Hall Gate is a street in the town centre of
Doncaster
Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated i ...
, in
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham.
I ...
, England.
History
The street originated as the alternative route of
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is a major Roman road in England that ran from London (''Londinium'') to Lincoln ('' Lindum Colonia'') and York (''Eboracum''). The Old English name was ''Earninga Strǣt'' (1012), named after a tribe called the ''Earningas ...
, passing by the fort of
Danum. When new fortifications were built in the 12th-century, Hall Gate formed the section of the street leading south-east away from the town, with one of four stone gates at the town end of the road. It rises about 5 meters from north-west to south-east, forming a gentle hill.
Tilli's Cross was erected at the south-east end of the street, probably in the 12th-century. In 1793, the brow of the hill was lowered, and the cross was demolished, with a replica built on a site further south-east, along South Parade.
The street formed part of the
Great North Road, and then the
A1 road
A list of roads designated A1, sorted by alphabetical order of country.
* A01 highway (Afghanistan), a long ring road or beltway connecting Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar
* A1 motorway (Albania), connecting Durrës and Kukës
* A001 highw ...
, until the
A1(M) motorway
A1(M) is the designation given to a series of four separate motorway sections in England. Each section is an upgrade to a section of the A1, a major north–south road which connects London, the capital of England, with Edinburgh, the capit ...
was constructed as a by-pass. It continues the route of the town's High Street, and maintains the same width, and although it lacks any grand civic or commercial buildings, it does retain several Georgian houses.
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, based at the Doncaster Civic Office in Waterdale, central Doncaster. It is one of four local authories in South ...
describes the street as a "secondary retail area" with a "down at heel" appearance,
this often being ascribed to the
Frenchgate Shopping Centre
The Frenchgate Shopping Centre (formerly Arndale Centre) is a large shopping centre located in the city centre of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It is named after the street of the same name that formed one of the old gates of medieval D ...
taking business away from less central areas of the town. In 2020, the council made the street one-way, in an attempt to make it more pedestrian-friendly.
Layout and architecture
The street runs south-east, from the junction of
High Street
High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym ...
, Cleveland Street and Silver Street, to the junction of South Parade, Thorne Road and Waterdale. Prince's Street and Lazarus Court lead off its north-east side, and a footpath to Wood Street leads off its south-west side.
Notable buildings on the north east side of the street include the early-19th century 5, and 7 and 7A Hall Gate; mid-19th century 6 Hall Gate; late-18th century 8, and 9 Hall Gate; 18 Hall Gate, built about 1790; the Hall Gate United Reformed Church, built in 1804; and the early-19th century 26, and 27 Hall Gate;
On the south-west side of the street are the early-19th century 53 and 54, 52, and 51 Hall Gate; 50 Hall Gate, built about 1800; the late-18th century 40, 41 and 41A Hall Gate; and the mid-18th century Georgian House.
[{{NHLE , desc=Georgian House , num=1192048 , accessdate=16 December 2021]
References
Streets in Doncaster