Summary

Remains of the original course of the wall as recorded by Shelton, with historical notes.

Monument Type(s):

• TOWN DEFENCES (Later Medieval - 1400 AD to 1404 AD)
• TOWN WALL (Later Medieval - 1400 AD to 1404 AD)

Protected Status: None recorded

Full description

1>The city wall at one time surrounded the mill as excavations revealed, but the Prior complained that it injured his grounds to the extent of a few pounds a year, and asked for the wall to be removed, and built further back. At this time the wall was on the south side of the river, from near the fire station to the Mill, no doubt extending to the present wall at the south side of Godiva Street. At this time a tax of about £10 per year was due to be paid by the Prior, but he did all in his power to evade it; however at a later period payment was enforced. … When coming down to the old stones of the earlier City wall of 1400-4, a road made of round cobble stones was found but apparently ended at the south side of the river as no traces of the same were found at the north side. The foundations were at a depth of 14ft, and as usual built on the solid ground.

2> Near to the mill a large stone wall, nine feet wide, ran. As the city wall surrounding the Benedictine Monastery site had been altered in 1467, this piece of walling was a part of the original wall, and was built on wood piles driven into the marshy ground.

3,5> … many piles yet standing, on which the City Wall had been built in 1404 over the mill foundations. … Scores of piles were found all down the river, in some places large stones resting on them - showing that the city wall, built in 1404 (and demolished at the request of Prior Deram in 1461, when he asked that St Osburg's Pool be included in the wall).

4>The city wall in its original form was less than 3 miles in circumference. … The wall was built around the northern borders about 1403… from Cook Street Gate it came to the corner of the new part of the Fire Station … then running in front of the Fire Station to the river where the Priory Tower then stood. From there the wall ran to the east and quite a large portion is under Messrs Newark's the timber merchants while another part is still in the ground running to the south up New Buildings. This part may have been a lean-to wall staying the tower or otherwise made for holding back some water of Priory Pool.

6> The Prior stated that they had paid £10 per annum murage to the city wall, and that the Corporation should have built 6 perches per year and that most of this money had gone to repair the wall on other land. The Leet replied that they considered the people of the Monastery should be thankful as the pulling down the old wall and including St Osburg's Pool … cost them 5 marks more than the first wall and as the wall protected their Monastery grounds and also that no complaint had been made prior to that of Prior Shotswell in 1461-2.

<1> Austin's Monthly Magazine of Instructive and Useful Information, 1932-1939, Extracts from "Austin's Monthly Magazine" of articles written by Mr J.B. Shelton 1932 - 1938, Vol. XXV No.313 (--ARTICLE). SCT1615.

<2> J. B. Shelton, 1949, The Story of Twenty-Two Years Excavations in Coventry, p.10 (-MANUSCRIPT). SCT1614.

<3> Austin's Monthly Magazine of Instructive and Useful Information, 1932-1939, Extracts from "Austin's Monthly Magazine" of articles written by Mr J.B. Shelton 1932 - 1938, Vol. XXIX No.356 (--ARTICLE). SCT1615.

<4> Austin's Monthly Magazine of Instructive and Useful Information, 1932-1939, Extracts from "Austin's Monthly Magazine" of articles written by Mr J.B. Shelton 1932 - 1938, Vol.XXVII No.332 (--ARTICLE). SCT1615.

<5> J. B. Shelton, 1949, The Story of Twenty-Two Years Excavations in Coventry, p.12 (-MANUSCRIPT). SCT1614.

<6> Austin's Monthly Magazine of Instructive and Useful Information, 1932-1939, Extracts from "Austin's Monthly Magazine" of articles written by Mr J.B. Shelton 1932 - 1938, Vol. XXVII No. 333 (--ARTICLE). SCT1615.

Sources and Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECT397 - Observations at Cox Street/Priory Street 1933
• ECT427 - Field Observations at Hales Street/ New Buildings 1935
• ECT465 - Armstrong Siddeley, Parkside
• ECT680 - Conservation Management Plan Condition Survey for Medieval Defences

Related records

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