Northgate, Chester

Northgate
Northgate
Coordinates 53°11′38″N 2°53′36″W / 53.193822°N 2.893366°W / 53.193822; -2.893366Coordinates: 53°11′38″N 2°53′36″W / 53.193822°N 2.893366°W / 53.193822; -2.893366
Carries Chester city walls
Crosses Northgate Street
Locale Chester, Cheshire, England
Characteristics
Design Arch bridge
Material Sandstone
History
Designer Thomas Harrison
Opened 1810
Statistics
Toll None

The Northgate is in Chester, Cheshire, England, where it carries the city walls footpath over Northgate Street (grid reference SJ404666). It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.[1]

History

The present Northgate stands on the site of the original northern Roman entrance to Chester.[2] During the medieval period, it was unimportant and it was used only for local access. At that time it consisted of a simple rectangular tower with a narrow gateway. It later was the site of the local gaol.[3] The present Northgate was built in 1810 to replace a medieval gatehouse and was designed by Thomas Harrison for Chester City Council.[1]

Architecture

It is built in pale red sandstone ashlar and consists of a segmental arch with a coffered soffit which spans the carriageway. On each side of the arch is a rectangular portal for the pavement. On both sides of the portals are attached unfluted monolithic Doric half-columns at each corner. Across the top of the structure is a dentilled cornice which carries a panelled parapet.[1][4] In constructing Northgate, Harrison used "as few and as huge stones as possible".[4]

See also

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Historic England, "The Northgate, Chester (1376370)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 18 September 2011
  2. ↑ Ward 2009, p. 7.
  3. ↑ Ward 2009, p. 39.
  4. 1 2 Hartwell et al. 2011, p. 252.

Sources

  • Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
  • Ward, Simon (2009). Chester: A History. Chichester: Phillimore. ISBN 978-1-86077-499-7.
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