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The Water Gate is a medieval fortified gateway structure located in Durham, England, forming part of the town's defensive architecture. Dating to the medieval period, the structure represents an important element of Durham's urban fortifications, controlling access to the settlement via the River Wear. The gateway exhibits characteristics typical of medieval town gates, designed to regulate both water-borne and terrestrial traffic while serving a defensive function for the medieval borough. As a surviving example of Durham's medieval infrastructure, the Water Gate contributes to understanding the town's development as a significant ecclesiastical and commercial centre during the Middle Ages.
The Water Gate is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002339. View the official record →
The Water Gate is a medieval fortified gateway structure located in Durham, England, forming part of the town's defensive architecture. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1002339.
The Water Gate is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1002339.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Prebend's Bridge (0.1 km), Framwellgate Bridge (0.6 km), Elvet Bridge (0.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of The Water Gate's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
The Water Gate stands on Pennine Middle Coal Measures Formation And South Wales Middle Coal Measures Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.