Brown's Gatehouse, Wells

Brown's Gatehouse (also known as the Dean's Eye) in Wells, Somerset, England, is an entrance gateway into a walled precinct, the Liberty of St Andrew, which encloses the twelfth century Cathedral, the Bishop's Palace, Vicar's Close and the residences of the clergy who serve the cathedral. Brown's Gatehouse has been designated as a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument.[1][2]

Brown's Gatehouse
Location within Somerset
Alternative namesDean's Eye
General information
LocationWells, Somerset
Coordinates51.2103°N 2.6434°W / 51.2103; -2.6434
Construction startedc1450

The Brown's Gatehouse was built around 1451, by Bishop Thomas Beckington (also spelt Beckyngton), at a cost of 200 marks.[1] It provides an entrance to the Cathedral Precincts from Sadler Street. It is named after the shoemaker Richard Brown, who was the next door tenant in 1553[3] In the 19th century it was known as The Dean's Eye.

It is a two-storey archway of Doulting ashlar stone, with a Welsh slate roof with coped gables behind parapets.[4] The arch has a ribbed vault.[2] There is a doorway within the porch to a staircase to the first floor.[1]

References
  1. Historic England. "Brown's Gatehouse (1383101)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  2. Historic England. "Medieval gatehouse called Browne's Gate (1006198)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  3. Bush, Robin (1994). Somerset: The complete guide. Wimborne, Dorset: Dovecote Press. pp. 222. ISBN 1-874336-26-1.
  4. Historic England. "Brown's Gatehouse, Wells (1383101)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 January 2009.

Media related to Brown's Gate, Wells at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.