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Monument Types

• GATEHOUSE (Built 14th century, 14TH CENTURY AD to 21ST CENTURY AD - 1301 AD to 2050 AD (between))

Associated Events

• Edgar Tower (Ref: WCM100170)
• Edgar Tower (Ref: WCM100269)
• Edgar Tower (Ref: WCM100270)
• Edgar Tower Lodge (Ref: WCM100271)
• Edgar Tower Vehicle Ramp (Ref: WCM100477)
• Edgar Tower gateway excavation phase 2 (Ref: WCM100865)
• Edgar Tower Lodge (Ref: WCM101059)
• Southeast Turret, Edgar Tower (Ref: WCM101897)
• Edgar Tower Gates (Ref: WCM101934)

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument
• Listed Building
• Scheduled Monument

Full description

Medieval gatehouse. Both scheduled and listed.

The main gate of the cathedral priory giving access to its outer court (College Green).

Molyneux dates its construction to 1346-7 when £42 was spent by the priory on a 'new tower', although others (e.g. Barker 1994, 75) {add to refs} have dated it to 1368-9, when the prior got his licence to crenellate. The building has a six-cell symmetrical ground plan, with a carriageway flanked by chambers to the north and south, and four semi-octagonal corner turrets. Above the carriageway the single storey of the central block is divided by a transverse (north-south) spine wall into two compartments. The roof over the carriageway is vaulted; holes at the vault rib intersections may represent missing bosses or possibly 'murder holes'. Used for lodgings from the medieval period onwards, it was first restored in the 1860s by the cathedral architect A E Perkins; a further restoration took place at the end of the century. New statuary was installed on the east front in 1910-12 {1}.

In 1393 a chamber in the tower (Edgar Tower) was referred to as 'the great eastern chamber' and was assigned to one of the prior's councillors, together with small rooms adjacent, one on the north side of the gate, and one on the south side {2}.

In 1991 a stone-by-stone survey was undertaken of its west face, based on rectified photography (WCM 100270). At the same time a geophysical survey (WCM 100170) of the ground around and under the tower was done to identify the cause of subsidence in adjoining buildings, and identified a substantial ditch.

List description:

Edgar Tower COLLEGE GREEN (East side)
SO8554SW
620-1/20/169
22/05/54
GV I

Gatehouse.

Begun c1300-35 and completed after licence to crenellate had been obtained in 1368-9. Restored C19. Probably originally the entrance to the castle. Coursed red sandstone with concealed roof. Single storey over arched gateway of 2 bays and with embattled octagonal tower set into each corner. West front: central wide, 4-centred arch with continuous double chamfers and ogeed hoodmould surmounted by renewed canopied niches between two 2-light trefoil-headed windows with crocketed hoodmoulds. Further small trefoil light at left. Towers are off-set to each stage and have first and second stage chamfered bands and moulded cornice; slits to upper stage and blocked 2-light window and blocked lancet to north-west. To south-west a semi-circular window in lower stage. East facade: similar, with triple-chamfered arch and renewed hoodmould with renewed canopied niches and tabernacle work with renewed figures of kings, queens and bishops. Towers have paired ogeed lights. Outer walls have paired lights to upper stage with Y-tracery at left and slits at right.

INTERIOR: divided into 2 bays by a cross wall with carriage and pedestrian arches: round-arched gateway with triple chamfer to head and battened timber double doors; then smaller arch with double chamfer to head and similar single door. The inner vault has diagonal and ridge-ribs, the outer has liernes; vaults on slender columns. Pointed-arched plank doors lead to upper stages, that to north renewed. The upper floor noted as having rib-vault to landing and two turret rooms with small rib-vaults. To main upper room a small doorway with shouldered lintel, the shoulders being double-curved.

Abuts the monastic precinct wall (Scheduled Ancient Monument). Sections of the Monastery Wall running to the N. and S. of the Water Gate (qv) are also listed.

All the listed buildings in College Green are part of a significant group forming the setting for Worcester Cathedral (qv) to the north side.

(The Buildings of England: Pevsner: N: Worcestershire: Harmondsworth: 1968-1985: 316). {4}

See also adjacent Cathedral precinct boundary wall records (WCM 96354 - east sector; WCM 96355 - south sector), and WCM 96375, The Prior's House complex


constituent event: 000000, bldg survey, Stratascan, 1991

(details ex excavation of carriageway/ramp WCM 100477 & 100865 needed)

recording and repairs 2015-16 etc

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 9th April 2019 licensed under the Open Government Licence: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ {9}

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