04/10/2026
Bacon, Brothels, Beacons, Barbicans & The Great West Gate… 🏰🥓🔥
Across our city, there are so many places where you get that real feel of history, a sense of the events of centuries gone by, and can imagine the antics of our ancestors - and this is definitely one of them. 🙌🏻
The West Gate of the Cathedral Close, built, on the site of likely an even earlier structure, in the 1300s. Look closely, at the size of the remains still there and the engraving from over 200 years ago, when it was already a ruin - the West Gate was much much bigger when built. 😮
To quote Thomas Harwood writing in 1806 ,”At the entrance into The Close on the west stood the beautiful gate which was built by Bishop Langton in the early part of the fourteenth century. It was a very strong, a double gate with portcullis of great strength and majesty. The strong tower over the gate was finished in the time of Bishop Northburgh, the successor of Langton. This noble structure which had unimpaired during the revolution of five centuries and had withstood the destructive ravages of civil war was pulled down in April 1800 to widen the road into The Close.”
(Thomas Harwood was Headmaster of our base, The Old Lichfield Grammar School, from 1791-1813. 👨🏻🎓)
Following its further fortification in the 1300s, The Close at times was rightly described as being akin to a castle. Check out the detail of John Speed’s 1610 map too. At its western end, that gate witnessed all sorts…. 🏰
Anglo-Saxon origins, Norman transformations, a beggar being tragically trampled to death in 1293, Royal parades, disgruntled townsfolk letting fly at authorities with slingshots over the gate, a king-to-be marching past with his armies in 1485, prisoners locked up in dungeons just a few feet away, vicious fighting during civil war sieges, perhaps the first use of a land mine in England being exploded nearby, and much much more….. 💥
And all those B’s? The West Gate protects the entrance of The Close to what is now Beacon Street, but that beckons the question of why it was called that. 🤔
Was there a site of a beacon close by? Perhaps… but we’re struggling to find proof, and ‘beacon’ is a bit of a latecomer of a name given the street’s very long history.
It’s sometimes been said that the origin was ‘Bacon‘ (for centuries we see it in the archives as Bakun and Bacun), ie inspired by where meat and pork were once traded, but we’re not really having that tbh - just feels wrong with it being so far out of town. 🔪
And Bacun Street, back in medieval times, was famous for its brothels, as was Lichfield - although, except perhaps informally, that fame never lent itself to any ancient street names.
A number of folk have put forward an interesting alternative possibility, including Headmaster Tommy H mentioned above - with this big impressive tower, gateways and more, that in some form likely dated back way before the 1300s, could this have been Barbican Street?
Who knows, we’re certainly not sure, but it’s going on our big long list of Lichfield history mysteries it would be lovely to get a definite answer to in the future! 💫
Have a great week everyone,
John T
