Conservation Area - WESTGATE CHICHESTER

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.

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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.

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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.

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History of old 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.

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History of 52 Westgate

This large Georgian property was to become part of The Westgate Brewery.

The Humphreys

In 1780, William Humphrey (Snr) bought land in Scuttery Fields to build some malthouses. The brewery itself was installed on the adjoining site, where today’s no. 52 had stood as a dwelling house since about 1750: the date inscribed on the building is 1751.

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History of 48 Westgate

This house was for many years the head brewer or brewery manager’s house and called Brewery House to this day. The following fascinating and very valuable account by a resident of her life in this property, is quoted with permission from the CLHS magazine ‘Chichester History’, no. 23, p41

THE SLOE FAIR ‘SQUIRTERS’ by Ruth Bagnall (née Randell)

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History of 38 Westgate

More on the Holts. See the entries for nos. 16, 20 and 36 Westgate to complete the picture

As perviously described, John Ogburn Holt, who had lived at nos. 7&9 Westgate, acquired a number of properties on Westgate which he let, of which this was one. He signed a lease on 11th August 1896 for no 35 (old number) for £200, including:

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History of 36 Westgate

This is the only house on the street that has carried the same number under both systems. It has always been no. 36.

Residents

The Holt family lived in this house for more than 70 years.

The first John Holt recorded in the censuses as living on Westgate, was in 1851, when he was at no. 36, next to the Waggon and Lamb PH.

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History of 34 Westgate

This property is the former “Wagon and Lamb” public house.

A recent owner of the house believed that the original frontage of the house was one room back, with a yard in front of the house for waggons to park; or with the road running further to the north than its current course, thus allowing a yard in front of the farmhouse opposite. If this is correct the new front was added after 1642 and probably when the Georgian rebuilding took place.

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History of 32 Westgate

As elsewhere on this website, we are grateful to local historian Alan H J Green for permission to reproduce this report of a visit he made to the property

“No 32 is one of several 17C timber-framed houses on the north side of Northgate, doubtless rebuilt soon after the sack of Westgate by William Waller’s troops in 1642. As with the others in this terrace it received a Georgian brick front in the 18C. It is abutted on the west by the former Waggon and Lamb public house and on the east by another (smaller) house. It was originally numbered 38 but at some time between 1939 and 1950, when Westgate was converted to ‘odds and evens’, it was renumbered 32. It is listed Grade II.

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