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Summary

Parent record for all sections of the town wall, towers and gates (see elsewhere for ditches and ramparts), whether surviving above ground or demolished. See child records for individual elements.

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record (ex OS Antiquity Record): SU 41 SW 4  

Monument Type(s):

• TOWN DEFENCES (Built, Medieval - 1180 AD to 1439 AD)

Full description

Records for the town walls are currently being enhanced and it is intended that further details will be added to this description at a later date. (SCC HER 16/12/09)
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The above-ground remains of the town wall, towers and gates are all listed (mainly Grade I, and some Grade II) and scheduled. The listing and scheduling do not correspond. The list descriptions incorrectly refer in places to the "city walls"; in the medieval period Southampton was a town.

[1]: Listed Building Descriptions for the town walls. Circuit anti-clockwise from Bargate:

BARGATE STREET - Bar Gate and Guildhall (formerly listed under High Street) Grade I.
- Dates from circa 1180 with addition and alterations of circa 1290, C18 and restored in 1864- 5. It was built as a town gateway with Guildhall at first floor level. Breaches were cut in the adjoining Town Walls in the 1930s. Two storeys built of stone and flint. Ground floor has a central round-headed archway of circa 1180-1200 the arch and responds round-chamfered with small square abaci. Two other arches added in 1764 and 1774. Large drum towers were added on the north side circa 1280-90. These retain arrow slit windows. Embattled north front added circa 1400. South side 2 storey portion added probably in late C13 with 4 windows lighting the upper storey room (restored 1864-5). Between the centre 2 windows is a trefoiled niche containing a statue of George III in Roman costume. This replaced a wooden statue of Queen Anne, now in the Bargate Museum. Bell of 1605 attached on the left hand side. This was the curfew and alarm bell. Sundial of 1705. Five panels containing painted shields of C18 date. The interior of the Guildhall contains late C13 stone fireplaces with cinquefoil arch. This is one of the finest town gateways in England. Scheduled as an Ancient Monument.

TOWN WALLS - Section of wall running west from Bargate to Arundel Tower and then south to point just south of Castle Water Gate. It includes Arundel Tower, Catchcold Tower, Garderobe Tower, The 40 Steps, Castle Water Gate and Castle Vault (formerly listed as Section of Town Wall running from the point of junction with the Castle Wall just north of Simnel Street to its eastern termination just west of Bargate). Grade I.
- Mediaeval City Walls. It includes the Arundel Tower, a round tower built early to Mid C13 with another stage added probably 1377-9 when Sir John Arundel was governor of the Castle Catchcold tower, an early C15 tower with 3 gunports, amongst the earliest in Europe. South of Catchcold Tower are the 40 Steps, a series of stone steps built on to the wall in 1850. The Castle stood to the south of this in mediaeval times. Between 2 buttresses is the entrance to Castle Vault a C12 rectangular tunnel-vaulted undercroft, with some corbels, which was built to
store the King's wines. The barrels were unloaded directly from the quay into the vault. Single round-headed window to south of entrance. Immediately to the south is the Castle Water Gate with a blocked segmental-headed C14 doorway. Scheduled as an ancient monument.

TOWN WALLS - Sections of wall running south along Esplanade from south-west corner of Simnel Street to University Air Squadron Headquarters at south end of Bugle Street. Includes The Arcades, The West Gate, Blue Anchor Postern and Biddles Gate. (Also listed as: WESTGATE STREET - The West Gate including portions of Town Walls and arcades adjoining.) Grade I.
- Mediaeval City Wall built of stone rubble about 20 feet in height. It incorporates the Arcade, and arcaded screen wall built against existing Norman merchants houses forming a series of deep arched recesses to give a rampart wall at the top, 19 arches in all, and the West Gate. This Mid C14 gateway has simple chamfered outer arches and a pointed tunnel-vault. It has 2 portcullis grooves. The 2 upper storeys have C16 gunports. Embattled parapets. Through this gate the army of Henry V marched to the ships for Agincourt in 1415 and the Pilgrim Fathers embarked from West Quay on "the Mayflower" on August 15th, 1620. Scheduled as an ancient monument.

TOWN QUAY - Geddes Warehouse including mediaeval wall forming front of warehouse (formerly listed as “section of Town Wall forming front of warehouse occupied by Jones Warehouse Co") Grade II.
- Dated 1866 in the end gable. Six storeys. Red brick with paler red brick window dressings and yellow brick long and short quoins. Roof now covered with corrugated iron sheeting. Two gables, originally having hoists but now blocked up. Ten windows in all, fixed metal casements mainly with cambered architraves. The end elevation has 2 windows and inscription in the gable end reading "1866, D. Geddes, Surveyor - H.W. Bull, Builder". This is one of the few remaining old warehouses in Southampton. Part of the mediaeval city wall of Southampton ran through the south wall.

TOWN QUAY - Water Gate Tower (formerly listed as Watergate) (Grade I).
- C14 and C15. The remains of the Watergate, the south gate of the town. Built of stone rubble. Drum tower of 3 storeys and part of fourth storey with 3 arched windows. Three storey rectangular tower added to west in early C15. South facade has a central part recessed between buttresses and a parapet with machicolations resting on 3 stepped corbels. Remains of garderobes on each floor. Four centred doorway. Late C15 extension to the north, the west wall retaining a 2 light square-headed window. Scheduled as an ancient monument.

TOWN QUAY - Eastgate Printing Works (Grade II).
- Mid C19 cement rendered industrial building with slate roof. Four storeys. Ground floor grooved in imitation of masonry. Six windows, casements some with cambered heads. Coach entrance. It incorporates a section of the Southampton City Wall.

TOWN QUAY - God's House Gate (formerly listed as South Gate or God's House Gate and adjoining portion of City Wall) Grade I.
- A circa 1300 gateway defended by a double portcullis. It was known as the Saltmarsh Gate and God's House Gate after the nearby hospital for poor travellers. The tower above the gate was called Lambcote Tower and was used as a prison. Built of stone rubble. Three storey tower with arched gateway with double portcullis and 3 storey building adjoining. The windows are trefoil or cinquefoil headed lights. Scheduled as an ancient monument.

TOWN WALLS - Section of wall running north from God's House along back of the Walls to Round Tower adjacent to No 15 (formerly listed as section of Town Wall in back of the Walls running south from Raleigh House until it joins the South Gate or God's House). Grade I.
- Remains of mediaeval city walls. Wall of stone rubble incorporating a C13 half drum tower. Scheduled as an ancient monument.

TOWN WALLS - Section of wall running along back of the Walls from just north of No 39 to Briton Street (formerly listed as section of Town Wall in back of the Walls running south from Raleigh House until it joins the south Gate or God's House) Grade II.
- Remains of mediaeval city walls. Rubble walls from 5 to 8 feet in height. Scheduled as an ancient monument.

TOWN WALLS - Section of wall running north from a point opposite the entrance to East Gate Street to rear of No 107 East Street (formerly listed as section of Town Wall running south from East Street to a point facing the entrance to East Gate Street) Grade II.
- Remains of mediaeval city walls. Built of stone rubble. About 8 feet in height. Scheduled as an ancient monument.

TOWN WALLS - Section of wall running west from Polymond Tower to remains of semi-circular tower to East of Bargate and small part south of Polymond Tower (formerly listed under York Gate and adjoining parts of City Wall) Grade I.
- Remains of mediaeval city walls. Built of stone rising to 15 feet in height. There is a gap where the wall was breached in 1769 and York Gate (demolished in 1961) was erected. The wall is scheduled as an ancient monument.

[Derived from English Heritage LBS download dated 19/08/2005. Crown Copyright. Reproduced under the terms of the Open Government Licence.]

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESH2002 - Condition survey of Arundel Tower and the town wall on Bargate Street and part of Western Esplanade

Related records

Associated Links: None recorded

If you have any feedback or new information about this record, please email the Southampton HER (her@southampton.gov.uk).

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