The Gangway and Retaining Walls
THE GANGWAY AND RETAINING WALLS
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1350363
- Date first listed:
- 16-Jun-2003
- List Entry Name:
- The Gangway and Retaining Walls
- Statutory Address:
- THE GANGWAY AND RETAINING WALLS
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1350363
- Date first listed:
- 16-Jun-2003
- List Entry Name:
- The Gangway and Retaining Walls
- Statutory Address 1:
- THE GANGWAY AND RETAINING WALLS
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- THE GANGWAY AND RETAINING WALLS
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Norfolk
- District:
- North Norfolk (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Cromer
- National Grid Reference:
- TG 22117 42182
Details
CROMER
892/0/10013 THE GANGWAY and retaining walls
16-JUN-03
GV II
Raised pavement and roadway and attached cobbled cliff wall. Wall early/mid C19 with gangway 1892-3, modified 1897. Gangway has eastern retaining wall of dark brick beginning at the foreshore and increasing in height as carriageway ascends slope. Side obscured by later building as it reaches Surrey Street. The footpath adjoining the wall is tarmac but the carriageway and pavement edges are red granite sets and at the eastern side of the setted surface are two parallel rows of large granite blocks for cart wheels. Adjoining the western edge of The Gangway is a high cobble cliff retaining wall constructed early/mid C19. This has brick 'seams' at intervals dividing the large areas of coursed flint cobbles and a flight of steps at the seaward end leading up to East Cliff.
HISTORY. The Gangway and retaining wall illustrate the continued improvement of the access to the foreshore at Cromer in the C19 and are impressive and unusual survivals. The Gangway was originally a gully cut through the cliffs by a stream running down to the sea. It provided an easy access for cargo delivery. At the top is a former C18 granary, Nos.1-6,(q.v.). In the early/mid C19 the high cobbled retaining wall was built. The raised carriageway with its supporting eastern wall was probably constructed in 1892-3 but was certainly in place by 1897 when Cromer UDC employed the architect A.F. Scott to lengthen and widen The Gangway. The setted surface was extended on the seaward end. Probably at the same time footpaths and red granite kerb stones were laid down the sides of the carriageway. This was probably done in parallel to the major improvement to the seawall defences undertaken in the following three years by the Cromer Protection Commissioners (q.v. the Sea Wall Defences).
This impressive area of raised roadway, with the setts carefully angled so that horses and donkeys could get a grip, and the adjoining high cliff retaining wall form part of a significant group with the historic buildings lining East Cliff above and with the sea wall defences and promenade which adjoin the bottom of The Gangway on the western side.
REFERENCES. Cromer Preservation Soc., Historic Features on the Seafront, 2003.
M.Brackenbury, pers. comm.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 490173
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Historic Features on the Seafront, (2003)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 16-Jun-2026 at 22:55:14.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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