Eastgate, Chester
Eastgate is a permanently open gate through the Chester city walls, on the site of the original entrance to the Roman fortress of Deva Victrix in Chester, Cheshire, England. It is a prominent landmark in the city of Chester and the Eastgate clock on top of it is said to be the most photographed clock in England after Big Ben.
The original gate was guarded by a timber tower which was replaced by a stone tower in the 2nd century, and this in turn was replaced probably in the 14th century. The present gateway dates from 1768 and is a three-arched
Eastgate
History
Chester was first established as a Roman fortress and town, known as Deva Victrix, in about AD 74 or 75. The fortress was in the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners. This was protected by a turf and earth rampart on which was a timber palisade, and outside this was a V-shaped ditch. On each of the sides was a gate; the gate on the east side has survived as the Eastgate. It was defended by a timber tower. The road running through the gate led to Manchester, then across the Pennines to York. It is thought that outside the fortress this road was lined by timber buildings that were used as shops or for other kinds of commercial activities. Just outside the gate, to the north, was a large open area used as a parade ground.[2] From about AD 100 the defences of the fortress were reinforced by a sandstone wall and at this time the gates and their towers were rebuilt in stone.[3]
In 907 the
Outside the Eastgate, excavations in 1991 revealed the presence of three ditches. The ditch made during the Saxon period was wide but shallow, being only a little over 3 feet (1 m) in depth. It had been filled with rubble and masonry. The next ditch was deeper, 7.5 feet (2 m) deep, and this may have been constructed when the new Eastgate was built, probably in the 14th century. The third ditch was built during the later medieval period, probably to assist with drainage. The two later ditches were later used for the disposal of rubbish and became waterlogged, so that they contained organic materials that do not normally survive well in Chester.[6]
By the 18th century the city walls were no longer needed for defensive purposes and so, rather than being pulled down, they were converted into walkways. The medieval gateways were obstructing the traffic into the city and were replaced by wider-arched gateways with balustraded parapets. The first gateway to be replaced was Eastgate in 1768, which was rebuilt as an "elegant arch".[7] It was built at the expense of Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor, and designed by Mr Hayden (or Heyden), the earl's surveyor of buildings.[1]
Architecture
Eastgate is built in red sandstone and consists of a wide central arch, with
Eastgate Clock
History
The first scheme to enhance Eastgate came following the visit of the
A committee was set up and, despite early support for the Queen's Institute and for general festivities, it was finally decided to erect a memorial tower and clock on Eastgate. John Douglas was again invited to prepare a design. His first design was for a stone structure costing £1,000 (equivalent to £121,000 in 2021).[10] However, a wooden model showed that this would restrict the daylight to the neighbouring properties. In October 1897 a meeting of the subscribers to the fund (who had by that time raised nearly £651 (equivalent to £79,000 in 2021)[10] carried a motion to erect a light iron-work structure containing a clock. John Douglas prepared a new design, which was approved in March 1898.[9]
The clock's faces and mechanism were paid for by Edward Evans-Lloyd, a local solicitor and
After souvenir-hunters stole the hands of the clock, the city council glazed the clock faces in 1988. In 1992 an electric mechanism replaced the original wind-up mechanism. In 1996 the clock faces were restored with their original colours. It is said to be the most photographed clock in England after Big Ben.[9]
Architecture
The clock has a face on each of its four sides, and is supported on an open-work
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire West and Chester
- List of non-ecclesiastical and non-residential works by John Douglas
- Northgate, Chester
- Bridgegate, Chester
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d Historic England, "The Eastgate and Clock, Chester (1376249)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 July 2012
- ^ Ward 2009, pp. 6–9.
- ^ Ward 2009, p. 11.
- ^ Ward 2009, p. 31.
- ^ Ward 2009, p. 39.
- ^ Ward 2009, pp. 40–42.
- ^ Ward 2009, pp. 79–80.
- ^ Ward 2009, p. 80.
- ^ a b c d Information Sheet: Eastgate Clock, Cheshire West and Chester
- ^ a b UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
Sources
- Ward, Simon (2009), Chester: A History, Chichester: Phillimore, ISBN 978-1-86077-499-7