Lincoln's Gates

 

Lincoln's Gates

In the medieval age Lincoln had more gates than many other towns or cities of a similar size.

Newport Arch (Porta Principalis Sinistra)

Newport Arch by Skill

Newport Arch was the north gate of the upper Roman town of Lindum Colonia. It is now the only Roman arch in the country still open to traffic. It is the northern entrance to Lincoln’s historic centre that includes most of Roman and Medieval Lincoln.

Built in the 3rd century, Ermine Street passed through it to link Lincoln to another major Roman provincial centre, York. The arch was enlarged when the city became capital of the province Flavie Caesariensis in the 4th century. The remains we see today are of the inner arch and a footway on the east side of the arch, the outer arch was demolished in the late 18th century. The arch was much higher in Roman times, approximately 2.4 metres of it are below today’s ground level. More about the design of the gateway was discovered in 1954 when the north-west bastion, a semi-circular structure, was excavated, the remains of which are still visible. There would have been another bastion on the north-east side of the gateway, the remains of that are now below the adjoining cottage.

Drawing of Newport Arch dated 1784.  The north gate can be seen
through the arch.  On the right is a sign for the Windmill Inn which
dated from 1756

The East Gate

Drawing of the Roman and medieval east gate by Nathan Drake c 1740

The Roman east gate (Porta Praetoria) was re-discovered in about 1730, it had been used as a wall wall between a house and stables. Sadly, it was demolished in 1763 on the orders of Sir Cecil Wray when Eastgate House was extended.

The remains of the Roman East Gate are visible in the grounds of the Lincoln Hotel opposite the north side of the Cathedral Chapter House.

The West Gate

Roman West Gate uncovered, to the right can be seen
the Norman west gate which was reopened in 1993.

The Roman West Gate of the upper city lies below the west wall of the castle. It was discovered in 1836 when the west side of the Castle Dykings were excavated. It was in almost perfect condition but had to be covered up because the weight of the Norman castle wall was causing it to collapse.

The Exchequer Gate

Exchequer Gate by Benjamin Howlett 1836

The Exchequer Gate, at the west front of the Cathedral, was the main entrance to the Cathedral Close. Built mid 14th century. It was originally a double gate with a courtyard between the gates. The western gate had fallen into disrepair and was pulled down in 1800, the stones were used to build the previous St Swithin's Church, a replacement for the church destroyed by the Royalists during the Civil War, ​ The Great Tom Inn was on the southside of the courtyard, the inn closed in 1822.

The South Gate

A Drawing of the Roman South Gate
by Nathan Drake c 1740

The Roman South Gate (Porta Principalis Dextra) stood near the top of Steep Hill. Parts of this gate were still standing in 1788 when Gough visited the city, but the arch was demolished in the early 1700s by a householder on the east side of the gate. According to Thomas Sympson writing in the early 18th century: (the arch was knocked down) "though not without much difficulty, as I have been informed by an eye-witness; for when the workmen, with a great deal of labour and pains, had battered one of the stones in the crown of the arch in pieces, rest being laid without mortar, sunk so equally on both sides that the hung as firm as ever, and their work was to begin anew". The position of the gate is marked by foundation stones on the side of the road

The Old Registry or North Gate of the Close

This double gate stood over the road on the east side of the Cathedral, the south gate on the site of the present Priory Gate the north gate near "The Rest".

​Both gates were pulled down in 1815 and the present Priory Gate was built in 1825.

The Bail Gate
On Steep Hill, near the junction with Michaelgate/Wordsworth Street/Christ's Hospital
Terrace stood the Bail Gate, a medieval arch that was demolished in 1775. Separated the Bail
from the city.  I can not find an image of the gate but it was probably similar to the Newland Gate

White Hart Gate

"A gateway near the White Hart Inn, and another opposite are of a workmanship very different from the rest of the erections on the wall of the Close: they possess little beauty and afford still less interest to the beholder. The appearance of that nearest the White Hart, is little superior to that of a country barn; is entirely without battlements, and the upper part projects considerable over the lower, and is supported by props resembling inverted buttresses." - Adam Stark (1815).

Clax le Gate

Clax le Gate or Clask Gate was situated at the junction of what is now Broadgate and Clasketgate. It is said the Knights Templars were confined there click here to read more. It was pulled down in 1785 when New (Later Lindum) Road was constructed.

Stonebow

The name Stonebow is from the Norse Steinbue meaning stone arch
Many streets that run nearby end in -gate which is Norse for street.

The Stonebow lies at the southern end of the Roman city of Lindum Colonia and stands on the site of the southern gate of the lower Roman town spanning Lincoln’s High Street, known as Ermine Street in Roman times. The Roman gateway existed into the mediaeval period but it was demolished in the 14th Century because it was unsafe.

In 1390 Richard II ordered a new gate be built to replace the demolished one. There were many delays in building the new arch, mainly that Lincoln was no longer the prosperous city it once was and could not afford the expense of a new gateway. The Stonebow, was eventually completed by William Spencer, a freeman of the city, in 1520 and is now a Grade 1 listed building. 

Newland Gate

Newland Gate stood on Newland a little west of Wigford Way, first recorded in 1275. It was the
west entrance of the lower city. A tall building with gables with a pointed archway, above were
arched windows. The gate was added to during the Civil War to defend the city against the
Parliamentarians. Demolished before 1800 because it was causing congestion in that part
of the city.  

Dernstall Lock

Dernstall Lock (sometimes mistakenly referred to as "St Dunstan's Lock") was the lower entrance to the Jews' quarter in mediaeval times. It is not known whether there was a gate, a chain was placed over the road and locked to keep the Jews in there at night.  

Great Bargate
Great Bargate stood on the High Street a few feet north of the Sincil Drain. It was the main
entrance from the south into Lincoln. Removed in the middle of the 18th century.  

​Little Bar Gate
Little Bargate stood east of Great Bar Gate on a bend in the Sincil Drain, it stood over the
route of the Roman Ermine Street.  The gate was removed in the middle of the 18th century
and the bridge removed in 1825. 

​Swine's Gate
Swine's Gate was located south of Great Bar Gate. Here stood the first of the Eleanor Crosses.

A Walk Up Steep Hill

Steep Hill is part of the north-south route that leads from Bargate in the south to Newport in the north. The route was established by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago, Ermine Street, the main route from London, would join the Fosse Way from Leicester and the south-west and leave Lincoln (Lindum Colonia) en route for Barton on Humber and York.

Steep Hill links the lower city to the older, upper city. During the later Middle Ages Steep Hill was an enclave of the Jews. Lincoln had the second larget population of Jews in England after London.

​Three of the oldest domestic buildings in Lincoln are on Steep Hill, two of them, Jews House and Jews Court are known to have belonged to Jews.

Jews House
Jews House is the last house on the Strait, but it is included here. It was built about 1170, like most houses of this age, it had a first floor hall with storage on the ground floor. The first floor window surrounds and decorative features are original although the windows are of more recent date

Originally, the ground floor would not have had windows, but ventilation holes would have been made into the walls. The chimneys on the roof are of more modern date: The house's chimney was built into the front wall over the main entrance, the arch would have had supports.

During the 12th and 13th century Jews throughout England suffered persecution: In Lincoln the Jews were blamed for the death of a Christian boy called Hugh. In 1290 Belasset of Wallingford, a Jew, lived in the house and was hanged in London for the offence of coin clipping.

The house then came into the possession of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral.

Most of the alterations to the House took place in the 18th and 19th centuries, the ground floor windows and additional doors were added during this time.

It is believed to be the oldest house still existing in England.

Jews Court
Jews Court stands at the southern, lower, end of Steep Hill. Built in the late 12th century and altered in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
One of the upper rooms, it is thought, was used as a synagogue, but there are many factors which seem to disprove this and the general view is that the synagogue was at the rear of this building or the Jews House. At the 1290 inquest about the expulsion of the Jews it was stated that Jews Court was part of the communal Jewish property.

This area is famous for the story of "Little St Hugh", a Christian child said to have been murdered by Jews in 1255. The story was a fabrication and a plaque was placed in Lincoln Cathedral at the site of Hugh's burial​

"By the remains of the shrine of "Little St. Hugh".
Trumped up stories of "ritual murders" of Christian boys by Jewish communities were common throughout Europe during the Middle Ages and even much later. These fictions cost many innocent Jews their lives. Lincoln had its own legend and the alleged victim was buried in the Cathedral in the year 1255.
Such stories do not redound to the credit of Christendom, and so we pray:
Lord, forgive what we have been, amend what we are, and direct what we shall be"


The Jews' Court was traditionally believed to be the site of the falsified martyrdom of Little Hugh and a well in a corner of the basement was alleged to be the place where the body was concealed. In 1911, Mr Dodgson who then owned Jews Court charged visitors 3d to see the well in the basement of Jews Court, claiming it was the very well Little Hugh had been found in. Plenty of people bought a ticket, but they were duped for not only was there no connection between Jews Court and Little Hugh, but the well had only been dug in 1910 by Harry Staples of Hereward Street, Lincoln, on Mr Dodgson's instructions.

In the late 1920s Lincoln was going through a major slum clearance, Jews Court narrowly escaped demolition, due to the efforts of Lincolnshire Architectural and Archaeological Society (LAAS) who were given the building by Lincoln Corporation on condition it was refurbished.

It is now the home of the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology where an excellent new and secondhand bookshop can be found.

Well Lane

Well Lane is thought to be the route Roman horse-drawn vehicles would take to reach the upper Roman town.  The tapered square case with cornice cap on the left of the image contains a mid-19th century water pump.

Soon the steepest part of the hill is reached, a handrail is provided to help with the ascent.  

The Mayor's Chair

A Lincoln mayor from a much earlier age provided seating against the wall at the end of this section for the weary walker. A good place to sit to view the lower city, although this view is partially blocked when the tree to the left is in leaf. A new Mayor‘s Chair was installed in 2010.

Harding House
Harding House is a 16th century half-timbered building restored in the second-half of the 20th century.  The home of "Aaron the Jew" was on this site in the 13th century . Aaron was a wealthy money-lender, lending money to kings as well as cathedrals and monasteries.

Today it is an art and craft gallery, run by an artists co-operative.
​
The Ground Floor Gallery features work by members of the co-operative, plus a wide variety of work by other artists and makers from around the country.

The Upper Gallery hosts an exhibition programme in all disciplines.


The Harlequin

the building known as "The Harlequin" is late 15th century, it was altered in the 19th century and restored in the 20th century.  It has more recent refurbishment to preserve the building for many more years.The Harlequin inn opened in the 18th century and was renamed the Harlequin & Columbine* when it became the theatre inn; the theatre was at the far end of Wordsworth Street on Drury Lane. The Inn was closed by the city corporation in 1931 as unsuitable premises for a public house. 

It was a secondhand bookshop for over 50 years until it closed in 2017.

*Harlequin & Columbine are characters in the Mother Goose Pantomime

Bail Gate

the Bail Gate stood on the flat part of Steep Hill above the Harlequin, Click Here to Read More

Norman House

Norman House was once known as “Aaron the Jews House”, but Aaron may have lived in the Bail, above here, or in a house on the site of Harding House, a little further down Steep Hill.

It is a late 12th-century dressed stone and brick house situated on the east side of Steep Hill. It originally had shops on the ground floor and domestic rooms above. It has had a lot of rebuilding over the centuries, restored in 1878 and during the 20th century, but traces remain of the front chimney stack, ornamental string-course and doorway. The building is now home to a bag shop and a tea retailer.

The ground floor has two central entrance doorways, the left door is an 18th century insertion with an attached bow shop window and the right door is round headed with single shafts and crocket capitals under a truncated hood. To the far right is a casement shop window with a wooden pilaster surround and cornice and to the far left is a partially blocked small two light casement window.

Roman South Gate

The Roman South Gate (Porta Principalis Dextra) of the upper town stood near the top of Steep Hill.  Parts of this gate were still standing in 1788 when Gough visited the city, but the arch was demolished in the early 1700s by a householder on the east side of the gate.  According to Thomas Sympson writing in the early 18th century: (the arch was knocked down) "though not without much difficulty, as I have been informed by an eye-witness; for when the workmen, with a great deal of labour and pains, had battered one of the stones in the crown of the arch in pieces, rest being laid without mortar, sunk so equally on both sides that the hung as firm as ever, and their work was to begin anew".  The position of the gate is marked by foundation stones on the side of the road


Brown's Pie Shop

The building now known as "Brown's Pie Shop" was previously the Fox & Hounds inn. 

16th Century building re-fronted in the 18th century and a shopfront added in the 19th century.

In 1827 a horse called Bessy Bedlam won the Lincoln Gold Cup, the inn was renamed in honour of the horse. Sadly, many Lincoln people lost money having backed the horse to win the St Leger. The name reverted to the Fox and Hounds in 1849.


In 2011 Steep Hill won an award as "Britains Best Place", from the Academy of Urbanism.

Did Bail Gate Stand Here?

Bailgate  is one of Lincoln's  oldest  streets  roughly following the  line of  the  Roman Ermine Street, it is also part of an area historically known as "The Bail", from the outer bailey of the castle.

Norman House

In the Middle Ages Lincoln was made up of four self governing areas, the City, Beaumont Fee, the Close and the Bail.   These areas were managed through their own courts and by-laws.  The freemen made the laws and carried them out.  The system was as democratic as it could be, as only freemen were allowed, and expected, to be involved in the running of a district.

The Bail was an area which included Castle Hill and Bailgate from the north of Christ's Hospital Terrace to Newport Arch.

All these areas of Lincoln were physically divided from each other by gates: the gates into the Bail were Newport Arch, a gate from the Close at the junction of Bailgate and Eastgate, Exchequer gate, the now lost western gate of which spanned the road east of Bailgate, and the Bail gate.

The Bail gate stood, according to Adam Stark, about ninety feet south of the location of the Roman south gate of the upper town.  This distance places the gate at the south-west corner of The Norman House (formerly known as Aaron the Jews House). Records of this gate are scant and there is no accurate indication of its location but the image on the right shows a repair to the south-west corner of the Norman House, the small medieval stone, compared to the larger worked stone of the "repair".  Is this where the east side of the Bail gate stood?  The west side of the gate would be near the southern corner of Wordsworth Street; all the buildings on that side were cleared when the County Hospital was built in the late 18th century so we can not see where the west side of the gate would be.  This is a likely location as Steep Hill, Bailgate, Michaelgate and Christ's Hospital Terrace all meet here.  The entrance to Bailgate (the street) would be narrower than it is now.  The gate was still standing in 1810.

Wordsworth Street did not exist at the time of the Bail gate, it was built after Christopher Wordsworth's death in 1885, He was bishop of Lincoln from 1869 until his death.

This is an 18th century drawing of Newland Gate,
was Bail Gate a similar design?

Read more about Lincoln's Gates 

Where was the Bail Gate?

See revised blog at  https://itsaboutlincoln.blogspot.com/2020/02/did-bail-gate-stand-here.html Read more about Lincoln's Gates