Hotspur Tower

Hotspur Tower, or Bondgate dates from the early fifteenth century and is the last remaining fortified gate of Alnwick, one of only two medieval town gates surviving in the whole of the North East of England. During the eighteenth century most town gates and historic town walls were demolished to cater for increasing traffic; all the gates of London were demolished between 1760-77, and the gates of York were only saved in 1801 by the personal intervention of George III. Bondgate in Alnwick was likewise considered by 'a number of the principal inhabitants' of the town to be an obstruction but was saved by the Second Duke of Northumberland. However, it remains under considerable pressure from traffic.

In addition to obtaining scheduled monument consent for emergency repairs after the archway was twice hit by vehicles, Robin Kent Architecture & Conservation carried out a study of the tower and its problems, including the conjectural reconstruction shown below, the conservation report including detailed recommendations for its conservation and future use. Part of this included meeting the local council and English Heritage, and researching possible technologies for preventing high vehicles damaging it.

Conservation projects often take a lot longer than straightforward 'new build' architecture, but their special interest, the wide range of issues encountered, and the importance of preserving and enhancing heritage values, makes the extra commitment well worthwhile.