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HER Number:	MSH2248
Type of Record:	Building
Name:	Town Defences - God's House Gate and God's House Tower
Grid Reference:	SU 4209 1093
Map:	Show location on Streetmap

Summary

God's House Gate and Tower are named after the nearby God's House Hospital. In the 1454 defence terrier the care of both buildings was assigned to the hospital. By then the buildings were owned by the town corporation, however they stood on what was probably former hospital land and the early gate may originally have been the east gate of the hospital.

Three main building phases have been identified – a simple gate tower and an extended gate tower (Gods House Gate), and the spur work (Gods House Tower). The early gate tower may date to the late 13th century, perhaps contemporary with a short length of the eastern town wall which was later incorporated into the west wall of Gods House Tower. The extended gate tower may have been built between 1321 and 1341 along with the southern town wall. In 1454 the gate is referred to as “Saltmarsh Gate” and “the gate and prison there, called Lambcote”. Gods House Tower was probably built in 1418/19 or soon after. It was an artillery fort, providing cover for the eastern quay or platform, and was the home of the Town Gunner. It was built over the sluice which controlled the water in the town ditch/moat outside the eastern town wall. The sluice operated a mill inside the tower; in 1454 the tower is referred to as “the Mill Tower”.

In about 1799 a canal lock was constructed under Gods House Tower, on the site of the old sluice and mill works. This was associated with the short-lived Southampton and Salisbury Canal, built in the town ditch/moat.

The gatehouse was used as a bridewell from 1707. In 1775 Gods House Tower became the town gaol, with the debtors’ prison in the eastern tower and the felons’ gaol was in the spur work gallery. Buildings and courtyards associated with the gaol are shown on the 1846 Ordnance Survey map. The gaol was closed in 1854/5. From 1875/6 the building was turned into a storehouse used by the Southampton Harbour Board. At this time, alterations associated with its use as a gaol were removed, revealing details of the original structure and the building was restored. In the late 19th century the combined building is referred to as the South Castle. In 1960 the building was further restored and converted into a museum. In Gods House Tower a modern staircase was built and a Mezzanine floor inserted between the two floors. In 1961 the Museum of Archaeology opened to the public.

Limited archaeological work has been undertaken around the tower and gate. The footings of the gate were exposed during a watching brief on a sewer trench cut through the gateway in 1962 (SOU 623/234). In 1994 a trench was archaeologically excavated north of Gods House Tower (SOU 592 Trench 1); this revealed parts of the below-ground foundations of the tower. A watching brief was also held on a trench dug against the west wall of Gods House Tower and north wall of Gods House Gate (SOU 592 Trench 2B). The upper parts of the medieval foundations and post-medieval structural alterations were revealed.

Protected Status

Listed Building (I) 135945: GOD'S HOUSE GATE
Scheduled Monument 1001925: Town wall: God’s House Gate and Tower
Conservation Area: Old Town South

Other References/Statuses

Old Southampton SMR No/Backup file: SU 4210 NW 11

Monument Type(s):

GATE TOWER (Built, Medieval - 1250 AD? to 1299 AD?)
TOWN GATE (Built, Medieval - 1250 AD? to 1299 AD?)
GATE TOWER (Extended, Medieval - 1321 AD? to 1341 AD?)
TOWN GATE (Extended, Medieval - 1321 AD? to 1341 AD?)
ANGLE TOWER (Built, Medieval - 1418 AD to 1425 AD)
ARTILLERY TOWER (Built, Medieval - 1418 AD to 1425 AD)
FLANKING TOWER (Built, Medieval - 1418 AD to 1425 AD)
TIDE MILL (Built, Medieval - 1418 AD to 1425 AD)
PRISON (In use, Medieval - 1454 AD to 1454 AD)
HOUSE OF CORRECTION (In use, Post Medieval - 1707 AD to 1854 AD?)
DEBTORS PRISON (In use, Post Medieval - 1775 AD to 1855 AD)
GAOL (in use, Post Medieval - 1775 AD to 1855 AD)
ART GALLERY (In use, 21st Century - 2005 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

Records for the town defences are currently being enhanced and it is intended that further details will be added to this description at a later date. (SCC HER 4/12/09)
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[6]: Listed Building Description. 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.
[Derived from English Heritage LBS download dated 19/08/2005. Crown Copyright. Reproduced under the terms of the Open Government Licence.]
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[4]: See documentary evidence on page 3/4.
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CANAL LOCK UNDER GODS HOUSE TOWER
HER 13/2/2020: In about 1799 a canal lock was constructed under Gods House Tower, on the site of the old sluice and mill works. This was associated with the short-lived Southampton and Salisbury Canal, built in the town ditch/moat. Early 19th century illustrations show the south side of the canal tunnel.
[10] (p14): 1799 reference in the archives of the builders of the Southampton to Salisbury Canal to “the extras on the Lock under the Gaol....” (the gaol being in Gods House Tower).
[9] (pp 99-103): “Beneath the basement is an arched space, through which the canal projected at the beginning of this century was to have passed, the sluices of the original ditch having been in the same position.”
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SOU 623/234 results:
[1]: During a watching brief on a sewer trench, the trench was cut through the gateway of God's House Tower. The footings of the archway were exposed, showing that they were some 4 feet deep. (There is nothing further in [2] or [3] about this, although a sketch plan in [2] shows a trench adjacent to the archway in Winkle Street. IP 19/8/02)

SOU 592 Trench 1 results:
[4]: A trench was dug north of GHT, which revealed part of the below-ground north wall of the tower. A brick wall, probably of 19th-century date, was revealed, blocking a limestone arch in the north wall of GHT. The arch lead to a brick vault inside the tower, built over the medieval town ditch and later canal (see figure 1). (See documentary evidence.) Natural deposits were not reached in the trench.

SOU 592 Trench 2B results:
[4]: The west wall of GHT, up to 0.30m below the pavement level, was exposed, and below-ground contexts were recorded. The medieval stonework and structural alterations of 18th, 19th and 20th century date were revealed (see report for details).

IP 26/2/09: Since 2005, Lankester's Vault has been one of the vaults used as an occasionally public art gallery, part of the ArtsVaults scheme (http://www.artvaults.org.uk/).
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SOU 1526 (photographic building record and watching brief at God’s House Tower Museum in 2010/2011):
[8]: Refurbishment works revealed the stone walls below the gallery for the first time in 50 years and a photographic record was made of the exposed masonry.
Two trenches were dug. They were small and fairly shallow and did reach medieval levels.
- Trench 1. An east/west brick wall was found. This could have been a subdivision on the centre line through the tower and may have been an internal wall in the Town Goal. Mortar surfaces to north and south of the wall were probably floors. The rubble deposit used to build up the floor in the late 1950s incorporated fragments of greensand blocks and a Quarr voussoir. Both these types of masonry were used in the fabric of the building, suggesting that parts of the medieval building were removed at that time.
- Trench 2. Another brick wall was found. This might relate to external structures of the prison as shown in 18th century engravings.
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SOU 1603 Trench 5 (trial excavation at God’s House Tower in 2012):
[7]: Trench 5 was dug next to the outer south side of God’s House Tower, to check the foundations of the south wall of the tower. Trench dimensions 1.15m x 1.2m x 1.8m deep. The tower foundations were exposed, and a sequence of layers.

The trench was dug to 1.69mOD. Natural deposits were not exposed. The layers below the tower foundations were generally level and included gravel and building debris. The earlier layers contained Anglo-Norman pottery, with high medieval sherds and a late medieval sherd in the later deposits. They probably relate to the development of the roadway and quay east of the gate, before the tower was built in about AD1400.

The foundation of the south wall of the tower was built of limestone and mortar, incorporating a chamfer (further described in report). The lower deposits against the outer face of the foundation were probably associated with construction of and/or later alterations/repairs to the tower. They were overlain by layers containing late 18th/19th century finds.

(See separate record for further details of deposits pre-dating the tower.)
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Sources / Further Reading

---	SSH6079 - Planning documents: 1990. Planning document for Ulster House Site (900363/3345/E2) (three site photos)..
---	SSH6208 - Serial: Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust. 2019. Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust - Building Conservation in Hampshire & Isle of Wight 2019.
[1]	SSH566 - Serial: Southampton Archaeological Society. 1962. Southampton Archaeological Society Quarterly Bulletin No 2, June 1962..
[2]	SSH574 - Excavation archive: A Aberg. 1958-62. Aberg's Building Sites Notebook 1958-62. Pages re SOU 623
[3]	SSH575 - Excavation archive: A Aberg. Aberg's Weekly Reports. Reports re SOU 623
[4]	SSH209 - Archaeological Report: I Peckham, JG Vincent and G Dall. 1995. Report on the Excavation and Watching Brief at God's House Tower, Southampton.. SOU 592. All
[5]	SSH591 - Serial: Morton, AD (ed), SCC. 1995. Archaeological Investigations in Southampton for 1994. p22
[6]	SSH2888 - Digital archive: English Heritage. 2005. Listed Buildings System dataset for Southampton.
[7]	SSH4462 - Archaeological Report: PR Cottrell. 2012. Archaeological watching brief and trial excavation at Platform Road and God's House Tower, Southampton.. SOU 1603.
[8]	SSH4195 - Archaeological Report: GL Elliott & AD Russel. 2011. Archaeological watching brief at God's House Tower, Southampton.. SOU 1526. (not yet checked)
[9]	SSH664 - Bibliographic reference: JS Davies. 1883. A History of Southampton. pp 99-103
[10]	SSH848 - Bibliographic reference: E Welch. 1966. The Bankrupt Canal. Southampton Papers Number Five. p 14
[100]	SSH2759 - Bibliographic reference: EM Sandell. 1958. Southampton Panorama.
[100]	SSH3063 - Unpublished document: Ancient Monument File AM11 - Gods House Tower and Gate.
[100]	SSH3093 - Unpublished document: Ancient Monument File AM41 - Winkle Street.
[100]	SSH3103 - Unpublished document: Ancient Monument File AM50 - Views: Distances and Shores, etc.
[100]	SSH3152 - Unpublished document: Ancient Monument File AM96 - Back of the Walls (Eastern Town Walls).
[100]	SSH4059 - Bibliographic reference: M Green. 1976. Hampshire Churches. ?
[100]	SSH4060 - Bibliographic reference: P Peberdy. ?. God's House Tower History and Guide.
[100]	SSH4242 - Bibliographic reference: Francis Grose. 1773. The antiquities of England and Wales, Volume 2. p223 (picture & text)
[100]	SSH4372 - Bibliographic reference: P Peberdy. 1972. God's House Tower, Southampton - A short history and guide..
[100]	SSH4841 - Article in serial: Echo Staff Reporter. 1957. Hampshire Field Club our Soton: Historic buildings are visited.. Southern Daily Echo, 1 June 1957.
[100]	SSH4849 - Article in serial: Anon. 1957. South Castle, Wool House suggestions.. Southern Daily Echo, 25 September 1957.
[100]	SSH4850 - Article in serial: Anon. 1957. Soton museum plans: Council approve £21,300 expenditure.. Southern Daily Echo, 26 September 1957.
[100]	SSH4851 - Article in serial: Anon. 1957. Good idea.. Southern Daily Echo, 26 September 1957.

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

ESH1243 - Watching Brief around God's House Tower in 1994 (Trenches 2B to 2G of SOU 592) (Ref: SOU 592)
ESH1990 - Watching brief and photographic building record on works to Gods House Tower in 2010/2011 (Ref: SOU 1526)
ESH2148 - Evaluation and watching brief for Platform Road road widening scheme in 2012 (Ref: SOU 1603)
ESH234 - Watching brief on a sewer trench in Winkle Street in 1962 (Ref: SOU 234)
ESH592 - Excavation at God's House Tower in 1994 (Trench 1 of SOU 592) (Ref: SOU 592)
ESH623 - Watching Brief on a Sewer Trench in Winkle Street in 1962 (Ref: SOU 623)

Related records

MSH14	Child of: Town Defences - town wall, towers and gates
MSH622	Peer (Chronological): Site of canal to the east of the town walls and in Houndwell Park

Associated Links

Images

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

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.

God's House Gate and St Julien's Chapel, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate and St Julien's Chapel, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Tower House and Solent House, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower and town wall, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower and town wall, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower and town wall, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, God's House Tower and town wall, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, God's House Tower and town wall, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, God's House Tower and town wall, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Winkle Street, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate looking east, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate looking east, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate looking east, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate looking east, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, Tower House and Solent House, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, God's House Tower and Tower House, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Tower House and Solent House, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, God's House Tower and Tower House, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate and God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower and God's House Gate, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
No image caption available, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower and town wall, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower and town wall, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower and town wall, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
No image caption available, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
Town wall north of God's House Tower, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate and Tower, and town wall to north, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
Town wall north of God's House Tower, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	Back of the Walls, looking south to God's House Tower and Gate, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham