The Citadel, South Entrance

The Citadel's South Entrance is a gatehouse to the citadel, which now serves as a prison. It was built in 1881, possibly designed by Captain E Crossman of the Royal Engineers, who was the general designer of The Citadel. The structure is made of Portland ashlar.

The entrance features a long, narrow corridor that culminates in a round arch at the south end, which is above the main plank doors. This arch is supported by heavy rusticated quoins and voussoirs, and it is topped with a carved panel displaying "VR 1881" beneath a heavy roll-moulded gable and a flat parapet. Access to the arch is via a 20th-century concrete bridge leading to a large landing on a very deep substructure. This substructure has heavy rock-faced masonry on the south side, featuring a deep and lofty blind arch that returns to a plain wall and a parapet above a heavy roll moulding that continues around three sides at this level.

The right return has plain walling with several slits and openings that drop into a deep ditch. The left return of the main building extends approximately 100 meters in plain ashlar to a roll-moulded top, with various segmental-headed openings. The entire structure is covered with turf and extends back to the southwest casemates. It is dramatically positioned above the southern and southeastern ditches.