Watergate of St Ann's Fort and associated wall

Watergate of St Ann’s fort and its associated wall built 1570-1571 with C17, C18, C19 and C20 alterations and repairs including some in-filling.

MATERIALS: built mainly of red brick with some stone repairs and infill.

PLAN: a linear structure representing the wall and gate to St Ann’s Fort.

EXTERIOR: towards the west end of the wall, on the south face, are two depressed arches and part of a third, each blocked with C19 brick. At the western end of these is the springer for a brick arch reaching south suggesting an inner vaulted chamber or carriageway. Extending to the east, beyond the arches, is a length of contemporary brick wall, much repaired and altered with, on the southern side of its eastern end, a plaque with G.B. & Co 1875. Just beyond the plaque the wall turns at right angles and runs south forming the east wall of an open courtyard. Again various blocked openings and scars indicate the positions of former buildings. The 1887 Ordnance Survey map shows a malthouse in this position.

The north side of the wall (at the western end) is built out and contains two barrel-vaulted passageways which would have emerged through the blocked arches on the south side. On the north side, the wall displays other brick arches and openings marked by wooden or concrete lintels, most have been infilled. Much of the early brickwork is interspersed with C18, C19 and C20 brick repairs or alterations illustrating the continuity and change in the use of the fort wall.