A contractor is now appointed to repair Winchester's 15th-century Hyde Abbey Gateway from spring 2027: lime repointing, roof repairs, pigeon netting and a new setting.

Repairs to Hyde Abbey Gateway, the last standing part of Winchester’s medieval Hyde Abbey, will start in spring 2027. Winchester City Council said on Friday that it has appointed a specialist contractor for the work (Winchester City Council, 23 October).

The council chose spring because the main job is traditional lime mortar repair. Wider landscaping around the gateway will follow later in 2027.

The council has not named the contractor or said what the work will cost.

Why the gateway needs work

The gateway is Grade I listed and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It stands between King Alfred Place and Hyde Gate, near the River Itchen footpaths.

A conservation report the council commissioned, published in February 2025, set out its condition and the repairs it needs (Philip Hughes Associates, Hyde Abbey Gateway report). It found:

  • roof tiles slipping out of line, which suggests the fixings or battens are failing, plus missing and broken tiles
  • cement mortar spread across the flint and stone walls, which traps moisture against the softer stones and makes them decay faster
  • pigeons roosting on the wall tops under the eaves, because earlier netting had failed
  • worn tarmac, concrete bollards and a single harsh floodlight inside the archway

The report also records that a schedule of repairs drawn up in 2019 by another firm was never carried out.

What the repairs include

The report’s proposals, drawn up for Historic England’s consent, include:

  • stripping the roof, checking the timbers and relaying the old tiles, with new clay tiles to match where needed
  • removing the cement pointing and repointing the walls in lime mortar, with every flint’s position recorded first so any that come loose go back in place
  • netting the whole roof space at truss level to keep pigeons out
  • new rainwater goods, possibly round cast aluminium in place of the current square ones
  • softer lights at eaves level instead of the floodlight
  • a larger history board on the inside west wall, fixed to the wall to deter vandalism

The landscaping, designed by UBU Design, would replace the tarmac north of the gateway and inside the archway with limestone setts or cobbles. Granite setts would mark the line of each arch. South of the gateway, resin-bound gravel and seating would form a small square, and bulb planting would run around the east and north sides. Two trees to the south-west are proposed for removal.

Before any new surface goes down, the report says the ground under the tarmac will be checked for historic paving. Anything found would be kept and left visible.

In February 2025 the budget was not confirmed. The report said the council intended to remove all the cement pointing, but might not have the money to do it all. The council’s announcement on Friday did not say how much of it will now be done.

Bats

Surveys found pipistrelle bats at the gateway. The council says licences and mitigation will be in place so the bats, a protected species, are not harmed during the work.

The history

The gateway dates from the 15th century. It was the gatehouse between the inner and outer precincts of Hyde Abbey, a Benedictine monastery dissolved and demolished in 1538 under Henry VIII, the report says.

It then became the entrance to Hyde House, a Tudor town house built from the abbey’s stones, which was itself demolished in 1769.

The council describes the gateway as close to the site of the former abbey “where King Alfred the Great was originally buried”. Its leader, Cllr Martin Tod, said the announcement came on King Alfred Weekend, which marks the anniversary of the king’s death on 26 October 899.

“The Hyde Abbey Gateway is a hidden gem of the city and one of Winchester’s most remarkable historic monuments,” he said. “Heritage works of this nature are complex and this marks an exciting stage of a long project that has involved numerous surveys and consent from Historic England.”

The gateway is the second scheduled monument the council has restored in the city, after cleaning and repairs to the Buttercross.

What it means for you

Nothing changes yet: the council says the repairs start in spring 2027.

When work starts next spring, expect scaffolding and a covered roof on the gateway. The council has not yet said whether the carriageway arch or the paths beside it will close, or for how long. We will add that when it publishes the dates.

Sources