Kaleyard Gate

Kaleyard Gate is a postern gate in Chester city walls, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ406665). It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.[1]

In the 13th century the monks of St Werburgh's Abbey had developed a vegetable garden (known as the kaleyard) outside the city walls. They wanted an easier route to access the kaleyard than the longer walk through Eastgate so they petitioned Edward I in 1275 to allow them to cut a gate through the wall to provide direct access to the garden. This he allowed under certain conditions, one of which was that it must be locked at nightfall.[2]

The gate consists of a simple opening in the sandstone wall containing a door. It is on the east-side wall of the city, numbered 14 on the map below.

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The Walls of Medieval
and Roman Chester
Medieval City Walls
The Roman Fortress
Roman Roads
Towers and Gates
Section of Wall
Map of central Chester, showing the line of the city walls and the gates, towers and wall sections of the medieval and post-medieval city.[3]
[Hide/Show the list of Gates, Towers and Wall sections]
1
Bonewaldesthorne's Tower
2
Spur Wall and Water Tower
3
Wall between Bonewaldesthorne's Tower and Pemberton's Parlour
4
Pemberton's Parlour
5
Wall between Pemberton's Parlour and St Martin's Gate
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St Martin's Gate
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Wall between St Martin's Gate and Morgan's Mount
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Morgan's Mount
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Wall between Morgan's Mount and Northgate
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Northgate
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Wall between Northgate and Phoenix Tower
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Phoenix Tower
13
Wall between Phoenix Tower and Kaleyard Gate
14
Kaleyard Gate
15
Wall between Kaleyard Gate and Eastgate
16
Eastgate
17
Wall between Eastgate and Thimbleby's Tower
18
Thimbleby's Tower
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Wall between Thimbleby's Tower and Old Newgate
20
Old Newgate
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Newgate
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Wall between Newgate and Barnaby's Tower
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Barnaby's Tower
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Wall between Barnaby's Tower and the Drum Tower
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Recorder's Steps
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Drum Tower
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Wall between the Drum Tower and Bridgegate
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Bridgegate
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Wall between Bridgegate and the former County Hall
30
Wall between former County Hall and Grosvenor Road
31
Wall between Grosvenor Road and Watergate
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Watergate
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Wall between Watergate and Bonewaldesthorne's Tower

See also

References

  1. ^ Historic England, "Kaleyard Gate, Chester (1376161)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 July 2012
  2. ^ Ward, Simon (2009). Chester: A History. Chichester: Phillimore. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-86077-499-7.
  3. ^ "The walls, towers, gates and posterns of the City of Chester". Historic England. Retrieved 19 November 2025.

53°11′33″N 2°53′23″W / 53.1926°N 2.8897°W / 53.1926; -2.8897