Medieval defences, the probable sequence comprising bank and ditch (with masonry gate structures), later masonry wall with occasional towers and bastions.
Origins.
The earliest documentary references to the post-Conquest defences of Worcester all come in the second half of the 12th century. The ‘east gate’ was mentioned some time between 1154 and 1196; the North Gate in 1182; Sidbury Gate in or before 1197. So by 1200 all the main gates known in later centuries had been established. A terminus post quem for the defences is implied by Florence of Worcester’s statement that there were no defences on the north side of the city when an attacking force made an unopposed entry there in 1139. The city was again captured without serious opposition in 1150 {1}.
A question mark remains over the early developmental sequence of the defences. Excavations in the Sidbury - Friar Street area between the 1950s and 1970s suggested that the city wall may have been immediately preceded by a clay bank resulting from the excavation of the city ditches. The excavators of the most substantial investigation of this feature (in the late 1990s) disputed this, suggesting that the bank in question was dumped behind the newly-built wall and highlighting the degree to which the city wall was subject to major repair and alteration in the medieval period (see WCM 96140 and below). Some more recent work has again supported the identification of this as an early (pre-wall) feature. The question remains open.
Murage.
Royal permissions for the local raising of revenues for the defences are recorded from the 1220s on, the first in 1224. Beardsmore noted three significant murage grant episodes. The first was the almost continuous application for murage from 1224 to 1239. The second, with eight grants of murage, ran from 1252 through to 1310. This coincided with the introduction of the watch and ward system, the Barons’ War of the 60s, and the use by Edward I of Worcester as a campaign/mustering base against Wales. The third concentration of murage grants was from 1364 to 1411. Beardsmore suggests this was related to royal encouragement in the face of invasion threats from France and Wales. Worcester was last used as a royal campaign base against Welsh forces in 1401-05. The last grant of murage was made in 1439 {2} {3}.
By the 15th century maintenance of the defences was probably funded by means other than murage grants, and the Guild of the Holy Trinity assumed responsibility for them, along with the upkeep of Severn Bridge (WCM 96026). Some provision was opportunistic. In 1459 the king granted broken stones from the walls of Worcester Castle (WCM 96017) to the city for the repair of the defences {4}. In December 1539 a grant was made to the bailiffs and citizens of the sites of the Worcester friaries, following a petition that the friars’ houses be granted to the city for repair of the walls {5}. It is probable that the later medieval period was, for the city defences, a phase of opportunistic repair. This has been recognised archaeologically by the introduction of recycled building materials into the fabric of the wall (see e.g. WCM 96102).
For alterations and rebuilding during the Civil War, 1642-1651, see WCM 96160.
This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 9th April 2019 licensed under the Open Government Licence: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ {11}
| <*> | Article in serial: Dinn, James L. 2012. The Archaeology of Worcester's City Defences: a Review. Worcestershire Archaeological Society. 23. |
| <1> | Article in serial: Beardsmore, C. 1980. Documentary evidence for the history of Worcester city defences. Trans Worcestershire Archaeol Soc. 3rd ser, 7. 58-59. |
| <2> | Article in serial: Beardsmore, C. 1980. Documentary evidence for the history of Worcester city defences. Trans Worcestershire Archaeol Soc. 3rd ser, 7. 59-60. |
| <3> | Monograph: Turner, H. 1970. Town defences in England and Wales. 77, 209, 238-9. |
| <4> | Article in serial: Beardsmore, C. 1980. Documentary evidence for the history of Worcester city defences. Trans Worcestershire Archaeol Soc. 3rd ser, 7. 56. |
| <5> | Monograph: Willis-Bund, J W. 1906. History of the County of Worcestershire II. 169-173. |
| <6> | Article in serial: 1959. Transactions of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society, New Series. Worcestershire Archaeological Society. 36. pp60-64. |
| <7> | Article in serial: Various. 1968-9. Transactions of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society 2. Worcestershire Archaeological Society. |
| <8> | Bibliographic reference: Spilman A. 1924. Victoria County History. VCH. |
| <9> | Map: Speed. 1610. Map of Worcester. HWRO. |
| <10> | Article in serial: Bennett, J. 1973. Interim report on the 1973 Worcester City Wall Excavations. Worcester Archaeol and Loc Hist Newsletter. 12. |
| <11> | Internet Site: Historic England. 2019. National Record of the Historic Environment Monument Database. |
| WCM96125 | Parent of: Bar Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96136 | Parent of: City Ditch, Friars Gate – St Martin’s Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96133 | Parent of: City Ditch, Frog Gate – St Peter’s (Monument) |
| WCM96139 | Parent of: City Ditch, North Gate – St Clement’s (Monument) |
| WCM96135 | Parent of: City Ditch, Sidbury Gate – Friars Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96137 | Parent of: City Ditch, St Martin’s Gate – Trinity Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96134 | Parent of: City Ditch, St Peter’s – Sidbury Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96138 | Parent of: City Ditch, Trinity Gate – North Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96126 | Parent of: City Wall (line of), Bar Gate - The Quay (Monument) |
| WCM96124 | Parent of: City Wall (line of), North Quay (Monument) |
| WCM96127 | Parent of: City Wall (line of), The Quay - Warmstry Slip (Monument) |
| WCM96140 | Parent of: City Wall rampart, Sidbury-Friar Street-New Street (Monument) |
| WCM96118 | Parent of: City Wall, Angel Place - North Wall House (Monument) |
| WCM96108 | Parent of: City Wall, Charles Street (buried remains) (Monument) |
| WCM96130 | Parent of: City Wall, Frog Gate - St Peter's (buried remains) (Monument) |
| WCM96117 | Parent of: City Wall, North Gate - Angel Place (Monument) |
| WCM96119 | Parent of: City Wall, North Wall House (buried remains) (Monument) |
| WCM96102 | Parent of: City Wall, Sidbury & Clare Street area (buried remains) (Monument) |
| WCM96104 | Parent of: City Wall, south of Friars' Gate (buried remains) (Monument) |
| WCM96111 | Parent of: City Wall, south of St Martin's Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96113 | Parent of: City Wall, St Martin's Gate - Trinity Gate (buried remains) (Monument) |
| WCM96110 | Parent of: City Wall, St Martin's Gate tower (Monument) |
| WCM96132 | Parent of: City Wall, St Peter's - Sidbury Gate (buried remains) (Monument) |
| WCM96103 | Parent of: City Wall, standing section at rear of Friar Street (Monument) |
| WCM96107 | Parent of: City Wall, standing section Union Street - Charles Street (Monument) |
| WCM96120 | Parent of: City Wall, standing section, Rack Alley area (Monument) |
| WCM96109 | Parent of: City Wall, standing sections N of Charles Street (Monument) |
| WCM96121 | Parent of: City Wall, The Butts - St Clement's (buried remains) (Monument) |
| WCM96115 | Parent of: City Wall, Trinity Gate - North Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96128 | Parent of: City Wall, Warmstry Slip - Bishop's Palace (buried remains) (Monument) |
| WCM96106 | Parent of: Friars' Gate and bridge (Monument) |
| WCM96129 | Parent of: Frog Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96116 | Parent of: North Gate (Foregate) (Monument) |
| WCM96105 | Parent of: Possible tower (Bennett T1), S of Friars' Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96101 | Parent of: Sidbury Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96044 | Parent of: St Clement’s Bridge (Monument) |
| WCM96043 | Parent of: St Clement’s Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96123 | Parent of: St Clement's Tower (site of) and adjacent wall (Monument) |
| WCM96112 | Parent of: St Martin's Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96131 | Parent of: Tower, St Peter the Great (Monument) |
| WCM96122 | Parent of: Tower, The Butts - St Clement's (cartographic only) (Monument) |
| WCM96114 | Parent of: Trinity Gate (Monument) |
| WCM96157 | Parent of: Water channel, Tallow Hill - St Martins Gate (Monument) |