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.
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.
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.
These notes on the history of this property are by Anne Sparrow. Historic references are in bold to assist further research.
“When we bought No. 68 Westgate, on the deeds it was noted that it was originally called ‘Westgate Close’ [also “Crantock” in Kelly’s directory 1938 – RNB]. The name appeared on the wooden gate that was seldom used, owing to the regular use by our two cars, which were accommodated in an unusual double garage beneath an adjoining flat.
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.
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)
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:
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.
