Abbey Gateway

Abbey Gateway is a 14th-century gatehouse, with alterations from the 18th century. Constructed from red coursed sandstone with a grey slate roof, it originally provided the main entrance to the precinct of St Werburgh's Abbey, now Abbey Square.

The exterior facing Northgate Street features a full-width, deep segmental relieving arch containing a central two-centred vehicular archway and a pedestrian archway to the south, both with double hollow chamfered edges. Niches flank the vehicular archway, and a plain rebuilt buttress stands at the southwest corner. A moulded string course runs at upper storey floor level. The upper storey was rebuilt in the 18th century. A Gothick sash window with intersecting tracery is set within an arched moulded opening. A coved string course sits at the base of the shallow gable. The exterior facing Abbey Square has a broader vehicular archway with eroded triple hollow chamfers. A diminishing square turret at the southeast corner has a boarded pair of doors in an arched doorway, with a small stair window above. An eroded flat buttress is present at the northeast corner. A Gothick sash window is positioned above the archway within a roughly-shaped medieval two-centred arch. Recessed 12-pane windows with visible sash boxes are on either side, and a Gothick fixed-light window illuminates the attic within the recessed gable.

The interior of the three-bay vault beneath the archway displays hollow-chamfered diagonal and ridge ribs. A stone staircase against the south wall likely dates to the 18th century. The front room above the archway, formerly a robing room, contains built-in cupboards with fielded panel doors. An armorial painting inscribed "EDMUND CHESTER" is on a panel above the doorway and another panel, inscribed "SAMUEL PEPLOE LLB, Chancellor," is located north of the doorway. The paintings were likely done by a member of the Randle Holmes family. The rear upper rooms and attic contain no features of significant interest. The hollow chamfers bear comparison to the vault of the undercroft at 28 and 34 Eastgate Street.