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Later medieval gatehouse to the Chancellor's House, 15 Cathedral Close

View this record on the Archaeology Data Service web site


Description:Recording of the boundary wall and excavation of a small foundation trench in the garden of 15 The Close in 2004 revealed evidence for a late medieval gatehouse to the former Chancellor’s House (see EUAD monument no. 11117). A four-centred entrance arch of moulded volcanic stone on the street frontage is the most visible remnant of this structure. On the interior two scars of walls flanking the arch represent the gatehouse passage, a wall scar to the south east the limit of the building in that direction. A wall footing excavated in the small foundation trench must represent either a cross wall within a gatehouse range or the north-west end wall of the gatehouse. The depth of the building remains unknown (and its plan as mapped is therefore conjectural in this respect). A relieving arch of breccia voussoirs above the entrance arch show that the building possessed a second storey. The building is dated to the late 15th or early 16th century by the materials and style of arch and mouldings (Allan and Dyer 2005, 96). The gatehouse was dismantled either during the Civil War, Commonwealth or the period immediately after (when the Dean and Chapter were making-good the depredations of the preceding years), or during the process of rebuilding the Chancellor’s House c.1740 (see EUAD monument no. 11415). The wall between the gatehouse and the standing building was also rebuilt at this time, possibly because this too had been a part of a range linking the two structures which was cleared to make way for the new brick frontage. [SRB after Allan and Dyer, 4.viii.06]

Extant: Yes
District:Exeter
County:Devon
Grid reference:SX922925
Map reference: [ EPSG:27700] 292209, 92550
Periods:1300 - 1540
LATER MEDIEVAL CITY
Subjects:GATEHOUSE
Identifiers:[ ADS] Depositor ID - 11571.0

People Involved:

  • [ Publisher] Exeter City Council

Bibliographic References:

  • Lega-Weekes, E. (1915) Some Studies in the Topography of the Cathedral Close Exeter. James G. Commin.
  • Allan, J.P and Dyer, M.J. (2005) The medieval gatehouse of the Chancellor’s House, Cathedral Close, Exeter’ in Proc. Devon Archaeol. Soc. 63, pg(s)93-102. Devon Archaeological Society.
  • Dyer, Martin & Allan, John (2005) Archaeological Recording at 15 Cathedral Close, Exeter in Exeter Archaeology Report No. 05.34. Exeter Archaeology.