Monument Type(s):

• TOWN WALL (13th century to Early 20th century (pre-war) - 1200 AD to 1913 AD)

Summary

This site represents: a town wall of medieval to post medieval date.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA1312 - Undated field observation by English Heritage
• ESA1313 - 1984 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA3555 - 1985 -1986 WB on town wall demolition and groundworks for Pride Hill Centre by BUFAU
• ESA936 - 1985-1986 building elevation survey of part of town wall by BUFAU
• ESA7590 - 2015 Conservation management survey of the town walls, Shrewsbury, by SCAS

Description

Length of town wall extending along rear of properties at lower end of Pride Hill, interrupted to the south-west by the destruction of part of the wall in 1969 and to the north-east by the destruction of the wall by the building of Boot's premises in 1906.This monument was, in turn, destroyed on behalf of the Pride Hill Centre in 1986. Surveyed in 1985-6 by M C Moffett for BUFAU's Shrewsbury Heritage Project, 1:50 elevation produced showing sandstone masonry areas encapsulated in later brickwork. The town wall was then represented by brick terrace (retaining) walls of various builds, largely 19th century, with patches of sandstone masonry. The latter consisted of wide-jointed masonry without the diagnostic chamfered plinth of the 13th-century work identified by P A Barker. Observation of the demolition process showed this to be a re-facing over the original core, of Keele Beds rubble in a greenish gritty mortar matrix, c.1.7m thick. During demolition, part of the re-facing fell away to reveal a short section of original facing, with plinth. Until demolition much of the face was concealed behind brick steps and a ramp leading up to Bythell's Passage [PRN 62355; see also PRN 62357] [<1><2>] <3>

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 stretch is identified as 4c. The construction of the Pride Hill Centre in 1986 destroyed the section of town wall here. <4>

<01> Baker Nigel J et al, 1993, Further Work on Pride Hill, Shrewsbury (Article in serial). SSA4148.

<02> Shrewsbury Borough Museums, 1985/ 1986, Site Archive for Pride Hill Centre excavations 1985-1986 (Project archive). SSA10324.

<03> Baker Nigel J, UAD Analysis, 13/01/1997 (SMR comment). SSA20432.

<04> Hannaford Hugh R, 2015, Shrewsbury Town Walls: a conservation management plan (2 volumes), Gazetteer 4c (Management report). SSA28223.

Sources

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