Monument record 1641/4/5 - West Gate

{4} During the excavations of 1878-9 the remains of the gate on the west and south sides were discovered. The gate on the west side is not easily explained. No road is knnown to approach the town from that side, although one may be assumed to have done so, and none of the internal streets on that side of the town meets the ramparts anywhere near the site excavated. Yet the excavator found a massive stone gateway which had been dismantled and ruined at some period, and then blocked with the re-used stone. It has been suggested that this was a C4th modification although no dating evidence was noted.

{5} Foundations of the west gate are noted and marked 'G' on the plan (Fig.10).

{6} Bakers Plan of 1879 suggests a structure at this point and the aerial photographic and geophysics plots suggest that a road runs through this area.

<1> Baker R.S., 1875, Associated Architectural Societies Reports, p.88-118 (unchecked) (Series). SNN59403.

<2> Baker R.S., 1879, Associated Architectural Societies Reports, p.49-59 (unchecked) (Series). SNN55475.

<3> 1879, The Archaeological Journal (36), p.99-100 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN59348.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.92 Site 7 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<5> Doubleday H A (ed), 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.179-80 (checked) (Series). SNN100368.

<6> Taylor J., 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Irchester (Roman), Section 3.2 Defences (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100749.

Record last edited

Sep 10 2014 6:10PM