King James's Gates, Portsmouth (Portsmouth)

Two ornamental gateways, once part of Portsmouth's defences.

Summary 17th century buildings Free admission

Introduction

Two ornamental gateways, once part of Portsmouth's defences. King James's Gate (of 1687) has been moved, but Landport Gate (1760), once the principal entrance to Portsmouth and possibly based on a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor, remains in its original position.

History to the present day

King James's Gate was built in 1687 to control access to Portsmouth from The Point, which was at that time a notorious area outside the town. When the walls were demolished the gate was relocated to St. Michaels Road. At a later, unknown, date it was moved again and can now be found roughly half a mile away from its original position, forming part of the boundary of United Services Ground in Burnaby Road. As a result o the moves, much of the original ornate stonework has unfortunately been lost.

The Landport Gate is the only one of the town gates of Portsmouth that still stands in its original position. It is located halfway along the northern defensive walls which enclose Portsmouth, and lies between Guy's Bastion and Town Mount Bastion.

The Landport is a ceremonial gateway that was once the main entrance to Portsmouth. The gate was constructed in 1760 and possibly based on a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor. The gate was built of Portland stone, and when constructed it stood before a moat, traversed by a drawbridge.

It consists of a single central arch with a flat top, topped with a classical rotunda on columns, and finished with a stone ball on a spire.