HARWICH
The Town in 1848
THE TOWN, which occupies nearly all the narrow tongue of land
from the harbour to the sea beach, has only one entrance by land,
and consists of three main streets, with several lanes branching
out on either side. It was formerly encompassed by a wall,
and had four gates named St. Helen's Port, Barton's or
Watergate, St. Austin's gate and Castle-gate; and also three
small gates or posterns. It had a castle and an admiralty
house; and the Dukes of Norfolk had a large house near
St. Austin's-gate, and their arms were to be seen in the hall
window till 1676, when they were taken down. The town wall was
built of the clay-like substance found at the bottom of the cliffs,
which, on exposure to the air, gradually hardens to a species of
stone, with which the streets are paved.
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