Record Details
| NHER Number: | 64056 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Site of East Gate |
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Summary
This is the site of the East Gate of King's Lynn, which dates from the 14th century and forms part of the Town Defences (NHER 5486). It was preceded by a wooden tower which may date from as early as the 13th century. It was demolished in 1800 as it was ruinous and the archway was proving awkwardly low.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 6233 2035 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF62SW |
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| Parish: | KING’S LYNN, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Previously recorded under NHER 5486.
The East Gate was also known as St Catherine's Gate. Although assigned to the time of Edward III (1327-1377) it is also mentioned in the time of Henry II (1154-1189) and was demolished in 1800. It was preceded by a wooden tower known as East Bretaske which stood at or near the East Gate and which was pre-1370, perhaps 13th century. The Gate was rebuilt in 1542. The Woodward Correspondence noted a coat of arms of Henry VIII from this gate in a builder's yard. This was reset on the magistrates' courts in College Lane.
According to (S1) the east gate had long acted as a defensive barrier and tollgate, but by the end of the 18th century it was in a poor state of repair and the lowness of the arch was proving problematic. In May 1792 the decision was made to take down the arch on the east side of the Gate and in July 1800 it was ordered that the whole Gate be removed, together with the adjoining houses on the south and west sides.
The side walls were retained as parapets until around 1900 when they were taken for use as boundary walls at Mill House, Tennyson Avenue (NHER 64030).
According to (S4) a drawbridge was ordered to be built between 1642 and 1646, along with one for the South Gate.
See (S1) for further detail. See also (S2), (S3) and (S4).
E. Rose (NAU), amended A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 6 March 2020.
Monument Types
- TOWER (Medieval - 1200 AD? to 1370 AD?)
- TOWN GATE (Medieval to 18th Century - 1327 AD? to 1800 AD)
- DRAWBRIDGE (17th Century - 1642 AD to 1646 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Monograph: Parker, V.. 1971. The Making of King's Lynn: secular buildings from the 11th to the 17th century.. p 139. |
| <S1> | Monograph: Higgins, D.. 2008. The Remaking of King's Lynn: Brown Brick and Rounded Corners. p 40. |
| <S2> | Publication: Higgins, D.. 2000. The Antiquities of King's Lynn from the Sketchbooks of Rev. Edward Edwards. pp 12, 31-32. |
| <S3> | Article in Serial: Smith, T. P.. 1976. The Date of the King's Lynn South Gate. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXXVI Pt III pp 224-232. |
| <S4> | Unpublished Document: Humphries, S.. 2017. South Gate Conservation Management Plan. |
Related records
| 5486 | Part of: King's Lynn Town Defences (Monument) |