Monument Type(s):

• BOUNDARY WALL (Medieval to Late 19th century - 1066 AD to 1899 AD)
• TOWN WALL? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)

Summary

A medieval boundary wall/town wall, which is protected by Grade II Listing.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA3651 - 1993 WB on demolition works to rear of Nag's Head by SCCAS
• ESA3652 - 1995 recording of wall footings to rear of Nag's Head (Ref: Earthworks E40)
• ESA7590 - 2015 Conservation management survey of the town walls, Shrewsbury, by SCAS

Description

In June 1993 a 7 metre stretch of sandstone wall at the rear of the Nag's Head, Wyle Cop, was demolished. At this point it became clear that it was earlier than the C18 or C19 terrace walls running along the contours of the hillside in this area. Indeed, the fabric of the core of the remaining stubs of the wall suggested a possible medieval date. The site owners therefore commissioned the Archaeology Unit to record the surviving remains of the wall. A full drawn, photographic and written record was made. The Burghley (1575) and Speed (1610) maps of Shrewsbury depict the town wall [PRN 01095] to the rear of the north side of Wyle Cop, although it does not appear on Rocque's map of 1746. The two early maps suggested that the wall at the rear of the Nag's Head had been a surviving fragment of the town wall. However, the wall did not display any of the characteristics (in terms of materials, mortar and form) of the original C13 town wall. It may represent a later medieval or early post medieval rebuilding of the town wall. However, it is more likely that it was a property boundary wall marking the northern end of a burgage plot. <1>

In response to a proposal to rebuild a 7m length of the wall, M D Watson produced a brief for the excavation and recording of the stretch of wall to be demolished in May 1994. <2>

In October to November 1994 Earthworks Archaeological Services carried out the excavation and recording of the wall. This demonstrated that the foundation work of the wall represented at least two phases of activity, probably dating to the later Post medieval period. The excavations did not go deep enough to determine if any earlier walls could be traced underneath this relatively modern wall. <3>

Upstanding sandstone masonry on the line of the medieval town wall known from early maps (Burghley Map, c.1575; Speed's map of 1610), forming the property boundary at the rear of Wyle Cop tenements. At the rear of 18-19 Wyle Cop the wall stands c.2m-3m high and consists of red-brown (possibly Keele Beds) sandstone ashlar with inconsistent coursing, superimposed over sandstone rubble, visible from the north side where the ground level is lower [<4>]. When seen, the wall and its surroundings were heavily overgrown, but photos in the SRRC Wyle Cop collection (ref.60/25A, 1975) show it to incorporate a rectangular loop-type window opening. Not necessarily, but possibly, of medieval date. Survey data required. Until 1993, the standing masonry on this section of the town wall line continued across the rear of the Nag's Head P.H. garden, when it became unstable and was partially demolished. The remaining stubs were recorded, and judged to be of late medieval or early post-medieval date [<1>]. Subsequent excavation of the footings of the collapsed portion confirmed a post-medieval date [<3>]. The post-medieval date demonstrated for the partly-standing (post-1993) masonry and demolished section at the rear of the Nag's Head need not necessarily apply to the standing section at the rear of nos. 18-19 if, after the primary town wall construction, repairs and adaptations took place on a property by property basis; however, the standing sections show no evidence of the diagnostic primary town wall features identified by Barker at Roushill. Requires further work. <5>

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 section is identified as 13c. ->

-> At the rear of the Nag’s Head garden is a section of sandstone wall, rebuilt in 1995, on the line of an older sandstone wall. The older sandstone wall continues up hill to the west at the rear of 18 Wyle Cop. The outer face of the eastern end of the wall behind 18 Wyle Cop is patched and includes some brick work, and was possibly at some time incorporated into the gable end of an outbuilding at the rear of the property. The western end of the wall at the rear of No. 18 rises up to meet the terrace to the west and here the wall is of certain post-medieval and possible medieval construction. This end of the wall is of weathered red sandstone ashlar bonded (or
repointed) in a hard light grey mortar. It is pierced by three loopholes which would have provided flanking (musketry) fire along the line of the wall behind Dogpole. These loopholes probably date to the Civil War period, and as they have been cut through rather than built into the masonry it suggests that the wall here predates the middle of the 17th century and may be medieval in date. A tower, Miss Humphrey’s Tower (PRN 62447) is thought to have stood at the junction of the Wyle Cop and Dogpole sections of the defences. <6>

<00> Shropshire County Council SMR, SMR Sheets Collection, SMR Sheet for PRN SA 04629 (Card index). SSA20723.

<01> Hannaford Hugh R, 1993, A Medieval Wall at the Nag's Head, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury (Field survey report). SSA9472.

<02> Watson Michael D, 1994, Brief for Archaeological Excavation and Recording at the Nag's Head, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury (Project brief). SSA9473.

<03> Earthworks Archaeological Services Ltd, 1995, An archaeological excavation to the rear of the Nag's Head, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury (Excavation report). SSA5718.

<04a> Baker Nigel J, 1996, SUAD Field Visit Records File (Field recording form). SSA22030.

<04> Baker Nigel J, 1996, UAD Field Visit File I (Field recording form). SSA10337.

<05> Baker Nigel J, UAD Analysis, 03/03/1997 (SMR comment). SSA20432.

<06> Hannaford Hugh R, 2015, Shrewsbury Town Walls: a conservation management plan (2 volumes), Gazetteer 13c (Management report). SSA28223.

Sources

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