There is feven ports or gates in Newcafle, befide Pofterne Gates, which belonged to the religious houfes. In the lower part of the towne upon the river is many little gates to that famous long Key.
1. Weft is Clofe-Gate, called fo from a ftreet called the Clofe, which goeth up the water, to a place of recreation, called the Forth, given to the towne for good fervices performed by the burgeffes of the fame.
In Edward the 3. reigne, three hundred valient men iffued out of the towne, through a Pofterne Gate, came fuddenly in the night upon a great army of the Scots, which lay in that part weft of the towne; rayfed the army of the Scots, put them to flight, and took Earle Morray prifoner in his tent, and others.
2. The next is Weft-Gate, a ftately and faire gate, builded by Roger de Thornton, a rich man that lived in Hen. the 6 days, the high way west into Northumberland and Cumberland.
3. Is New-Gate, the ancient and ftrongest of all the ports, having a caufey that leadeth to the Towne-Moore, and towards the north parts of Northumberland and Scotland. Now a prison for debtors and felons. [This Newgat, called so becaufe K. John builded that Gate, as Newcafle is called from Wm. Conquerors . . . who built this Caftle. Their is an outward gate on the North, builded by Ed. 3. or fucceffors, as appears by the armes, w. ch. he atchieved in his conquefts with the many flower de lucies in the frontspiece of them; and the B. of Durhams arms and towns armes.}
4. Pilgrim-Street-Gate; so called becaufe of the Pilgrims lodging in that ftreet; and went out of that gate to the fhrine of the Virgin Mary in Gesmond; to which place, with great confluence and devotion, people came from all parts of this land, in that time of fuperftition.
5. Pandon-Gate, so called from the ancient towne of Pampeden, where was the Picts wall, and a Roman tower, lately decayed; out of which wall is a caufey that goeth into a place of recreation and perambulation, called the Shields-Field; and a way to a village called the Walls-End; by Beda, Villa ad Murum, and fo into Tinmouth-fhire.
6. East of the towne is Sand-Gate, built upon the river fide. Without this gate is many houfes, and populous, all along the water fide; where fhip-wrights, fea-men, and keel-men most live, that are imployed about fhips and keels.
There is a whole chapter on Pampedon, which I had never heard of before - perhaps another day!
Liz
