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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The English gate, located in Sore in the Landes, is an old town gate dated from the second half of the 13th century. Built in garluche, a local material, it has a carved chrism on its arch key and is in front of a water mill. This monument is the only remaining vestige of the fortifications of Sore, former possession of the lords of Albret, who undertook around 1270-1280 a campaign to renovate their regional fortresses.

The door was equipped with defensive elements, including a harrow and holes in the vault. Inside, an arch in basket cove and a low broken bow marked the entrance, while a turret housed a screw staircase. The enclosure, mainly on the ground because of the absence of local stones, protected the medieval city. In 1992, this gate was listed as a historic monument, demonstrating the strategic importance of Sore under the Albret.

Two other similar doors existed in Sore, one east of the plateau and the other facing the hospice, but they have now disappeared. The English gate, owned by the commune, remains a rare example of medieval military architecture in the Landes, reflecting defence techniques and materials used at that time.

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