Powis Gates, Aberdeen
The Powis Gates, located in Old Aberdeen on the grounds of the University of Aberdeen's King’s College campus, are a prominent 19th-century landmark. Designed by Alexander Fraser in 1833-34 for Hugh Fraser Leslie of Powis, a Scottish landowner with ties to Jamaican coffee plantations, the gates served as the grand entrance to Powis House. The structure features two cylindrical towers topped with conical slate caps, golden orbs, and crescent finials, reminiscent of Turkish-style minarets.
The Powis Gates were built during the same period as the Slavery Abolition Act (1833), and it is believed that the wealth used to construct them came from compensation received for the freedom of slaves on the Leslie family's Jamaican plantations. Debate persists about certain imagery on the towers, with some interpreting the shield as depicting enslaved figures, while others argue they are exotic heads from a family coat of arms.
In 2007, the University of Aberdeen undertook a significant restoration of the gates, preserving their architectural and historical significance. Today, the gates stand as a unique monument within the university’s campus, a blend of romantic folly and controversial legacy, symbolizing both the architectural grandeur and the complex history of their time.
The Powis Gates were built during the same period as the Slavery Abolition Act (1833), and it is believed that the wealth used to construct them came from compensation received for the freedom of slaves on the Leslie family's Jamaican plantations. Debate persists about certain imagery on the towers, with some interpreting the shield as depicting enslaved figures, while others argue they are exotic heads from a family coat of arms.
In 2007, the University of Aberdeen undertook a significant restoration of the gates, preserving their architectural and historical significance. Today, the gates stand as a unique monument within the university’s campus, a blend of romantic folly and controversial legacy, symbolizing both the architectural grandeur and the complex history of their time.
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Powis Gates on Map
Sight Name: Powis Gates
Sight Location: Aberdeen, Scotland (See walking tours in Aberdeen)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Aberdeen, Scotland (See walking tours in Aberdeen)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Aberdeen, Scotland
Create Your Own Walk in Aberdeen
Creating your own self-guided walk in Aberdeen is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Aberdeen Old Town Tour
Established in 1489 as a separate burgh, Old Aberdeen was an important political, ecclesiastical and cultural center since the late Middle Ages. The locality merged with the rest of Aberdeen only in 1891. Today, the central part of the Old Town is a conservation area, characterized by well-preserved medieval dwellings and many other unique, vernacular structures of the 17th-early 19th centuries,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Aberdeen Introduction Walking Tour
The area where Aberdeen now sits has been inhabited by people for at least 8,000 years. The city that we now know as Aberdeen was first chartered in 1179. It was granted city status in 1891.
The city has been successful over the years due to vast granite deposits used for making sturdy buildings and fortifications. It was also known for its fishing, textile and paper-making industries. However,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
The city has been successful over the years due to vast granite deposits used for making sturdy buildings and fortifications. It was also known for its fishing, textile and paper-making industries. However,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles