Monument Type(s):

• TOWN WALL (13th century to 15th century - 1200 AD to 1499 AD)

Summary

This site represents: a town wall of medieval date.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA3671 - 1975 trial trench against town wall south of Beeches Lane by Martin Carver
• ESA3672 - 1922 observation of town wall south of Beeches Lane
• ESA4867 - 2001 Evaluation of land to S of Century Cinema, St Julian's Friars, Shrewsbury by Marches Archaeology
• ESA5828 - 2002 Trial trenching on land S of former Century Cinema, St Julian's Friars, Shrewsbury by Marches Archaeology
• ESA5849 - 2003-2004 excavations off St Julian's Friars by Marches Archaeology
• ESA5972 - 2004 WB at the former Century Cinema land adjacent to St Julians Friars, Shrewsbury by Marches Archaeology
• ESA7590 - 2015 Conservation management survey of the town walls, Shrewsbury, by SCAS

Description

Town wall line west of St Julian's Friars, including excavated site, west to standing masonry [PRN 62393]. The town wall was found on excavated site built on a cut in a natural clay scarp, acting as a retaining wall. Waste material from the construction was found scattered on the north side. Dated to the 13th century or later. In the 18th century the area was levelled, the exposed town wall repointed. Building cover commenced in the 19th century [<1><2>] <3>

The town wall was exposed and recorded in an initial trial trench on the former Century Cinema site in 2001. Carver's 1975 trench [ESA 3671] revealed deposits containing mortar, clay and sandstone lumps, with pottery of 13th century date which were interpreted as construction layers associated with the town wall. In the 2001 evaluation, the top of the town wall was exposed at less than 0.2m below the tarmac along the southern trench edge, the wall projecting 0.5m northwards. The lower portion of the wall exposed comprised large ashlar blocks, which seem to have suffered very little weathering, the original masons' cut marks still being much in evidence. A cut had been made through the upper portion of the wall in the centre of the trench and the wall crudely reformed as a square profile drain of 18th century date. To each side of the drain cut, the masonry forming the uppermost 0.3m of the wall appeared to be post medieval consolidation work. When a deep sondage was cut, a sequence of deposits predating the wall construction was revealed, overlain by a probable wall construction layer consisting of red sandstone detritus. On top of this layer, but sealed by subsequent silts, was a deep dump of river cobbles piled up against the back of the town wall. <4>

Further trial trenching was carried out on the former Century Cinema site in 2002; the town wall was again seen in one of the trenches. The town wall was recorded as surviving to a height of 2.3m and was confirmed as the original medieval structure rather than a later rebuild. Further assessment was undertaken of the results of the trial trenching undertaken in 2001 [trench 1 (<4>)]. A return wall was partially revealed in the south-east corner of this trench, which could only be partially investigated. The portion exposed comprised rough dressed red sandstone blocks much smaller than the type used for the town wall. It definitely butted onto the town wall and may represent part of the documented Friar's Gate. ->

-> The town wall was encountered in the southernmost of the two trial trenches excavated in 2002 (trench 3). A 1m wide linear portion of the north face of the town wall was exposed to 0.3m below the base of the wall foundation. No construction cut was identified. Silt deposits, containing 13th/14th century pottery had accumulated against the base of the wall. <5>

A watching brief was carried out on the former site of the Century Cinema in 2004, monitoring groundworks ahead of development. ->

No deposits relating to the town wall were further identified during monitoring of groundworks across the site.The town wall was, on documentary and archaeological evidence, constructed during a dry spell (from c.1200-1280), with seasonal waterlogging in this area necessitating the widespread deposition of c.1m depth of landfill across the site in the medieval period. ->

-> The report includes discussion of the results of earlier evaluation on the site, and incorporates specialist reports undertaken on the whole artefact and ecofactual assemblage. <6>

Two trenches on the south side of this section of the town wall were cut during excavations west of St Julian's Friars in 2003-4 (a third, larger trench was cut from the neighbouring extant section of wall [PRN 62393]). The more westerly of the two trenches in this area (trench 6) failed to locate the town wall, despite being in close proximity to Martin Carver's 1975 excavation. A 20th century wall footing enclosing three sides of the trench was built from mauve ashlar blocks probably robbed from the town wall. By contrast, the more easterly trench (trench 7) found the medieval town wall within 0.3m of the modern ground surface [see PRN 08554]. <7>

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 12, running below ground from the end of the standing wall behind Beeches Lane eastwards towards the rear of Marine Terrace (PRN 62472) and then turns north to join the abutment of the English Bridge (part of PRN 62472). Although there are no above ground remains of the town defences in this section, their presence has been confirmed by a number of archaeological investigations. <8>

<01> Carver Martin O H, 1973/ 1974, Early Shrewsbury - An Archaeological definition in 1975, p255-256 (Article in serial). SSA364.

<02> Anon, 1920/ 1926, Transactions of the Caradoc & Severn Valley Field Club, Pt 3 (1922), p83 (Volume). SSA3676.

<03> Baker Nigel J, UAD Analysis, 07/04/1997 (SMR comment). SSA20432.

<04> Tavener Nick, 2001, Land to the South of the former Century Cinema, St Julian's Friars: report on an archaeological evaluation (Excavation report). SSA20880.

<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 et 6 al, 2004, The former Century Cinema land adjacent to the south St Julians Friars, Shrewsbury: a report on a programme of archaeological fieldwork (Archaeological fieldwork report). SSA22371.

<07> 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.

<08> Hannaford Hugh R, 2015, Shrewsbury Town Walls: a conservation management plan (2 volumes), Gazetteer 12 (Management report). SSA28223.

Sources

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