City Wall and Gates (inc. Cook Street)

Anne, the building just through the gate on the left is Tower House. This is where my mother was born in 1926. Her grandmother's name was Cook??, I doubt there is any connection

Hi matchle55. Sorry, I am going back a little further than that. My ancestors were living at Bastille Gate in the 1600's. The earliest was Robert Yardley who was the miller at Bastille Mill. I do have a Cook in my family tree who married Harry Yardley but I don't think that would fit. I think Helen put some pictures on at one time of the buildings beyond the gate.

Currently up for sale on eBay. This is looking from the outside. The end of Tower House might be the one on the right? A mill pool was originally to he right but I'm not sure how old this version of the mill on the left was. It had obviously old buildings behind but the mill on the coin looks later but Elizabethan and Stuart buildings were sometimes brick. The mill breeches the security of the wall but maybe the town took the risk during the Civil War as it was an important resource?

Anyone have any more info on that 'Swine's Cross?' What it represented/how long it was there for etc? Appears to be very little info on it out there.

Apart from its appearance on the 1610 and 1749 maps, I know very little. There was a similar cross near the Gosford Gate. I assume that they were mini market places, maybe for live animals? The two areas may have been easier to clean, not being far from the river? I know that Gosford Street had a visible drain from the area of the cross. The rainwater from Bishop Street had to go somewhere. Pigs became very popular animals for householders, even in cities as they would eat anything and didn't need much space. Chickens were generally kept for eggs and possibly ducks were the same. Pork was an important part of both diet and household uses eg axle lubricant and lighting.

A 1902 article in CET says that the Swanswell was reached by a footpath from the Cook Street Gate. It says that the stretch of water was called Swine's Well which over time became Swanswell. I will look into this further

On the 1749 map both crosses are called Swines Cross. Swanswell might have been a good place to water pigs before bringing them into the north of the city. The ruins of St Mary's were used by the Great Butchery as a holding area, so pigs could have come from Swanswell gate to that area too. Bulls for the Bull Ring might have also come that way.

Entries in Google Books just say the cross was the pig market so yes, Helen, it would make sense that they walked them through the Swanswell or Swine's well to wash them before bringing them through the gate and along the path to the city. Now why Silver Street?

Gosh you two are good!

Another cracker from Cov Archives. Many similar views of the gate but a bit further back. Zoom in to see the chap having a fag!

Thanks to Dean Nelson on FB. I'm thinking this might be the demolition of the Old Tower Inn and surroundings circa mid-'60's.

Wasn’t the pub on the other side of the gate, where the vehicles are parked?

Yes, I think it’s looking west, so the pub has already gone.

That was probably our Norm K driving the Drott!

On Google Street View there is more digging going on and the cherry tree (?) is still in blossom. I wonder which side they've put the new stairs?