Building record 12000/32 - Chester City Walls - Bridgegate

In the late twelfth century the Bridge Gate was referred to as the south gate. For centuries the Bridge Gate was one of the most important defensive gateways into the city. It opened directly on the Old Dee Bridge, which was further defended by an outer gate tower, porticullis and a drawbridge at its southern end. The medieval gate is shown in a drawing by Randle Holme in Harl MSS 2073, as it appeared before the siege of Chester, and was comprised of a pointed arch flanked by two strong round towers. This gate was altered around 1600 by the addition of a tall square tower housing machinery for conveying river water to the city. It was known, after its builder, as John Tryer’s Water Tower (CHER 1200/33) and was destroyed during the siege of Chester. A new octagonal tower was afterwards erected, perhaps on a different site behind the gate, but was disused by the late seventeenth century and demolished in 1782. The gate itself was repaired in 1640 and in 1645 an assessment was levied for building a drawbridge. In 1728 the structure could still be described as an ‘ancient, strong and spacious stone building.’ (8). The old gate was taken down in 1781 and the present gate was built. The sergeancy of the Bridge Gate was vested in the Raby family, who also had custody of the castle gardens. Later it passed to two families; the Norrises and the Troutbecks (1). The rebuilt post medieval gate was designed by Joseph Turner and is of yellow sandstone ashlar, and is comprised of a classical arch with a balustrade parapet. Please see the linked listed building record for additional structural detail (9).

<1> Simpson, F., 1910, The Walls of Chester, /25 (Book). SCH3255.

<2> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Ormerod G 1882 1/355-6 & 2/547 (Book). SCH1389.

<3> Morris, Rupert H (Rev.), 1894, Chester in the Plantagenet & Tudor Reigns, /228-229 (Book). SCH946.

<4> Harris, B.E., 1979, Bartholomew City Guides - Chester, /134-5 (Book). SCH394.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ46NW26.10/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

<6> Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Revised List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, City of Chester Intra Mural 1998/ 283 (Unpublished Report). SCH4570.

<7> Donald Insall Associates, Chester City Walls Conservation Management Plan, R3251 (Client Report). SCH6603.

<8> Lewis C.P & Thacker A.T. (eds), 2005, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume Vii, The City of Chester - The City of Chester, Culture, Buildings, Institutions, p223 (Book). SCH6522.

<9> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 470315 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.