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Summary

Southgate is the only surviving Launceston town gate.

Protected Status

• Conservation Area: LAUNCESTON
• Listed Building (I) 370119: THE SOUTH GATE
• Scheduled Monument CO377: Southgate, Launceston

Other References/Statuses

• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SX38SW 16.03
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 2749.10
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SX38SW 37.02

Monument Type(s):

• PRISON (Unknown to 19th Century)
• TOWN GATE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

Southgate is the only surviving Launceston town gate.

It is of C14 date, and consists of three storeys with an embattled parapet. It once had a moat and a drawbridge. Above the arch can be seen a recess to receive a drawbridge whilst within the arch can be seen the blocks that once held the portcullis. A narrow way through a short remnant of the wall on the west side has the remains of an arch dated 1633. The two rooms above the arch were built in the mid C16 and, until 1884 were used as a prison. In 1887 the local architect Otto B Peter purchased and then demolished some property close to the gatehouse to make a pedestrian walkway, thereby preserving the gatehouse which had been threatened with demolition as it was considered an obstruction to traffic. He later re-roofed the building and added the battlements. Cars still go through Southgate, but only one way. Mr Peter then refurbished the gatehouse, re-roofed it and added the battlements (12). It is now a shop.

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Site history:
1: 1951. OS
2: 1970. DOE (SAUNDERS)
3: 1972. KING & SHEPPARD
4: 1979. OS
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<1> Sheppard, PA, 1980, The Historic Towns of Cornwall, 75 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO4422.

<2> DOE, Listed Building Description (original DOE), 37 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5173.

<3> Peter, R & OB, 1885, Histories of Launceston and Dunheved, 235-238 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4119.

<4> Robbins, AF, 1884, Launceston Past and Present, 88, 110, 291, 302 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4263.

<5> Penaluna, W, 1838, An Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall, VOL 2, 7 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4104.

<6> Wright, W H K, 1881-1892, Untitled Source, VOL 9, 33 (Article in Journal). SCO5365.

<7> Gilbert, CS, 1820, An Historical and Topographical Survey of the County of Cornwall, VOL 2, 501 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3360.

<8> Kelly, 1856, Kelly's Directory of Cornwall, 50 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3766.

<9> UNKNOWN, 1---, UNKNOWN TITLE, VOL 4, 250 (Unedited Source). SCO5349.

<10> LEWIS, S, 1842, TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY, 3, 31 (Unedited Source). SCO5946.

<11> King, G & Sheppard, PA, 1973, St Mary Magdalene, Launceston Checklist, Vol 12, 70 (Article in Journal). SCO3791.

<12> Vernacular Architecture Group, 2019, VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE GROUP SPRING CONFERENCE 2019 EAST CORNWALL, p76 (Report). SCO28711.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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