City Wall and Gates

Elsewhere on this forum someone recently mentioned Swanswell Gate. Is it a gate? I know it's a very long time ago but at school we were taught that it was a defence tower and not a gate. Les

I just had a look about the Swanswell Gate, cos I didn't know much, but this may help. The Coventry Gates I expect someone more knowledgable than me will go into more detail.

Also see Rob's page on the HC site

Looks like part of the city wall has been uncovered whilst they dig up Cox Street car park! - Telegraph

It's hard to tell from the photos but by the look of it they've found the stretch to the north of the river that then turned left to head towards the Hales Street gate. Basically they're two parts of the Pool Meadow wall. They need to widen the corner to look for the tower base. Edited by member, 4th Feb 2017 12:05 am

No surprise there, there are probably foundations everywhere. A lot was dug up in the past and reburied to preserve it. When they were building the ring road they kept coming across old walls that they considered to be a hindrance. Did they find some when they dug up at the back of the Belgrade theatre as well? I wandered up to the section that's used by Pargetters today. There's a strange paved square there with a monument on it. There's apparently a Roman road in that area as well.

Somebody tell the Telegraph that Whitefriars Gate was not part of the city wall

This report today suggests that there could be remains of a mediaeval tower It also acknowledges that only TWO gates remain Do you mean this watch tower?

Swanswell Gate - c1900 and 2010

Cook Street Gate - c1900 and 2004

Cook Street Gate - c1900 and 2010

Agreed - great shots Cliff

I wonder who decided to add the castellated tops?

In the 21st century, they probably wouldn't re-crenellate them but at the time it wasn't considered wrong to try and repair things to an earlier appearance. They weren't repaired to the exact original style but the work probably protected them from further deterioration. It seems to have coincided with the creation of the Lady Herbert garden. Whether it was to protect them or to make them look more romantic I don't know.