Colin Hicks – Page 3 – WESTGATE CHICHESTER

History of 21 Westgate

The history of this property has been constructed by Dr Brownfield from the property’s voluminous Schedule of Deeds, by kind permission of the current owners.

For the uninitiated (like me), “Messuage” was a term that referred to a dwelling house along with its adjacent buildings and the land used in connection. A word from late 14c. Anglo-French, it is thought to be a clerical error for “mesnage” (compare modern Fr ménage which means “household”)

History of 19 Westgate

The first half of this article is written by Richard Brownfield, with certain sections copied from ‘The Building of Georgian Chichester’, by local historian Alan Green and with his kind permission.

This Farmhouse was “damaged in the siege of Chichester 1642.”

History of 17 Westgate

Certain sections in this entry are copied with permission from The Building of Georgian Chichester by local historian Alan Green.

The Westgate house no. 17 “was added to number 15 in about 1787 – on a more modest scale.”

History of 15 Westgate

Newly built in 1730, this site had already been occupied by a house, a woodhouse, and a slaughterhouse. A malthouse was added by 1775.

In 1841 James Gates, a Yeoman Farmer aged 65, was living here. In 1861 another James Gates aged 59, a retired butcher who had had a shop in East Street was here. Presumably he was the son of the previous owner. In 1871 he is recorded as an alderman aged 67.

History of 11 Westgate

Research by Clive Rogers (current owner).

This house has an internal Tudor wall, but the timber framework within the roof void reveals that that this would originally have been external. The roof timbers at the southern end of the property appear to be a later addition during the “Georgification” of the street. A fireplace was installed in this room with a tall chimney stack, later demolished.

The History of 7-9 Westgate

This article concerns Nos 7 and 9 Westgate, which was a whole house previously known as no.4 and then no. 11 Westgate from 1950 – 1987.

The numbering of the houses in Westgate started in about 1900 and it has been a confusing experience for anyone trying to identify which property is which. In the 1901 census, this house is confirmed as 4 Westgate, a numbering which continued until the 1939-45 war. After the war, the whole street was renumbered, with odd numbers to the south side, and the house became no.11 Westgate. It was then divided into two in 1988 and renumbered at the same time as the rest of “The Georgian Priory” development, to become numbers 7 and 9.

3-9 Westgate as The Georgian Priory

This is a residential development of 11 units originally converted in 1985/6 from the buildings of the old Theological College in Westgate by the Abbey Building Association Ltd. (which became the Abbey National Building Society). It is run by a resident’s management company.

1-5 Westgate as The Theological College

In 1936 the lease owned by the Church Commissioners for the buildings at the top of Westgate – which included the Coach House and stable yard as well as what is now no. 5 – were let to the Chichester Theological College. This whole block, renamed Marriot House, was used for accommodation with eighteen students and 2 members of staff. There were 20 bedrooms, 4 WCs and 4 bathrooms. The main building for the College was No. 52 Westgate.

Hidden Westgate Histories 10: Demolished properties Southside

The following properties to the south side of Westgate were demolished in 1963 to make way for the Avenue de Chartres and the Chichester inner ring road.

For information concerning the lost buildings to the north side of Westgate, please click here.

History of old no.1 Westgate

The Famous Westgate pinch point looking towards Westgate 1961 – Collection Ken Green

It can be confusing trying to sort out what building belongs where when confronted with the results of the demolitions at the famous pinch point where Westgate used to begin.