Monument Type(s):

• DITCH (Late Saxon to Medieval - 800 AD? to 1540 AD)
• TOWN DEFENCES (Late Saxon to Medieval - 800 AD? to 1540 AD)

Summary

Town ditch, outside the line of the Meadow Place wall [PRN 62522], crossing the neck of the town site peninsula from the river to the Lower Castle Gate [PRN 01443].

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA7590 - 2015 Conservation management survey of the town walls, Shrewsbury, by SCAS

Description

Town ditch, outside the line of the Meadow Place wall [PRN 62522], crossing the neck of the town site peninsula from the river to the Lower Castle Gate [PRN 01443]. Not seen archaeologically, but its existence may be assumed from the presence of an extramural ditch elsewhere around the town (e.g. 62316 62519). It may also be the ' outer ditch' (fornisecum fossatum) referred to in the Hundred Roll for 3 Ed.I (1275), quoted by Blakeway, in the context of a barrier (jarola) made upon the outer ditch [<1>]. Describing the town wall in this area, Blakeway said 'The part next the Castle, as far as the river, was also defended by a very deep ditch, formerly filled by water to the very foot of the mount on which the Castle stands, and crossed by a draw-bridge [<1>]. Owen (1808) also referred to 'the foss which connected the north part of the castle with the Severn' [<2>]. The position of the ditch can be guessed only approximately, lying beyond (north of) the slope down from the Meadow Place wall (seen best in the entry between 22 and 23 Meadow Place), in approx. line with the likely position of the ditch outside the Lower Castle Gate (see PRN 62529). Given the possibility of pre-13th-century, possibly pre-Conquest defences on the Meadow Place/Garewald's Castellum line, there is an equal possibility of a similar background to this monument <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, togehter with detailed analysis and management recommendations for individual sections (in gazetteer form in volume 2). This ditch is identified as 1b. Suspected as being the cause of subsidence in the Bull PH on the north side of Castle Gates. <4>

<01> Blakeway J B, 1905, The Topographical History of Shrewsbury, p256-257 (Article in serial). SSA10571.

<02> Owen H, 1808, Some Account of the Ancient and Present State of Shrewsbury, p75 (Monograph). SSA5372.

<03> Baker Nigel J, UAD Analysis, 18/06/1997 (SMR comment). SSA20432.

<04> Hannaford Hugh R, 2015, Shrewsbury Town Walls: a conservation management plan (2 volumes), 1b (Management report). SSA28223.

Sources

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