Monument Type(s):

• BARBICAN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)
• ROAD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)
• TOWN WALL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)

Summary

The main route for traffic up from the river at this point in the medieval period, St Mary's Water Lane had gates both at the riverside and at the top (where it passed through the main line of the town wall). Though of early origin, it appears to have been diverted in the medieval period to protect the Dominican friary from rainwater run off. Part of the medieval town defences.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

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

Description

Street-space (morphological component). Hobbs (1954) sees this lane as the Frerelode of the 1270 bailiffs' accounts. It was known by more or less the present name by 1502, though Hobbs and others identify it with Leland's Marwell Street [=St Mary's Well, mon.62533) of c.1540. It represents a natural route down the defile leading from the axial Castle Street, to the river at a point where it cuts into dry ground, not floodplain, so is likely to be of early origin. It formed the north boundary of the Dominican Friary (62554) and its route may have been diverted by the friars. Gated at top and bottom (62551, 62532) the Burghley Map and Speed's show it defended by crenellated walls on both sides to form an extended barbican down to the river. The wall on the south side represents the friars' precinct wall; there is no evidence of the fortified wall on the north side, where there is now a brick retaining wall of ?18th-century date. Ralegh Radford refers to a 'substantial stretch of ashlar with a chamfered plinth on the north side of Water Lane' but where this is a mystery <2>

In 1258 the Dominican friars were allowed to block up and divert a lane running under their church to the north, to prevent rain flooding the church [<3>] - the lane in question must have been Water Lane ], or connected to it, though precisely what was done to it is not clear <4>

Water Lane may have been called Shiplode in the 14th century, and was probably the main route for traffic from the river at this time <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 of the town walls, forming a barbican, is identified as 16. ->

-> St. Mary's Water Lane formed a barbican running from an upper gate (PRN 01445) in the town walls down to a lower gate (PRN 10549), St Mary's Water Gate, just above the river. A Dominican Friary was founded outside the town walls (PRN 01463). Gated at top and bottom the Burghley Map and Speed's map show St Mary’s Water Lane defended by crenellated walls on both sides to form an extended barbican down to the river. The remains of the upper gate are visible on both sides of the lane, the remains on the south being the more substantial. On the south side the gate jamb can be seen, constructed of weathered sandstone ashlar. At the same level as the jamb, immediately adjacent to the south, is a cellar with a brick barrel-vaulted roof, under the car park above. Within the cellar, the masonry of the jamb appears to return southwards as a finished face, suggesting that there was an internal space associated with the gate to the south; this cellar is now gated and not accessible. Red sandstone masonry in the basement of Traitors Gate Restaurant (PRN 60244) may be remains of this upper gate or a section of wall connecting the gate to the castle defences. The wall on the south side of the lane also represents the line of the precinct wall of the Dominican Friary (Blackfriars). The wall is of red sandstone, though many sections have been rebuilt in the late 20th century, though the lower part running down to St Mary’s Water Gate may be medieval in date. There is no surviving evidence of the fortified wall on the north side of the barbican, where there is now a brick retaining wall of 18th century date. There was a wharfage on the south side of the river at the end of the lane probably in the medieval and certainly in the post-medieval periods. <6>

<01> Hobbs J L, 1954, Street Names of Shrewsbury, p117-118 (Monograph). SSA365.

<02> Radford C A R, 1957/ 1960, The Medieval Defences of Shrewsbury', p19 (Article in serial). SSA4159.

<03> Ordnance Survey, 1960, Ordnance Survey Record Card SJ41SE50 (Card index). SSA10657.

<04> Baker Nigel J, UAD Analysis (SMR comment). SSA20432.

<05> Jeffery S, 2004, St Mary's Water Lane, Shrewsbury, Shropshire: A report on an archaeological watching brief (Archaeological fieldwork report). SSA21385.

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

Sources

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