The Former South Gate and Southgates Bridge

Heritage listing

Details PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS: the remains of a brick-built gate tower, forming part of the medieval defences of King’s Lynn. It was constructed in the C14, and now forms the foundations of the current C15 building. In front of the gate is a bridge comprising a late medieval core preserved within a wider late-C19 structure. DESCRIPTION: excavations within the western chamber in 1984 and 1985 revealed that the C15 gate was probably built using the walls of a previous C14 gate as footings. The foundation deposits were overlain by occupation deposits dating to the late C15 to early C16 and mid-C17. The earliest surviving part of the bridge is the southern half of the masonry arch, underneath a brick relieving arch, encapsulated within the 1899 structure. The arch comprises at least 10 chamfered voussoirs covering an arc of 35 degrees (one half of the former arch of the bridge), within a chamfered masonry archivolt. No imposts are visible. Above the masonry arch is a segmental brick relieving arch. The visible remainder of the bridge exterior is constructed of red brick in English bond, with stone dressings and a crenelated parapet. EXCLUSIONS: the upstanding fabric of the Grade I-listed South Gate is excluded from the Schedule. Legacy The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system. Legacy System number: NF 174 B Legacy System: RSM - OCN

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.