From GibMap

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These gates were cut through Line Wall in 1736 when the contractor to the Navy Victualling Office built a wharf 350 feet long which had access by way of a flight of stone steps and a drawbridge.

The true origin of the name "Ragged Staff" is unknown, but there are a number of theories. One suggests that the Ragged Staff was a badge of the Emperor Charles V. Another states that the name was derived from the rough finish of the original work, since the word "staff" can mean cement of similar building materials.

In 1841, Major General Sir John Jones called the area "an ill-conditioned spot ... and its extremely un-military appearance, as well as apparently defenceless state, strikes one with astonishment...". The site of the Gates was previously known as the Ragged Staff Couvreport.