Scheduled MonumentsEnglandWatergate, The Close

Watergate, The Close

England
List entry 1004027
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1004027
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.01 hectares
Grid reference
TG 23897 08758
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Watergate, The Close is a Norman gateway dating to the twelfth century, located within the cathedral close at Norwich in Norfolk. The structure survives as a substantial stone archway that originally provided access to the cathedral precinct from the river to the south. It represents one of the few remaining examples of Norman ecclesiastical architecture associated with Norwich Cathedral's medieval defences and served a functional role in controlling movement between the cathedral close and the broader city. The gateway demonstrates the architectural conventions of its period with its rounded arch and solid masonry construction characteristic of Norman work.

Watergate, The Close is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1004027. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Watergate, The Close?

Watergate, The Close is a Norman gateway dating to the twelfth century, located within the cathedral close at Norwich in Norfolk. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1004027.

Who is responsible for protecting Watergate, The Close?

Watergate, The Close 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 1004027.

What other scheduled monuments are near Watergate, The Close?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including 'Woodhenge', Arminghall (2.7 km), Late Neolithic or Bronze Age Henge type monument and D shaped enclosure 300m west of Twins Farm (3.5 km), Moated site at the Manor House, Arminghall (4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Watergate, The Close

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Watergate, The Close's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Watergate, The Close

Watergate, The Close stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.

The wider landscape

Around Watergate, The Close

Caistor St EdmundsRoman town · ~3.3 miles