If you have any feedback or new information about this record, please email the Southampton HER (her@southampton.gov.uk).
Data derived from Heritage Gateway will not be acceptable for any use associated with development proposals and other planning matters.

For important guidance on the use of this record, please click here . © Southampton City Council

Summary

West Gate (or Westgate) is a gate tower on the western town wall, opening onto the former West Quay. It consists of a gate passage with two floors above, the lower floor entered from the wall-walk to the south, at the top of a flight of steps against the south side of the tower. The western elevation has distinctive splayed gunports on each floor, and a blocked gunloop in the north and south wall. There may have been a gate of sorts here in the late 13th century but no evidence has yet been found for one. The present gate was perhaps built after 1339, and appears to have existed by 1360. However the surviving form suggests it was rebuilt or substantially remodelled for artillery defence in the late 14th century, probably in the 1380s, contemporary with the adjoining town wall to the north and south, although some writers consider the gunports to be 16th century insertions. In 1454 it was known as Middleton Tower, built over the Westhithe Gate; it had four defensive loops, assigned in the defence terrier of that year.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1001929
• Listed Building (I) 1179282: TOW 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
• Conservation Area: Old Town West

Other Statuses/Codes: None Recorded

Monument Type(s):

• TOWN GATE? (Built, Medieval - 1250 AD? to 1299 AD?)
• WATER GATE? (Built, Medieval - 1250 AD? to 1299 AD?)
• GATE TOWER (Built, Medieval - 1339 AD? to 1360 AD?)
• TOWN GATE (Built, Medieval - 1339 AD? to 1360 AD?)
• WATER GATE (Built, Medieval - 1339 AD? to 1360 AD?)
• ARTILLERY TOWER? (rebuilt or altered, Medieval - 1377 AD to 1389 AD)
• GATE TOWER (rebuilt or altered, Medieval - 1377 AD to 1389 AD)
• TOWN GATE (rebuilt or altered, Medieval - 1377 AD to 1389 AD)
• WATER GATE (rebuilt or altered, Medieval - 1377 AD to 1389 AD)
• ARTILLERY TOWER (altered?, Medieval to Post Medieval - 1500 AD? to 1550 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 8/12/09)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1]: Extract from Listed Building Description. 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 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.
[Derived from English Heritage LBS download dated 19/08/2005. Crown Copyright. Reproduced under the terms of the Open Government Licence.]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOU 1495 Phase 2 (excavation and building recording at Tudor Merchants Hall in 2009/2010):
[2]: Excavation work took place inside Tudor Merchants Hall, which sits in the angle between the east/inside of the town wall and the south side of the stone stair to Westgate Tower. The stair wall butted the town wall. A service pit was dug in the NE corner of the Hall, against the east end of the stair wall. The base of the stair wall was not exposed. The lower courses were built of small, squared, limestone blocks laid in fairly regular courses with lime-mortar pointing.

HER 16/6/2015: In photo figure 12, the lower course(s) appear to be offset from the wall above; however this may be an illusion. Apparently all deposits removed from the service pit butted the stair wall, and a feature (126) against the stair wall was unrelated to the wall’s construction. The photo suggests otherwise, although again this may be an illusion. None of the deposits against the wall contained secure dating evidence. (See also [3].)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESH1877 - Archaeological recording and excavation at Tudor Merchants Hall in 2009/2010 (Ref: SOU 1495)
• ESH2735 - Recording and watching brief at Westgate in 2023 (Ref: SOU 1982)

Related records

Associated Links: None recorded

Images

Westgate, Western Esplanade, 21.6.09, © I Peckham	Westgate, Western Esplanade, 21.6.09, © I Peckham
Westgate, Western Esplanade, 21.6.09, © I Peckham	Westgate and town wall, Western Esplanade, 21.6.09, © I Peckham
Westgate, Westgate Street, 21.6.09, © I Peckham	Westgate, Westgate Street, 21.6.09, © I Peckham
Westgate, Westgate Street - doorway in south wall, 21.6.09, © I Peckham	Westgate, Westgate Street - gunport in south wall, 21.6.09, © I Peckham
Westgate, Westgate Street - gunport in south wall, 21.6.09, © I Peckham	Westgate, Westgate Street - gunport and doorway in south wall, 21.6.09, © I Peckham
Westgate, Westgate Street, 21.6.09, © I Peckham	No image caption available, 30/8/09, © I Peckham
No image caption available, 30/8/09, © I Peckham	Westgate, Western Esplanade, 30/8/09, © I Peckham
Westgate, Western Esplanade, 30/8/09, © I Peckham	Westgate, 30/8/09, © I Peckham
Westgate, Western Esplanade, 30/8/09, © I Peckham	Westgate, Westgate Street, 30/8/09, © I Peckham
Westgate, Westgate Street, 30/8/09, © I Peckham	Westgate, Westgate Street, 30/8/09, © I Peckham
Westgate and town wall, Western Esplanade, 30/8/09, © I Peckham	Westgate and town wall, Western Esplanade, 30/8/09, © I Peckham
Westgate and town wall, Western Esplanade, 30/8/09, © I Peckham	Westgate and town wall, Western Esplanade, 30/8/09, © I Peckham
Westgate and town wall to south, Western Esplanade, 30/8/09, © I Peckham	Westgate and Tudor Merchants Hall, Westgate Street, 30/8/09, © I Peckham
Westgate and Tudor Merchants Hall, Westgate Street, 30/8/09, © I Peckham	Westgate and Tudor Merchants Hall, Westgate Street, 30/8/09, © I Peckham
Westgate and Tudor Merchants Hall, Westgate Street, 30/8/09, © I Peckham	Westgate and Tudor Merchants Hall, Westgate Street, 30/8/09, © I Peckham
Inside of town wall, Tudor Merchants Hall and Westgate, Cuckoo Lane/Westgate Street, 30/8/09, © I Peckham	West town wall and Westgate, Cuckoo Lane/Westgate Street, 30/8/09, © I Peckham
West town wall and Westgate, Cuckoo Lane/Westgate Street, 30/8/09, © I Peckham

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.