| Saint Mary's Water Lane, in which the Traitors Gate
Bistro now stands, has had a very chequered history. The first recorded gates to stand on the tower and upper sites date
back to the 1100's A.D. although a later gate, the present one, was Built in the 1300's, about
the time of the Edwardian wall of 1272-1307. The second gate now only visible at the far end of the
Bistro, stood in all its splendour as late as
the l7th Century. Between these two gates, on the right towards the river, stood the Dominican Friary founded in 1222 on land given by Richard Pride of Pride Mansion which lent its name to Pride Hill. It was the first Friary established under the reign and warrant of King Henry III who commanded the Sheriff of Shropshire to let the Friars have the Kings Stone which lies in the Severn& 60 oak trees from Lythwood for the building of the church "ad fabrican eccleir sue de dono regis". The founder of the Friary was said to be Lady Genevile, granddaughter of Walter de Lasci, Lord of Ludlow. So well liked was the Friary that prince Richard, Dude of York, later to be murdered in the tower of London with his brother, by their uncle, Richard III, was born there. The Friary was dissolved in 1539 and to when in 1801 the site was; levelled for building, three cellar of 31ft were 'laid open' as well as a few skeletons, said to be "Many Persons of Rank" buried here after the battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. As late as 1934, skeletons were still being found on the site. The lane was once known as "Saintmary'swaterslode", presumably because of the spring that rose between the two gates, in a field behind the friary. The first known building recorded on the site of the Bistro were a number of small terraced cottages date to 1681 when Elizabeth Passey had an owners marked stone placed on her property, a way of showing wealth. The lower cellars have the remains of the 13th Century Edwardian town wall running through them and, as already mentioned, the Jambs of the inner gate extend into the river end of the cellars. A tower, which stood a few yards beyond this gate known as Gerewald's tower or castle, was in the grounds of Newton Place, the large town house towering high above the lane, built by Sir Peter Newton. The first known buildings recorded on the site of the Bistro are a number of small terraced cottages dated to 1681, when Elizabeth Passey had the owners marked stones placed on her property, a way of showing wealth. The lower cellars have the remains of the 13th century Edwardian town wall running through them and, as already mentioned, the Jambs of the inner gate extended into the river end of the cellars. A tower, which stood a few yards beyond this gate known as Gerewald's tower or Castle, was in the grounds of Newton Place, the large town house towering high above the lane, built by Sir Peter Newton. Traitors Gate was given its name, for during the Civil War, a young Parliamentary lieutenant, John Benbow, and fellow soldiers, let in by an accomplice, ransacked the Castle which was in the hands of the Royalists. Ten years later, as a Captain, John Benbow was shot as a traitor. A wharf was established just outside Water Gate during the flourishing trade along the waterways, so much so that a public house, The Dog and Partridge, was opened in the 3rd cottage in 1835. Many other trades flourished in the other cottages from Shoe Smith to a family Dress Maker during this period. The Wildings Company owned the property from the early 1900's to 1982 when it was left empty until Mr Thomas, the present owner, bought the property and set to in a very imaginative way to create the Traitors Gate Complex. |