View source for Northgate, Chester

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox Bridge
|bridge_name=Northgate
|image=North Gate (seen from north).jpg
|caption=Northgate
|official_name=
|carries=[[Chester city walls]]
|crosses=Northgate Street
|locale=[[Chester]], [[Cheshire]], England
|maint=
|id=
|designer= [[Thomas Harrison (architect)|Thomas Harrison]]
|design= [[Arch bridge]]
|material= [[Sandstone]]
|mainspan=
|length=
|width=
|height=
|load=
|clearance=
|below=
|traffic=
|open=1810
|closed=
|toll=None
|troll=
|map_cue=
|map_image=
|map_text=
|map_width=
|coordinates= {{coord|53.193822|-2.893366|type:landmark_scale:2000_region:GB|display=inline, title}}
|lat=
|long=
}}

The '''Northgate''' is a gate located in [[Chester]], [[Cheshire]], England, where it carries the [[Chester city walls|city walls]] footpath over Northgate Street ({{gbmapping|SJ404666}}).  It is recorded in the [[National Heritage List for England]] as a designated Grade&nbsp;I [[Listed building#England and Wales|listed building]].{{sfn|Historic England|1376370}}

==History==

The present Northgate stands on the site of the original northern [[Roman era|Roman]] entrance to Chester.{{sfn|Ward|2009|p=7}}  During the [[England in the Middle Ages|medieval]] period, it was unimportant and it was used only for local access.  At that time it consisted of a simple rectangular tower with a narrow gateway.  It later was the site of the local [[prison|gaol]].{{sfn|Ward|2009|p=39}}  The present Northgate was built in 1810 to replace a medieval [[gatehouse]] and was designed by [[Thomas Harrison (architect)|Thomas Harrison]] for [[Chester City Council]].{{sfn|Historic England|1376370}}

==Architecture==

It is built in pale red [[sandstone]] [[ashlar]] and consists of a segmental arch with a [[coffer]]ed [[soffit]] which spans the carriageway.  On each side of the arch is a rectangular [[Portal (architecture)|portal]] for the pavement.  On both sides of the portals are attached [[Fluting (architecture)|unfluted]] [[Monolithic column|monolithic]] [[Doric order|Doric]] half-columns at each corner. Across the top of the structure is a [[dentil]]led [[cornice]] which carries a panelled [[parapet]].{{sfn|Historic England|1376370}}{{sfn|Hartwell|Hyde|Hubbard|Pevsner|2011|p=252}}  In constructing Northgate, Harrison used "as few and as huge stones as possible".{{sfn|Hartwell|Hyde|Hubbard|Pevsner|2011|p=252}}

==See also==
{{portal|Cheshire}}
*[[Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire West and Chester]]
*[[List of works by Thomas Harrison]]
*[[Bridgegate, Chester]]
*[[Eastgate, Chester]]

==References==
'''Citations'''
{{Reflist}}
'''Sources'''
{{refbegin}}
*{{Citation | last = Hartwell | first = Clare |last2 = Hyde | first2 = Matthew |last3 = Hubbard | first3 = Edward | author3-link=Edward Hubbard (architectural historian) | last4 =Pevsner | first4 =Nikolaus | author4-link =Nikolaus Pevsner | series= The Buildings of England| title = Cheshire | publisher =[[Yale University Press]]| year =2011| orig-year=1971| location =New Haven and London|  isbn =978-0-300-17043-6 }}
*{{cite book | last =Ward | first =Simon | title =Chester: A History | publisher =Phillimore | year = 2009 | location =Chichester |  isbn =978-1-86077-499-7 }}
*{{NHLE |num= 1376370|desc= The Northgate, Chester|accessdate= 18 September 2011|mode=cs2}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* {{Youtube|Q1hsY6yUTQo|3D reconstruction}}.
* [http://www.chesterwalls.info/northgate.html The Northgate on 'Chester: a Virtual Stroll Around the Walls']
{{Chester city walls}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chester, Northgate}}
[[Category:Arch bridges in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Grade I listed bridges]]
[[Category:Bridges in Cheshire|Northgate]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in Chester]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1810]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Chester|Northgate]]
[[Category:Neoclassical architecture in England]]
[[Category:Grade I listed gates]]
[[Category:Town gates in England]]
[[Category:Stone bridges in England]]
[[Category:Thomas Harrison buildings]]