wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag Inclusion (mineral), inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a ...

work, the overthrow, particularly popular in the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

era commencing in the 17th century, refers to the crowning section of ornamental wrought

ironwork Ironwork is any weapon, artwork, utensil, or architectural feature made of iron, especially one used for decoration. There are two main types of ironwork: wrought iron and cast iron. While the use of iron dates as far back as 4000BC, it was th ...

which forms a decorative crest above a wrought-iron

gate A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include ''yett and port''. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall ...

; the overthrow provides some stabilizing structure tying together supporting

pier image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...

s on either side of the swinging sections. The piers may be masonry or of assembled sections of wrought iron. Aside from this stabilizing feature, the overthrow was largely freed of constraints of barring passage of animals or people. Consequently, the iron master was free to express his fancy. Overthrows often feature

monogram A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...

s or

cypher Cypher is an alternative spelling for cipher. Cypher may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * Cypher (French Group), a Goa trance music group * Cypher (band), an Australian instrumental band * Cypher (film), ''Cypher'' (film), a 2002 film * C ...

s, armorial crests or supporters, and even fully realized

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its wh ...

. Some outstanding English and Welsh examples of overthrows: *

Chirk Castle Chirk Castle ( cy, Castell y Waun) is a Grade I listed castle located in Chirk, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. History The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March as part of King Edward ...

, Denbigh. 1719. By Robert Davies, a pupil of

Jean Tijou Jean Tijou () was a French Huguenot ironworker. He is known solely through his work in England, where he worked on several of the key English Baroque buildings. Very little is known of his biography. He arrived in England in c. 1689 and enjoyed ...

. *

Leeswood Leeswood ( cy, Coed-llai) is a village, community and electoral ward in Flintshire, Wales, about four miles from the historic market town of Mold. At the 2001 Census, the population was 2,143, reducing slightly to 2,135 at the 2011 Census. It ...

, Mold, Clwyd. The "White Gates". 1726 By Robert Davies. * Eaton Hall, Cheshire. Golden Gates. c. 1730. By the Davies Brothers of Croes Foel. *

Okeover Hall Okeover Hall is a privately owned Grade II* listed country house in Okeover, Staffordshire, England. It is the family seat of the Okeover family, who have been in residence since the reign of William Rufus. The house lies close to the border betw ...

, Staffordshire. 1756. By Benjamin Yates, a pupil of Robert Bakewell *

Clandon Park House Clandon Park House is an early 18th-century grade I listed Palladian mansion in West Clandon, near Guildford in Surrey. It stands in the south east corner of Clandon Park, a agricultural parkland estate which has been the seat of the Earls o ...

, Surrey. 18th century. Installed by

Lancelot 'Capability' Brown Lancelot Brown (born c. 1715–16, baptised 30 August 1716 – 6 February 1783), more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English gardener and landscape architect, who remains the most famous figure in the history of the English lan ...

References

* (2nd edition: published by South Brunswick and New York: A. S. Barnes & Company, 1967. ) Types of gates {{struct-type-stub