The Gangway And Retaining Walls

CROMER

892/0/10013 THE GANGWAY and retaining walls 16-JUN-03

GV II

Raised pavement and roadway and attached cobbled cliff wall. Wall early/mid C19 with gangway 1892-3, modified 1897. Gangway has eastern retaining wall of dark brick beginning at the foreshore and increasing in height as carriageway ascends slope. Side obscured by later building as it reaches Surrey Street. The footpath adjoining the wall is tarmac but the carriageway and pavement edges are red granite sets and at the eastern side of the setted surface are two parallel rows of large granite blocks for cart wheels. Adjoining the western edge of The Gangway is a high cobble cliff retaining wall constructed early/mid C19. This has brick 'seams' at intervals dividing the large areas of coursed flint cobbles and a flight of steps at the seaward end leading up to East Cliff. HISTORY. The Gangway and retaining wall illustrate the continued improvement of the access to the foreshore at Cromer in the C19 and are impressive and unusual survivals. The Gangway was originally a gully cut through the cliffs by a stream running down to the sea. It provided an easy access for cargo delivery. At the top is a former C18 granary, Nos.1-6,(q.v.). In the early/mid C19 the high cobbled retaining wall was built. The raised carriageway with its supporting eastern wall was probably constructed in 1892-3 but was certainly in place by 1897 when Cromer UDC employed the architect A.F. Scott to lengthen and widen The Gangway. The setted surface was extended on the seaward end. Probably at the same time footpaths and red granite kerb stones were laid down the sides of the carriageway. This was probably done in parallel to the major improvement to the seawall defences undertaken in the following three years by the Cromer Protection Commissioners (q.v. the Sea Wall Defences). This impressive area of raised roadway, with the setts carefully angled so that horses and donkeys could get a grip, and the adjoining high cliff retaining wall form part of a significant group with the historic buildings lining East Cliff above and with the sea wall defences and promenade which adjoin the bottom of The Gangway on the western side. REFERENCES. Cromer Preservation Soc., Historic Features on the Seafront, 2003. M.Brackenbury, pers. comm.