It was opposite to this part of the Walls that King Edgar’s palace was situated, from which he was rowed up the river to St. John’s Priory, by eight tributary princes, in 971.
Within seventy yards of the bridge formerly stood an ancient Roman gateway in the walls, called the Shipgate, or Hole in the Wall, at one time the only entrance into Chester from Handbridge. It was taken down some years ago, and is now in the possession of Thomas Finchett Maddock, Esq. It forms a perfect specimen of Roman masonry, originally 20 feet in height by 16 in breadth. Pennant remarks, “that this postern seems originally to have been designed for the common passage over the Dee into the country of the Ordovices, either by means of a boat at high water, or by a ford at low, the river here being remarkably shallow.” Opposite the Shipgate is a ford in the river leading through to a field on the Handbridge side, called Edgar’s Field, in which stands the ancient sculpture of the Diva Armigera Pallas, already mentioned under the head of “Roman Antiquities,” in a former part of this work.
Pursuing our walk, we next arrive at
The Bridgegate,
a handsome arch gateway, having two posterns, erected in 1782, at the expense of the Corporation. On the tablet over the western postern is the following inscription:—
THIS GATE WAS BEGUN APRIL, MDCCLXXXII., PATISON
ELLAMES, ESQ., MAYOR, AND FINISHED DECEMBER THE
SAME YEAR, THOMAS PATISON, ESQ., MAYOR.THOS. COTGREAVE, ESQ., HENRY HESKETH, ESQ., MURENGERS.
JOSEPH TURNER, ARCHITECT.
On another tablet, on the east side,—
THIS GATE, HAVING BEEN LONG INCONVENIENT,
WAS TAKEN DOWN A.D. MDCCLXXXI.JOSEPH SNOW, ESQ., MAYOR.
THOS. AMERY, HENRY HEGG, TREASURERS.
From the top of this gateway the banks of the Dee, with the bridge, and suburbs of Handbridge, present a lively and striking appearance, which at low water is increased by the rapid falling of the stream over the causeway across the river immediately above the bridge. In the distance may be seen Beeston Castle, on its lofty summit; and the successive ranges of Bucklow and Peckforton Hills form a beautiful background to the landscape.
A little southward stands