Two carved and gilded stone shields are set in the stonework either side of the entrance to the building. Each sits within a natural stone panel which is also intricately carved with geometric patterns to give the appearance of columns behind them.
Left to right.
The shield to the left of the entrance sits within a carved square panel setting. It has a white strip at the top of the shield which contains three rosette shapes, each with five muted red petals and five gold points. There are eight black shapes in two rows of four interspersed between the rosettes. The lower section of the shield has a gold background with a sheen to it. In the centre of the shield is a tree which is grey-green in colour with five gold fruits depicted amongst its branches. There are two muted red stars in the background to either side of the tree. In the foreground is a large beagle dog with white, brown and black patches of fur. Below the shield, etched into the stone is an inscription in Latin. It reads: ‘Esto quod esse videris’
The shield to the right of the entrance sits within a carved square panel setting. The shield is divided into a three-part design by a slim gilded line. The left-hand section features a carved, gilded image of a double-headed lion on a muted red background. The lion has a blue tongue and four blue claws on each paw. The right-hand section features a carved, gilded image of a mermaid with the torso of a woman and the tail of a fish on a muted, sky-blue background. The mermaid has long wavy hair which is held back behind its arm on the right. In its other hand it holds a mirror. The lower section of the shield has a black background and features a book open to a double page spread. The edges of the pages of the book are gilded and the book has gilded buckles and a bookmark that loops behind the pages. On the pages of the book in black capital letters is an inscription in Latin. It reads ‘per ardua ad alta’.