| Westgate, Winchester | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | High Street, Winchester, Hampshire |
| Coordinates | 51°03′49″N 1°19′09″W / 51.0635°N 1.3191°W |
| OS grid reference | SU 47812 29576 |
| Governing body | Hampshire Cultural Trust |
| Owner | Winchester City Council |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | The Westgate, Winchester |
| Designated | 24 March 1950 |
| Reference no. | 1350695 |
  Location of Westgate, Winchester in Central Winchester | |
The Westgate is one of two surviving fortified gateways in Winchester, England (the other is Kingsgate) formerly part of Winchester City Walls. The earliest surviving fabric is of Anglo-Saxon character. The gate was rebuilt in the 12th century and modified in the 13th and late 14th centuries, the latter including a portcullis in the western façade and two inverted-keyhole gunports (for use with hand-held cannon), the earliest in the country. The gate was in use until 1959 when the High Street was routed around it.[1]
In the 19th century the City Corporation (now Winchester City Council) acquired the Westgate and began to use it as a museum and repository for the City archives. In 2014, ownership of the museum space was transferred to Hampshire Cultural Trust.[2] Today, the Westgate Museum's displays include a famous collection of pre-Imperial weights and measures, and a fine painted ceiling made for Winchester College in anticipation of a visit by Mary Tudor and Philip of Spain on the occasion of their marriage in Winchester in 1554.[3]
- ^ "Winchester". Local Histories. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ "Hampshire and Winchester museums and art leased to trust". 1 November 2014 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Westgate Museum". Visit Winchester. Retrieved 12 May 2021.