THIS MEDIEVAL CITY GATEHOUSE WAS BUILT ABOUT THE END OF THE 15TH CENTURY, ON THE SITE OF AN EARLIER CITY GATE. IT CONSISTS OF A LARGE CENTRAL ARCH AND TWO SMALLER ARCHES OR POSTERNS EAST AND WEST. BETWEEN THE MAIN ARCH AND THE POSTERNS ARE ELIPTICAL TOWERS WITH TABERNACLES AND FIGURES OF THE VIRGIN STANDING ON A DRAGON IN ONE NICHE AND THE ARCHANGEL GABRIEL IN THE OTHER. OVER THE CENTRAL ARCH IS A COAT OF ARMS WITH A MOTTO 'AVE GRATIA PLENA DOMINICUS SECUM' 'HAIL THOU ART HIGHLY FAVOURED THE LORD IS WITH THEE'. OVER THE NORTH FACE OF THE TOWERS ARE THE RED ROSE OF LANCASHIRE AND THE FLEUR-DE- LIS OF LINCOLN. {1}{2} TOWN GATEWAY, GUILDHALL AND SHOPS. LATE C15 AND EARLY C16, ALTERED C17 AND MID C18, RESTORED AND REMODELLED BY J L PEARSON, 1885-90. ASHLAR WITH LEAD ROOF BEHIND PARAPET. MOULDED STRING COURSES AND SILL BAND, CRENELLATED PARAPET. SOUTH SIDE HAS ROLL MOULDED SEGMENTAL CENTRAL ARCH FLANKED BY SINGLE ROUND BUTTRESSES WITH CANOPIED NICHES CONTAINING FIGURES. ABOVE, A PILASTERED TABLET WITH THE ARMS OF JAMES I, AND ABOVE AGAIN, TWO 2-LIGHT MULLIONED WINDOWS. OVER THEM, A STEPPED GABLE CONTAINING A CLOCK. ON EITHER SIDE, 2 WALKWAY ARCHES, THOSE TO THE RIGHT ORIGINAL AND WITH HOOD MOULDS, AND BEYOND AGAIN, 2 WINDOWS. ABOVE, TO LEFT, 4 C19 SASHES AND TO RIGHT, 3 SMALLER SASHES IN C15 OPENINGS WITH HOOD MOULDS. ALL THESE OPENINGS HAVE BASKET ARCHES. ABOVE AGAIN, ON EITHER SIDE, 2 CUSPED FLAT HEADED MULLIONED WINDOWS. NORTH SIDE HAS A PLAINER CENTRAL ARCH, FLANKED BY A SINGLE WALKWAY ARCH TO THE LEFT AND 2 TO THE RIGHT. OVER THE INNER ARCHWAYS, SMALL 2-LIGHT WINDOWS. ABOVE, THREE 2-LIGHT LANCETS AND PARAPET GABLE WITH CLOCK. UNDER THE WALKWAY ARCHES, LATE C19 SHOPFRONTS. FIRST FLOOR GUILDHALL HAS STRUTTED KINGPOST ROOF WITH ARCH BRACES TO THE PURLINS IN THE OUTER BAYS. TIE BEAMS HAVE BOSSES. MID C18 PANELLING WITH ARMS OF GEORGE II SET BELOW A SEGMENTAL PEDIMENT ON CORINTHIAN COLUMNS. LISTED GRADE I. {3}~, LENGTH 18M, WIDTH 7M, HTM 8.53M