Bridgegate, Chester

Bridgegate in Chester is a historic component of the city's ancient walls and is recognized as a Grade I listed building in the National Heritage List for England. Originally constructed by the 1120s, the gate formed part of a 12th-century extension of the Roman city walls along the north bank of the River Dee. Its strategic importance lay in guarding Chester's southern entrance, with the gateway serving as the passage for travelers from North Wales after crossing the Old Dee Bridge.

Throughout its history, Bridgegate has undergone significant transformations. The original medieval structure, possibly rebuilt during the 14th century to coincide with the reconstruction of the Old Dee Bridge, featured a Gothic arch flanked by towers. By 1600鈥�01, a square tower known as John Tyrer's Water Tower was added to house machinery for pumping river water into the town. However, this tower was destroyed during the Siege of Chester (1644鈥�65).

The present Bridgegate, completed in 1781, was designed by architect Joseph Turner for the Chester City Corporation. Constructed in yellow sandstone ashlar and showcasing a neoclassical style, the gate consists of a segmental arch over the carriageway flanked by round pedestrian archways in each abutment. Its balustraded parapets along the top add a decorative touch while accommodating foot traffic.

Notably, Bridgegate's history intertwines with the Talbot family, the Earls of Shrewsbury, who controlled the bridge tolls from 1521 to 1624. Their nearby townhouse, now the Bear and Billet, remains a connection to this period. Bridgegate stands today as a testament to Chester鈥檚 rich medieval and architectural heritage.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Chester. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Bridgegate
Sight Location: Chester, England (See walking tours in Chester)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Chester's City Walls

Walking Tours in Chester, England

Create Your Own Walk in Chester

Creating your own self-guided walk in Chester is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Chester's Black-and-white Architecture Tour

While the origins of Chester date back to Roman Times, much of the city center, and by far the greatest part of it, looks medieval. Indeed, if you visit the city, the first thing you notice is the magnificent black-and-white architecture. Despite their appearance, however, the majority of these buildings are Victorian by the time of construction.

The Black-and-White Revival was an architectural... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles

Chester's City Walls

Chester City Walls are the oldest, longest and most complete (missing only just about 100 meters) historic defensive structure in Britain. Walking the full circuit of this ancient fortification provides wondrous views, wherever you choose to go, down into the city, and offers a fantastic insight into Chester's rich history.

First built by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago, the Walls were... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles

Chester Introduction Walking Tour

Chester is a walled city in Cheshire. It was originally founded in 79 AD as a Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix. It was garrisoned until the 4th century when it was abandoned by the Romans. It is thought that the area was settled by Anglo-Saxons during medieval times. It was also briefly occupied by the Danes.

Chester was very important during the Industrial Revolution. This is largely due... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles

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