Westgate, Canterbury
Encyclopedia
The Westgate is a medieval
gatehouse
in Canterbury
, Kent
, England. This 60-foot-high western gate of the city wall
is the largest surviving city gate in England. Built of Kentish ragstone
around 1379, it is the last survivor of Canterbury's seven medieval gates, still well-preserved and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. The road still passes between its drum towers, and there is just enough room for a double-decker bus
to pass beneath. This scheduled monument and Grade I listed building houses the hundred-year-old West Gate Towers Museum, which as of July 2011 is open every day from 10am to 4:30pm. Access to the museum and roof is via spiral staircases
only.
by the Romans
around 300 AD
. This has been consistently the most important of the city's gates as it is the London Road entrance and the main entrance from most of Kent. The present towers are a medieval
replacement of the Roman west gate, rebuilt around 1380. There was a gate here at the time of the Norman conquest
, which is thought to have been Roman. From late Anglo-Saxon
times it had the Church of the Holy Cross on top, but both church and gate were dismantled in 1379, and the gate was rebuilt by Archbishop
Simon Sudbury
before he died in the Peasants' Revolt
of 1381. It has been suggested that it was built primarily as an entrance for pilgrim
s visiting the shrine of St Thomas Becket
at the cathedral
. However the rebuild as a defensive status symbol was paid for partly by Sudbury and partly by taxation for military protection against expected raids by the French. It has been suggested that the spiral staircases were built to the disadvantage of defenders going downstairs who would have had to fight invaders climbing up to their right: difficult with a one-handed sword in the right hand.
It is expensively faced in coursed
ashlar
of Kentish ragstone
. It has battered plinths to the drum towers, battlement
s, machicolation
s and eighteen gunloops
: a high number for a gateway, and among the earliest gunholes in Britain. The gunloops would have been added by the beginning of the fifteenth century. It had a drawbridge
over the Stour
, a portcullis
and wooden doors.
The gateway has three floors. The ground floor was designed so that the gateway and vaulted
passage had entrances to the towers on each side. Each tower had a ground-floor room with fireplace and four gunloops. The north tower's ground-floor room had a spiral staircase
to upper floors. The first floor contains a large room with fireplace and, originally, the portcullis mechanism over the vaulted entranceway. This room had doors to the upper room of each tower, each with fireplace and three gunloops, and a northern door to a spiral staircase leading to the roof. Repairs were carried out due to an invasion scare during the 1470s and 1480s. In 1491 or 1492 a large, two-light, transomed
, perpendicular
east window was added to the large first-floor room, with a view towards the cathedral
and along St Peter's Street. The roof over the large first-floor central room has a battlemented parapet
walk, originally with access to the tops of both towers and machicolations, as well as to the two low chambers, each with two gunports, in the tops of both towers. This part of the tower was less well-built than the lower storeys, either due to haste during the Peasants' Revolt
or because it was built later. In 1793−1794 the hall over the gate was split into three and the present square lantern
added to the roof, along with the wooden doors and cell linings which are visible today; the cost was £400.
The city walls joined the gateway at the back of the drum towers, but this part of the wall was removed in the nineteenth century. Following this, in 1823−1829, a jailer's house was built on the north side, and this became a police station and is now a music school. The disused iron bridge which connects the Westgate with the music school dates from this time. Contemporary with this work was the building of St Peter's Place on the south side of the Westgate, along with passages around the Westgte and a new road across the Stour
, to cope with increased traffic, which has been damaging the arch of the building for one hundred and fifty years.
At the end of the 19th century the Westgate was a temporary repository for the city archive
s until the museum was opened in 1906.Kentish Gazette
and Canterbury Press, June 1906 It is the largest surviving city gate in England.
and corporation
were grateful to this martyr
to the Revolt who had built them an additional attraction for pilgrims, and they would pray at his tomb or under the Westgate. The head of the rebellious Bluebeard the Hermit
was displayed on Westgate in 1450 after he was caught by local people and sent to Henry VI
. It is thought that Geoffrey Chaucer
may have undertaken a pilgrimage and passed through the gate. In 1648 after the Christmas Day riot
, Parliamentarians
burnt down all the wooden doors of the city's gates. They were all replaced in 1660, but these replacements were removed at the end of the eighteenth century. They were similar to the surviving wooden Christ Church gates at the cathedral
. Royalty
have entered the city through the gate, including George VI
in 1948.
In 1453 Henry VI permitted the Mayor and Commonality to keep a jail at the Westgate, so the building was Canterbury's prison from the 15th to the 19th century, while Canterbury Castle
was the county jail. After repairs to the Westgate and jail in 1667, a pound
was built on the north side; this is now gone, but Pound Lane remains. The guard rooms, heavily wood-lined in the eighteenth century, became cells for both debtors and criminals, and the room over the arch became the condemned cell with the portcullis now laid on top. Until 1775 there was a grated cage in the prison gateway, where certain prisoners were allowed to beg for alms
and speak with passers by. Capital punishment was normally the gallows, plus the stake at Wincheap
for religious martyrs in the time of Queen Mary
.
site 43−409 AD
; the site of the medieval
Church of the Holy Cross 1066−1539 AD; the medieval gate built around 1400 AD. Only the gateway, currently in use as a museum, is standing.
. The director of Army Museums Ogilby Trust
Dr Alan Guy says that the trust has long been interested in re-occupying the West Gate Towers, especially while its archives are partly held in storage in Canterbury
, pending the re-opening of the Beaney in 2012. Meanwhile the archives of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment are ensconced in Maidstone Museum
, in east Kent
.
ry in the guard chamber between the towers above the road. In recent years the towers were also open on Sunday afternoons. The roof of one of the towers is accessible via a spiral staircase, and from there an extended view of Canterbury
is visible from between the battlement
s. Exhibits include armaments
from the English Civil War
to World War II, original prison cells and murder holes by which defenders could kill enemies entering the gateway: boiling oil, molten lead, cannon balls and other material were dropped. The holes are now covered with thick glass, and cars and buses can be seen passing below. Replica armour
is available for children to try on.
s for the sixteen bronze
barons and two bishops which today stand in the Lords Chamber
at Westminster Palace
; cast in 1847−1851. These were made by various named sculptors, and represent the men who signed the Magna Carta
: each of the fifteen barons and two bishops is named at the base. In 1908 three of the maquettes were displayed in the museum (see photo below), and two remain on show. The rest were put in storage and forgotten in the ground floor room of the north tower in 1987, along with several other museum exhibits, before being brought to the attention of museum staff in May 2008 after the building was flooded. The City of Canterbury
museums department was said to have been attempting to remove them to safety for restoration, but was inhibited by logistics and funding.Information from records at the Museum of Canterbury
The maquettes could have been left here because Archbishop of Canterbury
Stephen Langton
was one of the bishops who signed the Magna Carta, leading to Canterbury
being a charter town
. As of May 2011, ten of the maquettes in the basement have been photographed; the fate of the remaining five is unknown.
The sculptors of the maquettes are as follows:
of World War II.
; Canterbury East
Buses: National Express
; Stagecoach
; Canterbury bus station
on 18 February 2010. This caused widespread controversy. In the event the Council voted to close the museums in 2011, but said it would fund them for the financial year 2010−2011 whilst working with other organisations to examine ways of keeping the museums open.Liz Crudgington, "Bitter debate over 'realistic' budget", Herne Bay Times (Kent Messenger), p.7, 25 February 2010
. Opening Hours are 10am to 4:30pm, every day. The museum will from July 2011 include a cafe with a glass roof set in the adjoining former 1830s jail which will provide a new extension to the museum. This extension will provide a physical respresentation of the prison reform movement, in proximity of both the earlier medieval cells and later 1830 cells which have remained largely unaltered. From July 2011 the museum became open all day, every day.
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England. This 60-foot-high western gate of the city wall
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
is the largest surviving city gate in England. Built of Kentish ragstone
Rag-stone
Rag-stone is a name given by some architectural writers to work done with stones which are quarried in thin pieces, such as the Horsham sandstone, Yorkshire stone, the slate stones, but this is more properly flag or slab work. By rag-stone, near London, is meant an excellent material from the...
around 1379, it is the last survivor of Canterbury's seven medieval gates, still well-preserved and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. The road still passes between its drum towers, and there is just enough room for a double-decker bus
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
to pass beneath. This scheduled monument and Grade I listed building houses the hundred-year-old West Gate Towers Museum, which as of July 2011 is open every day from 10am to 4:30pm. Access to the museum and roof is via spiral staircases
Stairway
Stairway, staircase, stairwell, flight of stairs, or simply stairs are names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps...
only.
Building history
Canterbury was walledDefensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
by the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
around 300 AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
. This has been consistently the most important of the city's gates as it is the London Road entrance and the main entrance from most of Kent. The present towers are a medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
replacement of the Roman west gate, rebuilt around 1380. There was a gate here at the time of the Norman conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
, which is thought to have been Roman. From late Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times it had the Church of the Holy Cross on top, but both church and gate were dismantled in 1379, and the gate was rebuilt by Archbishop
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
Simon Sudbury
Simon Sudbury
Simon Sudbury, also called Simon Theobald of Sudbury and Simon of Sudbury was Bishop of London from 1361 to 1375, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1375 until his death, and in the last year of his life Lord Chancellor of England....
before he died in the Peasants' Revolt
Peasants' Revolt
The Peasants' Revolt, Wat Tyler's Rebellion, or the Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a major event in the history of England. Tyler's Rebellion was not only the most extreme and widespread insurrection in English history but also the...
of 1381. It has been suggested that it was built primarily as an entrance for pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s visiting the shrine of St Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
at the cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
. However the rebuild as a defensive status symbol was paid for partly by Sudbury and partly by taxation for military protection against expected raids by the French. It has been suggested that the spiral staircases were built to the disadvantage of defenders going downstairs who would have had to fight invaders climbing up to their right: difficult with a one-handed sword in the right hand.
It is expensively faced in coursed
Course (architecture)
A course is a continuous horizontal layer of similarly-sized building material one unit high, usually in a wall. The term is almost always used in conjunction with unit masonry such as brick, cut stone, or concrete masonry units .-Styles:...
ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
of Kentish ragstone
Rag-stone
Rag-stone is a name given by some architectural writers to work done with stones which are quarried in thin pieces, such as the Horsham sandstone, Yorkshire stone, the slate stones, but this is more properly flag or slab work. By rag-stone, near London, is meant an excellent material from the...
. It has battered plinths to the drum towers, battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
s, machicolation
Machicolation
A machicolation is a floor opening between the supporting corbels of a battlement, through which stones, or other objects, could be dropped on attackers at the base of a defensive wall. The design was developed in the Middle Ages when the Norman crusaders returned. A machicolated battlement...
s and eighteen gunloops
Embrasure
In military architecture, an embrasure is the opening in a crenellation or battlement between the two raised solid portions or merlons, sometimes called a crenel or crenelle...
: a high number for a gateway, and among the earliest gunholes in Britain. The gunloops would have been added by the beginning of the fifteenth century. It had a drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
over the Stour
River Stour, Kent
The River Stour is the river in Kent, England that flows into the English Channel at Pegwell Bay. Above Plucks Gutter, where the Little Stour joins it, the river is normally known as the Great Stour. The upper section of the river, above its confluence with the East Stour at Ashford is sometimes...
, a portcullis
Portcullis
A portcullis is a latticed grille made of wood, metal, fibreglass or a combination of the three. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege...
and wooden doors.
The gateway has three floors. The ground floor was designed so that the gateway and vaulted
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
passage had entrances to the towers on each side. Each tower had a ground-floor room with fireplace and four gunloops. The north tower's ground-floor room had a spiral staircase
Stairway
Stairway, staircase, stairwell, flight of stairs, or simply stairs are names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps...
to upper floors. The first floor contains a large room with fireplace and, originally, the portcullis mechanism over the vaulted entranceway. This room had doors to the upper room of each tower, each with fireplace and three gunloops, and a northern door to a spiral staircase leading to the roof. Repairs were carried out due to an invasion scare during the 1470s and 1480s. In 1491 or 1492 a large, two-light, transomed
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
, perpendicular
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
east window was added to the large first-floor room, with a view towards the cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
and along St Peter's Street. The roof over the large first-floor central room has a battlemented parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
walk, originally with access to the tops of both towers and machicolations, as well as to the two low chambers, each with two gunports, in the tops of both towers. This part of the tower was less well-built than the lower storeys, either due to haste during the Peasants' Revolt
Peasants' Revolt
The Peasants' Revolt, Wat Tyler's Rebellion, or the Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a major event in the history of England. Tyler's Rebellion was not only the most extreme and widespread insurrection in English history but also the...
or because it was built later. In 1793−1794 the hall over the gate was split into three and the present square lantern
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
added to the roof, along with the wooden doors and cell linings which are visible today; the cost was £400.
The city walls joined the gateway at the back of the drum towers, but this part of the wall was removed in the nineteenth century. Following this, in 1823−1829, a jailer's house was built on the north side, and this became a police station and is now a music school. The disused iron bridge which connects the Westgate with the music school dates from this time. Contemporary with this work was the building of St Peter's Place on the south side of the Westgate, along with passages around the Westgte and a new road across the Stour
River Stour, Kent
The River Stour is the river in Kent, England that flows into the English Channel at Pegwell Bay. Above Plucks Gutter, where the Little Stour joins it, the river is normally known as the Great Stour. The upper section of the river, above its confluence with the East Stour at Ashford is sometimes...
, to cope with increased traffic, which has been damaging the arch of the building for one hundred and fifty years.
At the end of the 19th century the Westgate was a temporary repository for the city archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
s until the museum was opened in 1906.Kentish Gazette
Kentish Gazette
The Kentish Gazette is a weekly newspaper serving the city of Canterbury, Kent. It is owned by the KM Group and is published on Thursdays.-History:The newspaper claims to be the second oldest surviving newspaper in the United Kingdom....
and Canterbury Press, June 1906 It is the largest surviving city gate in England.
Social history
Canterbury's mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and corporation
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
were grateful to this martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
to the Revolt who had built them an additional attraction for pilgrims, and they would pray at his tomb or under the Westgate. The head of the rebellious Bluebeard the Hermit
Bluebeard the Hermit
Thomas Cheyny , also known as Bluebeard the Hermit, was a fuller in Kent who posed as a hermit while inciting unrest. He was a leader in Canterbury of the uprising generally known as Jack Cade's Rebellion for which on February 9, 1450 he was captured and shortly afterward hung and quartered.His...
was displayed on Westgate in 1450 after he was caught by local people and sent to Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
. It is thought that Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
may have undertaken a pilgrimage and passed through the gate. In 1648 after the Christmas Day riot
Pride's Purge
Pride’s Purge is an event in December 1648, during the Second English Civil War, when troops under the command of Colonel Thomas Pride forcibly removed from the Long Parliament all those who were not supporters of the Grandees in the New Model Army and the Independents...
, Parliamentarians
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
burnt down all the wooden doors of the city's gates. They were all replaced in 1660, but these replacements were removed at the end of the eighteenth century. They were similar to the surviving wooden Christ Church gates at the cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
. Royalty
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
have entered the city through the gate, including George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
in 1948.
In 1453 Henry VI permitted the Mayor and Commonality to keep a jail at the Westgate, so the building was Canterbury's prison from the 15th to the 19th century, while Canterbury Castle
Canterbury Castle
Canterbury Castle is a Norman Castle in Canterbury, Kent, England . It is five minutes walk from Canterbury East Station and main bus station around City Wall....
was the county jail. After repairs to the Westgate and jail in 1667, a pound
Pound (village)
The Village pound was a feature of most British medieval villages.A high walled and lockable structure it served several purposes; the most common use was to hold stray sheep, pigs and cattle until they were claimed by the owners, usually for the payment of a fine or levy. The pound could be as...
was built on the north side; this is now gone, but Pound Lane remains. The guard rooms, heavily wood-lined in the eighteenth century, became cells for both debtors and criminals, and the room over the arch became the condemned cell with the portcullis now laid on top. Until 1775 there was a grated cage in the prison gateway, where certain prisoners were allowed to beg for alms
Alms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
and speak with passers by. Capital punishment was normally the gallows, plus the stake at Wincheap
Wincheap
Wincheap is a road that gives its name to a southwest suburb of Canterbury in Kent, England. It forms part of the A28 road, stretching for nearly a mile from the city wall, close by Canterbury East railway station, to the over-crossing of the A2 and the parish of Thanington...
for religious martyrs in the time of Queen Mary
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
.
Listing details
It is a Grade I listed building, HER number TR15NW155 at grid reference TR14595808. It is listed as a RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
site 43−409 AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
; the site of the medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Church of the Holy Cross 1066−1539 AD; the medieval gate built around 1400 AD. Only the gateway, currently in use as a museum, is standing.
Buffs Regimental Museum
The Buffs Regimental Museum was inside West Gate Towers around 1960, before it removed to the BeaneyRoyal Museum and Art Gallery
The Royal Museum and Art Gallery, known locally as the Beaney Institute or The Beaney, is the central museum, library and art gallery of the city of Canterbury, Kent, England...
. The director of Army Museums Ogilby Trust
National Army Museum
The National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, England adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the "Chelsea Pensioners". The National Army Museum is open to the public every day of the year from 10.00am to 5.30pm,...
Dr Alan Guy says that the trust has long been interested in re-occupying the West Gate Towers, especially while its archives are partly held in storage in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, pending the re-opening of the Beaney in 2012. Meanwhile the archives of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment are ensconced in Maidstone Museum
Maidstone Museum & Art Gallery
Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery is in Maidstone, Kent, England. It is located on St. Faith's Street, opposite Fremlin Walk, a new shopping centre in the region.- Overview :...
, in east Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Museum
Management
The museum was leased by Canterbury City Council to a private partnership in April 2011.Exhibits
The present museum was established in 1906, and it currently displays weaponWeapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
ry in the guard chamber between the towers above the road. In recent years the towers were also open on Sunday afternoons. The roof of one of the towers is accessible via a spiral staircase, and from there an extended view of Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
is visible from between the battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
s. Exhibits include armaments
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
from the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
to World War II, original prison cells and murder holes by which defenders could kill enemies entering the gateway: boiling oil, molten lead, cannon balls and other material were dropped. The holes are now covered with thick glass, and cars and buses can be seen passing below. Replica armour
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
is available for children to try on.
Magna Carta maquettes
These are seventeen six-foot, painted, plaster-cast maquetteMaquette
A maquette is a small scale model or rough draft of an unfinished architectural work or a sculpture...
s for the sixteen bronze
Bronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze".Common bronze alloys have the unusual and desirable property of expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling the finest details of a mold. Then, as the bronze cools, it...
barons and two bishops which today stand in the Lords Chamber
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
at Westminster Palace
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
; cast in 1847−1851. These were made by various named sculptors, and represent the men who signed the Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
: each of the fifteen barons and two bishops is named at the base. In 1908 three of the maquettes were displayed in the museum (see photo below), and two remain on show. The rest were put in storage and forgotten in the ground floor room of the north tower in 1987, along with several other museum exhibits, before being brought to the attention of museum staff in May 2008 after the building was flooded. The City of Canterbury
City of Canterbury
The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. The main settlement in the district is Canterbury, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.-History:...
museums department was said to have been attempting to remove them to safety for restoration, but was inhibited by logistics and funding.Information from records at the Museum of Canterbury
Museum of Canterbury
The Canterbury Heritage Museum, formerly the Museum of Canterbury, is a museum in Stour Street, Canterbury, South East England, telling the history of the city. It is housed in the 12th century Poor Priests' Hospital next to the River Stour. The museum exhibits the Canterbury Cross and contains a...
The maquettes could have been left here because Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
Stephen Langton
Stephen Langton
Stephen Langton was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1207 and his death in 1228 and was a central figure in the dispute between King John of England and Pope Innocent III, which ultimately led to the issuing of Magna Carta in 1215...
was one of the bishops who signed the Magna Carta, leading to Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
being a charter town
Municipal charter
A city charter or town charter is a legal document establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the middle ages....
. As of May 2011, ten of the maquettes in the basement have been photographed; the fate of the remaining five is unknown.
The sculptors of the maquettes are as follows:
- John Evan ThomasJohn Evan Thomas (Welsh sculptor)John Evan Thomas, FSA was a Welsh sculptor, notable for many sculptures both in Wales and elsewhere in the UK, such as his portrait sculptures in London...
who created the bronze statue of the Duke of WellingtonArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of WellingtonField Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
in BreconBreconBrecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
, and statuary in Brecon CathedralBrecon CathedralBrecon Cathedral, in the town of Brecon, is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon...
. - Patrick MacDowellPatrick MacDowellPatrick MacDowell RA was a sculptor from Belfast. At about the age of sixteen, he was apprenticed to a coach-builder in London and later went to lodge in the house of P F Chenu, the sculptor where he took to modelling...
who carved the Europe allegorical group on the Albert MemorialAlbert MemorialThe Albert Memorial is situated in Kensington Gardens, London, England, directly to the north of the Royal Albert Hall. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert who died of typhoid in 1861. The memorial was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the...
; - Henry Timbrell who carved bas reliefs on the garden house at Buckingham PalaceBuckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
; - James Sherwood Westmacott, sculptor of the Alexander the Great statue at Mansion HouseMansion House, LondonMansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of the City of London in London, England. It is used for some of the City of London's official functions, including an annual dinner, hosted by the Lord Mayor, at which the Chancellor of the Exchequer customarily gives a speech – his...
, and AristotleAristotleAristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
at the rear of Burlington HouseBurlington HouseBurlington House is a building on Piccadilly in London. It was originally a private Palladian mansion, and was expanded in the mid 19th century after being purchased by the British government...
; - J. Thorneycroft. This could possibly be Thomas ThornycroftThomas ThornycroftThomas Thornycroft was an English sculptor and engineer.-Biography:Thomas Thornycroft was born near Gawsworth, Cheshire, the eldest son of John Thornycroft, a farmer. He was educated at Congleton Grammar School and then briefly apprenticed to a surgeon. He moved to London where he spent four...
who sculpted the BoudicaBoudicaBoudica , also known as Boadicea and known in Welsh as "Buddug" was queen of the British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire....
on Westminster BridgeWestminster BridgeWestminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster on the north side and Lambeth on the south side, in London, England....
. - Frederick Thrupp, who sculpted the Sir Fowell Buxton and the Wordsworth in Westminster AbbeyWestminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
; - Alexander Handyside Ritchie: public sculpture in EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
; Eustace de VesciEustace de VesciEustace de Vesci was an English lord of Alnwick Castle, and a Magna Carta surety.-Early life:His parents were William de Vesci and Burga de Stuteville, daughter of Robert III de Stuteville. He paid his relief on coming of age in 2 Richard I . He was with the king Richard I of England in Palestine...
and William de MowbrayMowbrayMowbray is an Anglo-Norman baronial house, derived from Montbrai in Normandy. From this village came Geoffrey de Montbrai who came to be Bishop of Coutances and accompanied Duke William of Normandy at the Conquest of England in 1066....
on the Houses of ParliamentPalace of WestminsterThe Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
; - William Frederick Woodington, who sculpted the Coade Lion outside the County Hall on the South BankSouth BankSouth Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
.
Events and exhibitions
In 2001 the museum held an exhibition on the Baedeker raidsBaedeker Blitz
The Baedeker Blitz or Baedeker raids were a series of Vergeltungsangriffe by the German air force on English cities in response to the bombing of the erstwhile Hanseatic League city of Lübeck during the night from 28 to 29 March 1942 during World War II.-Background:Lübeck was bombed on the night...
of World War II.
Museum access
Rail: Canterbury WestCanterbury West railway station
Canterbury West railway station is one of two stations in Canterbury in Kent. It is north-northwest of the city centre. It is served by Southeastern....
; Canterbury East
Canterbury East railway station
Canterbury East railway station is one of two stations in Canterbury in Kent. It is south-southwest of the city centre and is served by Southeastern....
Buses: National Express
National Express Group
National Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
; Stagecoach
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
; Canterbury bus station
Projected closure
Having had its opening times reduced to just one day per week, the museum was under threat of closure as of 2009, pending a decision by Canterbury City CouncilCity of Canterbury
The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. The main settlement in the district is Canterbury, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.-History:...
on 18 February 2010. This caused widespread controversy. In the event the Council voted to close the museums in 2011, but said it would fund them for the financial year 2010−2011 whilst working with other organisations to examine ways of keeping the museums open.Liz Crudgington, "Bitter debate over 'realistic' budget", Herne Bay Times (Kent Messenger), p.7, 25 February 2010
Re-opening
Westgate Towers Museum has been re-opened in April 2011 under the directorship of Charles Lambie, who is also chairman of the trustees of Canterbury Archaeological TrustCanterbury Archaeological Trust
Canterbury Archaeological Trust is an independent charity formed in 1975 to undertake rescue excavation, research, publication and the presentation of the results of its work for the benefit of the public.The Trust's main activities are to:...
. Opening Hours are 10am to 4:30pm, every day. The museum will from July 2011 include a cafe with a glass roof set in the adjoining former 1830s jail which will provide a new extension to the museum. This extension will provide a physical respresentation of the prison reform movement, in proximity of both the earlier medieval cells and later 1830 cells which have remained largely unaltered. From July 2011 the museum became open all day, every day.
See also
- Herne Bay Museum
- Roman MuseumRoman MuseumFor the National Museum of Wales see National Roman Legionary MuseumThe Roman Museum in Canterbury, Kent, houses a Roman pavement which is a scheduled monument, in the remains of a Roman courtyard house which itself is a grade I listed building. The pavement was discovered after World War II...
- Westgate Hall, CanterburyWestgate Hall, CanterburyWestgate Hall is a hundred-year-old community hall and dance hall in a Conservation area of Canterbury, Kent, notable for being the subject of extended public controversy since October 2009, when the City of Canterbury budget 2010−2011 threatened to have the building...
- Whitstable Museum and GalleryWhitstable Museum and GalleryWhitstable Museum and Gallery is a heritage centre in Whitstable, Kent, and is notable for its displays showing the history of the local oyster trade started by the Romans and of historical diving equipment. It is open on weekdays throughout the year, and on Sundays in summer...
External links
- Canterbury City Council Online: West Gate Towers Museum webpages
- Canterbury City Council Online: What's on at West Gate Towers
- Correct access map for West Gate Towers (Pointers to West Gate Towers Museum on many other maps, e.g. Google Earth, are incorrect)
- Canterbury City Council Online: Agenda for Exec Committee 21 Jan 2010 (includes link to audio recording of meeting)
- Canterbury Archaeological Trust official website
- CAT: Images of Roman Canterbury
- Aerial photo of walled Canterbury (West Gate Towers is just off the photo to the right)
- Time Team: Roman and Saxon archaeology of Canterbury
- Time Team: Map of Roman Canterbury (West Gate Towers is "Westgate" on the left, next to the River StourRiver Stour, KentThe River Stour is the river in Kent, England that flows into the English Channel at Pegwell Bay. Above Plucks Gutter, where the Little Stour joins it, the river is normally known as the Great Stour. The upper section of the river, above its confluence with the East Stour at Ashford is sometimes...
, as it is today) - BBC panorama (showing Westgate towers, Church of the Holy Cross and River Stour)
- BBC panorama (showing Westgate towers from High Street)
- Canterbury City Council review of West Gate Towers 2007
- Parliament.uk: House of Lords Chamber virtual tour (showing arranged round the chamber 17 bronzes of lords and bishops who signed Magna CartaMagna CartaMagna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
, of which the original maquetteMaquetteA maquette is a small scale model or rough draft of an unfinished architectural work or a sculpture...
s are held at West Gate Towers Museum) - Youtube: Video featuring busride through arch of Westgate at the beginning