Record Details
| NHER Number: | 64059 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | North Guanock Gate |
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Summary
This town gate appears to date from the late 13th century and is built of brick, carstone and ashlar and is part of the King's Lynn Town Defences. During the Civil War it was further strenghtened by the addition of a drawbridge. It was extensively reworked at the start of the 19th century as it became a garden feature within the park known as The Walks (NHER 33479).
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 6246 1972 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF61NW |
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| Parish: | KING’S LYNN, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Previously recorded under NHER 5486.
1951. Listed Grade II*.
Remains of North Guannock Gate with flanking walls. Late C13, the remains consolidated and romanticised in 1800s. Brick, carstone and ashlar. Central pointed dying arch springing from square turrets with a crenellated parapet, repeated on turrets. One arched opening right and left below a punched oculus and more crenellations. Crenellated walls run north and south from this point: 3 segmental brick niches to each serving arrow slits. The whole is a symmetrical Picturesque garden composition.
Listing NGR: TF6246019731
Information from (S1).
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 11 March 2020.
The Guanock Gate is said by the Ordnance Survey to be of 1740 on medieval foundations of two phases, late 13th and early 14th century. The name Guanock is said to mean a standard but is also the name of farms in Marshland. (S2) notes that "the ironwork strengthening the arch" is late 18th century but the only ironwork visible in 2000 was some clamps which were not closely inspected. To each side are medieval brick walls with stone cross arrowslits but the central gate is of carstone with limestone quoins. The older brickwork appears to bulge each side. This suggests a gateway in the medieval town wall was rebuilt in the 18th century, probably as a focus for the New Walk, now Broad Walk, laid out in 1713 (see NHER 33479), though the arch is known not to have been in its present form when the walk was first opened.
(S3) notes that the battlements were replaced here in 1805.
E. Rose (NLA), 23 August 2000.
(S2) notes that in 1626-7 the Guannock gate along with the East and South gates was provided with a new drawbridge.
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 11 March 2020.
Monument Types
- TOWN GATE (Medieval to 21st Century - 1260 AD to 2050 AD)
- DRAWBRIDGE (17th Century - 1626 AD to 1626 AD)
- GARDEN FEATURE (18th Century to 21st Century - 1800 AD to 2050 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| --- | Publication: Higgins, D.. 2000. The Antiquities of King's Lynn from the Sketchbooks of Rev. Edward Edwards. pp 13, 32. |
| <S1> | Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1219520. |
| <S2> | Monograph: Hillen, H. J. 1907. History of the Borough of King's Lynn. |
| <S3> | Unpublished Document: Taigel, A. 1997. Norfolk Gardens Trust: Town Gardens Survey - Volume One. Norfolk Gardens Trust. |
Related records
| 5486 | Part of: King's Lynn Town Defences (Monument) |
| 33479 | Part of: The Walks (Monument) |