Streetscape – Page 3 – WESTGATE CHICHESTER

History of 34 Westgate

This property is the former “Waggon 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.

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.

History of 28 Westgate

This is a narrow house with a third storey, so the roof line is higher than its neighbours. It is an infill property, built at some time after 1642 in the gap between nos. 26 and 30. Not much else is known about the building at the moment.

History of 24 Westgate

From the roof line, this house appears to be one of a pair with No. 26, which was at some point (c1995) converted to a single house intertwined with no 22. This is the smaller of the two properties and timber-framed, as is no 26, whose roof it shares.

History of 22 Westgate

See more specific data on conjoined nos. 22-24 here and here.

Alan Green in his book on Georgian Chichester writes:

“This is intertwined with no. 24. The smaller of the two is no. 24, which is timber framed and under the same roof as no. 26 to the west.

History of 20 Westgate

More is currently known of the former occupiers of this property than of the building itself, with a strong connection to local family, the Holts.

John Ogburn Holt Snr. had been born in Chichester on 9th April 1846 at 36 Westgate. By 1891 he was living at number 20 (then 44). In the house with him were his wife Elizabeth also 45, and his children John Ogburn Jnr. (9), twins William George and Emma (3), and Lizzie Helen Mary (1). By 1901 he had moved to 9+11 Westgate over the road.

History of 18 Westgate

Richmond House – previously York House – was originally two houses and the two front doors can be seen in this photo taken in 1900. It has since been converted to apartments and now has a single front door.

History of 16 Westgate

Another property in the possession of the Holt family.

John Ogburn Holt Snr, aged 25, had moved in by 1871. He had previously lived with his father and mother at no. 36, where he had been born. He had married Elizabeth Pile. By 1881 they had five children, Bernice (13), Charles John (12), Janice Mary (10), Emma (6), and William George (1).

History of 12-14 Westgate

Currently known as the Crate and Apple P.H.

This reopened in its present guise on July 1, 2015, having previously been the ‘Vintage Pub and Bistro’, and before that: No. 12, a restaurant. But for many years it was The Swan, at one time having a reputation as a ’biker pub’.

Hidden Westgate Histories 9: Demolished properties Northside

As detailed in Hidden Histories no 8, properties 2-10 were demolished in 1963

Number 8

James JEFFERIES was a private, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers. 29th Division when he was killed in action on 15.7.17. In 1911, he was living with his wife Sarah at no. 52 Westgate – the old number, which became 8 and was then demolished in 1963. He was employed as a Hopman at the Brewery. He is buried in the Bard Cottage Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium but memorialised on his wife Sarah’s gravestone, plot 15 in the churchyard of St James’ Church in Birdham. His name is on St Bartholomew’s church war memorial, now the Chichester City Arts Centre.