For convenience of the boatman, and for the defence of the Priory, William Power, the Cathedral Cellarer, built the Watergate in 1378. It is a strong sandstone gate with port-culls and double set of doors,built in the high stone walls which guarded the City from a river attack. The Power family held much land immediately south of the City in Norman and Plantagenet times - on the rent of a lamprey!
The use of both ferry and gate was the subject of very stringent regulations, still on record and, among them, one that forbade the opening on Sunday of anything more than a wicket-gate and that only for the milkmaids and herdsmen attending the Priory cattle, the Vicar of St. John’s and the company that he should bring with him. The ferry and the gate, after the dissolution of the Priory, passed with the Severn meadows to the new Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral.
The names of successive ferrymen have been preserved. Notable is that of a woman, Betty Webb (or Darke), who was appointed in 1750 and kept the post for 43 years. Hence the boathouse where she lived became commonly known as ‘Betty’s of the Boat’, a name which caught popular fancy and was still used in Victorian times. From her day, the ferry boat was always named ‘Betty’ and painted in traditional colours of white and green. It has also been the tradition for centuries to mark the heights of the great floods on the wall at the entrance to the Watergate for, before the riverside walks were made, the river flowed in under the arch and through the gate. Also marked on the wall, behind the south door of the Watergate, is the shape of a large fish, some ten feet long, which was caught in 1843. It was a royal sturgeon. It was placed on the floor and its shape cut out with a chisel to show its size.
The Watergate is a very beautiful and historic place, with romantic associations. Mrs. Henry Wood made this ferry the scene of a dramatic incident in her story of the Channings and here, the popular-but absent-minded Dean of Worcester, Dr. Gott, had a narrow escape from sharing the experience of the Channing boy when, during a flood, he walked into the river.
Sr. John Bourn. of Battenhall and. Holt Castle had in the previous reign of Queen Mary, been Secretary of State, and his son, Gilbert Bourn., became a bishop. Both ardent Roman Catholics,they were strongly opposed to the changes made by Elizabeth, resenting particularly the intrusion into the Cathedral precincts of the wives of the clergy, and carried on a vigorous vendetta against the new Protestant bishop, dean and prebondarios.Altornat.ly spoilt by excessive power and soured by misfortune, John Bourne’s temper deteriorated; he quarrelled with Bishop Sandys and all connected with the Cathedral, especially the petty canons and priests’ wives, who, he considered, were plundering the church.
While crossing the Severn in the ferry from the Watergate, he grossly insulted the wife of the Dean and two of the canons’ wives who were also crossing. It led to a violent altercation between Bourne’s party and members of the Dean’s household, and a fracas ensued in which swords were drawn and blood was shod. The Privy Council was forced to intervene and, after investigation, charge and countot.charg., Sir John was committed to Marshals.a Prison, and only obtained release on making an object apology.