Turret Gateway, Leicester, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

The Turret Gateway is a medieval gatehouse on Castle View in Leicester, once one of the entrances to the Newarke, the walled religious precinct beside Leicester Castle. It is a small but atmospheric survivor of the city's royal and church past, and it is tied by tradition to the last journey of Richard III.

The story behind it

The Newarke, meaning the new work, was a religious enclosure set up next to the castle by the Lancaster family in the 14th century. It was not an open space. Access was controlled, which is why the gateways were built with defence in mind, and why a groove for a portcullis can still be spotted in the stonework. When a king or a great lord arrived, the gates would of course have swung open quickly.

The best-known story links the gateway to Richard III. After he was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, his body was brought back to Leicester, and it is likely that it passed through this part of the Newarke on the way. Local folklore adds a darker note: the legend of Black Annis, a witch with iron claws who is said to prowl Leicester after dark, is a favourite spooky tale to tell around the old gateway, although the legend is more usually placed on the Dane Hills.

What to look for

• Look at the arch from the street and find the vertical groove where a portcullis would once have been lowered to close the passage.
• Notice the turret that gives the gateway its name, and how solid and defensive the stonework feels compared with the modern buildings around it.
• Stand in the passage and imagine the royal processions, and the funeral party said to have carried Richard III's body, moving through the narrow opening.
• Glance up at the weathered masonry and consider how long the gateway has stood between the castle and the Newarke.

Tips for your visit

• You can see the gateway from the street at any time, and ten to fifteen minutes is enough to look closely and take photographs.
• Daylight is best for the details of the stone, while dusk suits anyone who wants to enjoy the Black Annis legend in the right mood.
• It is close to Leicester Castle, the Newarke Houses Museum and Castle Gardens, so it combines easily with a longer wander. Check current opening hours for any museum you plan to enter.
• The gateway is something to walk through and around rather than a building to enter, so there is nothing to book.

See it on a quest

The gateway is one of the stops on Richard the Third's Leicester, a self-guided quest that follows the story of the king through the city. You reach the Turret Gateway on foot as part of a longer route, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle in front of the stonework instead of simply walking past. It is a ticketed quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever suits you, with no guide and no set departure time.