Magazine Gateway, Medieval gatehouse in Leicester, England
Magazine Gateway is a three-story structure built from Dane Hill sandstone, featuring a wide arched entrance and multiple rooms on each level. The building displays thick stone walls and narrow internal passages typical of medieval defensive gatehouses.
Constructed between 1400 and 1410 by Henry, Earl of Leicester, this structure served as protection for the entrance to The Newarke, a religious precinct near Leicester Castle. During the English Civil War in 1645, it sustained minimal damage despite military attacks on the area.
The interior walls still display carved marks and writings left by prisoners held here during the Elizabethan period. These marks offer a direct glimpse into the lives of those confined within this building.
The gatehouse sits next to Leicester's inner ring road and is accessible to visitors by prior arrangement with Leicester Museum Service. Plan ahead to schedule a visit and explore the interior spaces.
Human skulls were discovered in its garderobe chute during or after the English Civil War in 1645, a haunting remnant from the past. This grim discovery hints at the violent history surrounding this building.
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