Bargate – Southampton

The main entrance to the walled town of Southampton was through the Bargate at the northern end of the town. 


Since Henry II, many of the Kings and Queens of England have passed through the Bargate. By 1175, a simple square stone tower had been built, and the arch completed.

The Bargate was a toll gate, and every cart carrying goods into and out of Southampton had to pay a tax.

On TripAdvisor, Emma-Jade reviewed this iconic Southampton monument as “just a pile of rubble with no interesting, redeeming features at all, why this is even a tourist attraction i do not know!”

The grim reaper

Walking down the high street I was accosted by a Greenpeace chugger (twice), a will-writer salesman and a funeral-plan salesman.

I’m hoping that the latter two were not indicative of a serious decline in how well I look!