Monument Type(s):

• TENEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)

Summary

This site represents: a tenement of medieval date.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA2040 - 1993 WB on removal of petrol storage tanks at former Kennings Garage site, Wyle Cop by SCCAS
• ESA4775 - 2002 assessment prior to and during structural alterations to 45/46 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury by Castlering Archaeology
• ESA4992 - 2003 WB on groundworks associated with rebuilding of the old stables behind 48 Wyle Cop by Castlering Archaeology
• ESA5849 - 2003-2004 excavations off St Julian's Friars by Marches Archaeology

Description

Plot series at east end of Wyle Cop, east of Beeches Lane junction. Characterised by an amorphous series of rectilinear plots without strongly defined rear boundaries; on the 1882 OS first edition, the course of the medieval town wall [PRN 62395] was reflected by property boundaries at the rear of nos.59 to 55, but not east of that, though the line is apparent to the end of the series (rear of 45-46) on Hitchcock's map of 1832. Where excavated the town wall was found possibly to have followed an earlier insubstantial bank, possibly a property boundary. <1>

The report for an assessment of 45/46 Wyle Cop carried out in May 2002 contains a map regression for this area. The ground plan at the bottom of Wyle Cop differs on Woods Plan of 1838 and the 1842 tithe map. ->

-> A programme of building recording and a watching brief was undertaken during works at the extreme eastern end of this tenement plot. A timber frame seen in the south wall of No. 45 (see also PRN 60214) remains a mystery. The 19th century wall surrounding the frame had been repaired with a variety of brickwork over a period of at least 150 years and no evidence of the origin of the frame was revealed. The frame itself appeared to be constructed of reused timbers. A programme of archaeological recording was carried out as a watching brief on alterations within the footprint of no. 45. The in situ archaeology recorded is considered to be 18th and 19th century in date. These included a series of yard and path surfaces. ->

-> Recording was also carried out in the cellar of no. 46 (see PRN 60214), which recorded the reuse of medieval building material in cellar construction. Documentary evidence revealed several 18th to 20th century references to the raising of ground levels at the bottom of the Wyle Cop on the approach to English Bridge. Excavation work to the rear of Nos 45-46 showed a great depth of man made deposits. The site was excavated to a general max depth of 49.70m OD and natural subsoil was not encountered.<2>

Watching brief undertaken to the rear of 48 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury in 2003 by Castlering Archaeology in conjunction with rebuilding works. The works included the demolition of modern buildings and ground disturbance work near to the stables at the rear. The stables stand within the yard of the Lion and Pheasant Inn, which is thought to have been operating as a coaching Inn since the 16th century. No features were found other than those associated with the stable block. <3>

A watching brief on the former Kennings Garage site in 1993 observed a considerable depth of made ground. The garage's predecessor on the site, the Barge Inn, was set back from the street frontage by about 5m. It was cellared, and it is not known how far the cellars extended towards the street frontage. However, it is possible that earlier archaeological features and deposits on the street frontage may have been protected by the levelling up in this area. <4>

During the mid to late 18th century the street level of the lower end of Wyle Cop was raised considerably. <5>

Trench 1 of the 2003-2004 excavations in St Julian's Friars showed an accumulation of sands in the medieval period behind the northward return of the town wall at the eastern end of this area. These deposits, which contained sparse pottery evidence indicative of a 14th-15th century date, were entirely different to the contemporary alluvial deposits on the outer side of the town wall, except in that they contained traces of horizontal banding probably indicating deposition in water. Whether the sands were deposited by the river or by the townspeople, they appear to indicate that water got in behind the town wall here. A documentary source in 1440 indicates that the Friary's reclamation activities had led to the river damaging the town wall and English Bridge, and these sands could be evidence of that. They were capped by what appeared to be a deliberate landfill of early post medieval date. <6>

<01> Baker Nigel J, UAD Analysis, 12/03/1997 (SMR comment). SSA20432.

<02> Frost Pat, 2002, 45/46 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury: Archaeological Assessment (Archaeological fieldwork report). SSA20779.

<03> Frost Pat, 2003, Stables to the rear of No 48 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury: archaeological watching brief (Watching brief report). SSA20992.

<04> Hannaford Hugh R, 1993, A Watching brief at Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury (Watching brief report). SSA5661.

<05> Tavener Nick, 2002, Land adjacent to the former Century Cinema, St Julian's Friars, Shrewsbury: assessment report on archaeological fieldwork, with an updated project proposal (Archaeological fieldwork report). SSA22047.

<06> Tavener Nick, 2004, Land formerly belonging to Vincent Greenhous, St Julian's Friars, Shrewsbury: assessment report on archaeological fieldwork with an updated project proposal (Excavation report). SSA22074.

Sources

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