Manual Ref* NFnrNOR097 Show 4 images 123
Title*

St Stephen's Street Gates
County Norfolk   District Council Norwich City Council 
Civil Parish or equivalent Norwich City Council  Town/Village* Norwich 
Road St Stephen's Road 
Precise Location On Coachmakers Public House 
OS Grid Ref TG227078  Postcode NR2 
Previous location(s)  
Setting On Building  Access Public 
Artist/Maker Role Qualifier
J. Moray-Smith  Designer(s)   

Commissioned by

 Morgan's Brewery 

Design & Constrn period

 1937 

Date of installing

  

Exact date of unveiling

  

Category
Abstract Animal Architectural
Commercial Commemorative Composite
Free Functional Funerary
Heraldic Military Natural
Non-Commemorative Performance Portable
Religious Roadside, Wayside Sculptural
Temporary, Mobile Other  

Object Type
Building Clock Tower Architectural
Coat of Arms Cross Fountain
Landscape Marker Medallion
Mural Panel Readymade
Relief Shaft Sculpture
Statue Street Furniture War Memorial
Other Object Sub Type: Panel

Subject Type
Allegorical Mythological Pictorial
Figurative Non-figurative Portrait
Still-life Symbolic Other

Subject Sub Type
Bust Equestrian Full-length
Group Head Reclining
Seated Standing Torso
Part Material Dimension
Mural plaque  Cement moulded and painted  H. 200 cms W 400 cms 

Work is
Extant Not Sited Lost

Owner/Custodian

 Not known 

Listing status
Grade I Grade II* Grade II Don't Know Not Listed

Surface Condition
Corrosion, Deterioration Accretions
Bird Guano Abrasions, cracks, splits
Biological growth Spalling, crumbling
Metallic staining Previous treatments
Other  
Detail: Restored 2013 by Tiz Fairhurst of Fairhust Gallery, Norwich. The restoration was paid for by the Norwich Society as part of the celebrations of their founding 90 years ago.

Structural Condition
Armature exposed Broken or missing parts
Replaced parts Loose elements
Cracks, splits, breaks, holes Spalling, crumbling
Water collection Other
Detail: The colours have been described by Alec Hartley, co-author of the booklet on the artist published by the Norwich Society, as the original ones.

Vandalism
Graffiti Structural damage Surface Damage
Detail:

Overall condition
Good Fair Poor

Risk
No Known Risk At Risk Immediate
Signatures/Marks Dated 1937 bottom right 
Inscriptions  

Description (physical)

 The view of St Stephen's gates is based on two engravings. The round towers with their two rows of slit windows and the City coat of Arms above the entrance follow Henry Ninham's 1864 view which he based on a drawing by John Kirkpatrick of 1720. The houses at the sides, the inn sign and the cart were taken from John Ninham's engraving of 1792, the year before the gates were removed. Moray-Smith added the details in the foreground the chicken and small dog as well as the broken road and figures with the milkmaid and cavalier smoking his pipe 

Description (iconographical)

 The Coachmakers stands at the city end of St Stephen's just before the new roundabout very near the site of the St Stephen's gates. This was the principal entrance into Norwich on the London road running from the gate to the Castle. The gate was also known as Needham or Nedham Gate (in 1285) and Nedeham Gate. The St Stephen’s gates were rebuilt in the 1340s under the auspices of Richard Spynk, citizen of Norwich and their importance is reflected in its form and scale. The central block, with the archway and a chamber over, was flanked by large D-shaped towers with the appearance of two forbidding bastions. There was also a wicket or separate passageway through the gateway on the west side for pedestrians. Morgan’s brewery dates from 1845 when John Brandram Morgan acquired the brewery at 97 King Street, together with 54 public houses. Under the Morgans the brewery expanded by taking over other firms in East Anglia, until by 1904 it owned or leased nearly 600 public houses. The brewery on King Street was damaged in 1942, but rebuilt on the site, before going into liquidation in 1961, when the brewery was sold to Watney Mann. Demolished in 1989 the site awaits redevelopment as a housing scheme. 

Photographs

 Date taken:  5/7/2006
Date logged: 

Photographed by:
Sarah Cocke

On Site Inspection

 Date:  8/4/2006

Inspected by:
Richard Cocke

Sources and References

 BOE I 339; Hartley, Alec and Chapman Spencer, JOHN MORAY-SMITH A very public artist, Norwich Society, 2006, 3; Information from Sarah Cocke; http://www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/ norwich/mnorwich/ncmorg.htm accessed 16/09/08; w.edp24.co.uk/news/revamped_mural_by_norwich_artist_at_coachmakers_pub_is_unveiled_1_2297018, dated 24 July 2013 Entry updated 26/07/2013 

Database

 Date entered:  27/7/2006

Data inputter:
Richard Cocke