Monument Type(s):

• TOWN GATE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)

Summary

This site of a medieval town gate.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA1993 - 1960 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA7590 - 2015 Conservation management survey of the town walls, Shrewsbury, by SCAS

Description

Roushill town wall built temp Edward I, had a fortified gateway where the wall crossed the lane from the Mardol. This Roushill gate guarded the lode opposite to the Stew. From here the wall ran in a direct line behind the houses on the right hand side of Mardol down to the Welsh Bridge <1a>

Town gate, probably a postern, shown as a tower on the Burghley Map of Shrewsbury (c.1575), giving access through the town wall from Roushill (leading off Mardol) and Roushill Bank [PRN 62419, from Pride Hill] to the extra-mural section of Roushill, and Raven Meadows, formerly Cross Lane [PRN 62421]. Has been argued to be a primary part of the town wall construction in this area, to maintain access to the bottom of the Pride Hill and Mardol plot-systems after they were cut off by the town wall [<2>]. According to J A Morris, in c.1927 'One jamb of this gateway with its hook stone for the gate, can still be seen' [<3>]. Barker, having excavated the town wall on a site immediately adjoining, thought this identification unlikely as (he argued) there had been a post-13th-century rise in ground level of c.2 metres; there are, however, some doubts surrounding relative ground levels here, arising from the probable presence of a ditch outside the wall. Barker's excavation did, however, identify a cobbled path and possible stair position on the rampart backing the town wall [PRN 62400], possibly for access to a wall-walk adjacent to the gate [<4>]. The gate appears on the Burghley Map, and on Speed's of 1610, but had gone by 1725 as it does not appear on the map in the St Chad's Parish Book drawn as evidence in a boundary dispute [<5>]; it was presumably removed in the 17th or very early 18th century. <6>

A conservation management plan was prepared in 2015 for the entire circuit of town walls surrounding Shrewsbury (excluding around Shrewsbury Castle at the NE corner). This provides a general historic overview of the development of the town defences, together with detailed analysis and management recommendations for individual sections (in gazetteer form in volume 2). This gate is identified as 4b/5a. <7>

<00> Shropshire County Council SMR, Site and Monuments Record (SMR) cards, SMR Card for PRN SA 01458 (Card index). SSA20722.

<01a> Davies R E, 1909/ 1912, Town Walls of Shrewsbury, p186 (Article in serial). SSA5571.

<01> Ordnance Survey, 1960, Ordnance Survey Record Card SJ41SE47.16 (Card index). SSA5587.

<02> Baker Nigel J et al, 1993, Further Work on Pride Hill, Shrewsbury (Article in serial). SSA4148.

<03> Morris J A, 1927/ 1928, The King's Head Inn and Town Walls in Mardol, Shrewsbury (Article in serial). SSA10376.

<04> Barker Philip A, 1960, Excavations on the Town Wall, Roushill (Article in serial). SSA10372.

<05> Anon, 1723/ 1825, St Chad's Parish Book, 1723-1825, f.25v (map) (Manuscript). SSA10566.

<06> Baker Nigel J, UAD Analysis, 17/01/1997 (SMR comment). SSA20432.

<07> Hannaford Hugh R, 2015, Shrewsbury Town Walls: a conservation management plan (2 volumes), Gazetteer 4b/5a (Management report). SSA28223.

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.