Morpeth Town Gates

Has been described as a Possible Urban Defence

There are no visible remains

NameMorpeth Town Gates
Alternative Names
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishMorpeth

_Oldgate_

The entrance to Oldgate from the market place is dominated by the clock tower which sits in the middle of the street and was probably constructed in the first quarter of the 17th century. A gate or barrier is shown blocking the west end of the street on the 1604 plan (HER 11199)

Newgate Street

As with Oldgate, the 1604 plan shows a gateway or barrier blocking the end of the street (HER 11198). (Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey)

Listed as New post-Conquest medieval defensive circuits consisting only of gates based on circumstantial or secondary evidence only. (Bond 1987)

Gatehouse Comments

The two gates shown on a plan of 1604 can hardly constitute a defensive circuit. The function is much more likely to be related to the collection of market tolls and control of livestock movement.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNZ195864
Latitude55.1719398498535
Longitude-1.69492995738983
Eastings419520
Northings586440
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2013, Medieval Walled Towns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 157 (listed as gates only)
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 38, 218, 270
  • Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report 61) p. 92-116 online copy
  • Hodgson, J. 1832, History of Morpeth (London) p. 59

Journals

  • Creighton, Oliver, 2006, ''Castles of Communities': Medieval Town Defences in England; Wales and Gascony' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 75-86

Other

  • Northumberland County Council, 2009, 'Morpeth' Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey doi:10.5284/1000177 [download copy > http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/northumberland_eus_2011/downloads.cfm?REDSQUIDARCHIVES_7_799BB461-A0C4-488C-B90DF1259EFE2DA8&area=Morpeth]