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Summary

MEDIEVAL TOWN WALL WITH GATE IN SALTERGATE

Full description

PRN 70143
Excavation in 1973-74 revealed a length of the Roman defensive wall in the south side of the lower colonia, east of the Stonebow. It is about 9 feet thick with the medieval wall about 3 feet thick on top of it. Evidence for a gate of late Roman or medieval form was found near its centre and adjoining Bank Street. It was known from discoveries at the Falcon Hotel before the war, that the wall survived. Demolition of the Corporation offices and the proposed redevelopment led to excavations by the Ministry of Works. {1}{2}
An early medieval wall surmounting the earlier Roman wall (see PRN 70142) to a height of 1.5 meters was recorded during the excavations of 1973-74. A sunken-floored building had been cut inside the defences, post holes suggest the super structure was of timber construction. Just outside the town walls a human body was recovered from the mud. On the Silver Street frontage a series of walls were recorded together with a lane roughly aligned north to south. This area had been heavily disturbed by deep pits that were filled with medieval pottery, shells and animal remains. Part of a large medieval wall and a buttress surviving to the height of 1m by 1.8m was recorded. The wall had been extensively robbed and its purpose is uncertain. Four graves were recorded, in the rubble of a Roman building, which have been dated to c.780 by radiocarbon dating methods. {3}{4}

<1> HBMC, 1975, AM 7, - (Scheduling Record). SLI4120.

<2> HBMC, 1988, AM 107, SAM 281 (Scheduling Record). SLI4050.

<3> Colyer, C., Gilmour, B.J.J. and Jones, M.J., 1999, The Defences of the Lower City, pp.254-55 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI5400.

<4> Christina Colyer and M.J. Jones, 1979, Antiquaries Journal, p 84-91 (Article in Serial). SLI9067.

Monument Types

• GRUBENHAUS? (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• PIT (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 410 AD to 1539 AD)
• WALL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 410 AD to 1539 AD)
• SHERD (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 410 AD to 1539 AD)
• SHOE (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 410 AD to 1539 AD)
• TEXTILE (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 780 AD? to 780 AD?)

Associated Events

• Saltergate excavations, 1973-74

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument
• Conservation Area

Sources and further reading

Related records

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