the central arch
of the Watergate.
This road was originally named Eglington Road and was later
renamed Grace Road in honour of the Jacobite hero, Col. Richard
Grace. It is commonly known locally as Accommodation Road as
it was built to 'accommodate' railway passengers.
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