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Summary

Close Wall north of Old Palace and Priory Gate.

Full description

The boundaries of the Close at Lincoln can still be traced and in many places the wall is extant. The building is of a 12ft high stone wall with gates and was permitted by royal licence in 1285. LICENCE TO CRENELLATE WAS GIVEN IN 1308 OR 1316. THE MONUMENT CONSISTS OF PARTS OF WALL CONSTRUCTED IN THE LATE C13 OR EARLY C14, FORMING A POLYGONAL BAY JUTTING FROM THE ENCIENTE OF THE COLONIA, TO ENCLOSE LAND AROUND THE WESTWARD EXTENSION OF THE CATHEDRAL, AND CONTINUED ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CATHEDRAL WITHIN THE COLONIA. APPARENTLY INTACT IN 1722 WITH THREE OR FOUR TOWERS. SEE RECORD 70180 FOR ENTIRE CLOSE WALL. {1}{2}{3}{7}
THE SCHEDULED PARTS OF THE CLOSE WALL AND TOWERS ARE: A) SOUTH OF THE CATHEDRAL, NORTH OF THE OLD PALACE, MUCH PATCHED B) OFF WINNOWSTY LANE, A RUINED SQUARE TOWER AND A SMALL SECTION OF WALL C) IN GARDENS BETWEEN EASTGATE AND POTTERGATE INCLUDING A FAIRLY WELL PRESERVED TOWER. D) THIS SECTION OF THE WALL IS 15-18FT HIGH, RUBBLE BUILT WITH A LINE OF FOUR CORBELS FOR A LEAN-TO STRUCTURE AT THE WEST END. THERE IS A FORCED OPENING BLOCKED WITH BRICKS. E) PRIORY GATE, A SINGLE POINTED ARCH WITHOUT FLANKING TOWERS C.1330. {7}
THERE WAS AN ELEVATION SURVEY DONE OF PART OF THE WALL IN 1995 {4}
THERE WAS AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE INVESTIGATION ON THE WEST TOWER IN 1995.THE WEST TOWER CONSISTS OF A GROUND FLOOR CHAMBER WITH BARREL VAULT, THE APEX OFWHICH RUNS EAST-WEST, ABOVE WHICH IS A FIRST FLOOR GUARDROOM AT THE LEVEL OF THE WALL WALK, COVERED WITH A FLAT LEAD ROOF. A NARROW STAIR THE SW CORNER GIVES ACCESS TO THE CRENELLATED BATTLEMENTS ABOVE. EXCAVATIONS WITHIN THE WEST TOWER IN 1995 SUGGEST THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS BEGINS WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WALLS OF THE TOWER, THEN THE BUILDING OF THE VAULT TOTHE GROUND FLOOR. THERE WAS THEN A DEPOSITION OF A LAYER OF CLAY OVER THE VAULT WHICH WOULD PROBABLY HAVE ACTED AS A WATERPROOF BEDDING FOR A FLOOR OF STONE FLAGS. DISUSE OF THE TOWER FOLLOWED, WITH SUBSEQUENT ROBBING OF A CONJECTURED FLAGSTONE FLOOR AND MOST OF AN ASSOCIATED CLAY BEDDING LAYER. THERE WAS THEN A GRADUAL ACCUMULATION OF SOIL, WHICH WAS EXCAVATED IN THE NORTH-EAST CORNER OF THE CHAMBER AS PART OF STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS, WHICH ARE APPARENT IN THE GROUND FLOOR CHAMBER AND AS ROUGHLY BUILT INFILL WALLING BELOW THE WINDOW REVEAL IN THE EAST WALL, AND BACKFILL OF THE CONSTRUCTION TRENCH WITH RUBBLY SOIL. {5} AN EVALUATION WAS CARRIED OUT ADJACENT TO THE CLOSE WALL BETWEEN 'D'ISNEY'AND 'WINNOWSTY' TOWERS. FOURTEENTH CENTURY FOUNDATIONS AND CONSTRUCTION/WORKING LEVELS WERE REVEALED. THE NEXT PHASE WAS THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN OFFSET WALL, POSSIBLY FORMING A HIGH LEVEL PLATFORM IN THE ANGLE BETWEEN THE NORTH FACE OF THE D'ISNEY TOWER TOGETHER WITH MODIFICATIONS TO THE WALL ITSELF. THE PLATFORM MAY HAVE BEEN FOR STRENGTHENING OR FOR ACCESS. THERE WAS THEN A PHASE OF DUMPING AGAINST THE NORTH SIDE OF THE WALL, PROBABLY DURING A PHASE A DISUSE, AND EROSION AND ROBBING OF THE UPPER PARTS OF THE WALL ENSUED. THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY SAW LEVELLING IN ADVANCE OF REBUILDING AND REFACING OF THE WALL AND TOWER. {8}

<1> HBMC, AM 7, - (Scheduling Record). SLI4067.

<2> Ordnance Survey, OS card index for Lincoln, SK 97 SE 69 HARPER F R (Index). SLI2604.

<3> HILL, J.W.F., 1948, Medieval Lincoln, PP115-6,PP121-3 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1087.

<4> City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit, 1995, Lincoln Cathedral Close Wall Survey (Phase 3), - (Report). SLI3479.

<5> City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit, 1995, Lincoln Cathedral Close Wall West Tower (D'Isney Place Hotel, Eastgate): Archaeological Site Investigation, CLOB95 (Report). SLI3426.

<6> City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit, 1997, Close Wall, Lincoln: Archaeological Recording During Conservation Works, - (Report). SLI3425.

<7> HBMC, 1988, AM 107, SAM 114 (Scheduling Record). SLI4050.

<8> City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit, 1995, The Close Wall, D'Isney Place Hotel, Eastgate Lincoln: Archaeological Site Investigation, CLOA95 (Report). SLI1976.

<9> City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit, 1995, The Close Wall, D'Isney Place Hotel, Eastgate Lincoln: Archaeological Site Investigation, LCNCC 34.95 (Archive). SLI10887.

Monument Types

• CATHEDRAL CLOSE (Medieval - 1285 AD to 1539 AD)
• WALL (Medieval - 1285 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events

• Building survey of part of Cathedral Close Wall, Lincoln
• Trial trenching at D'Isney Place Hotel, Eastgate, Lincoln
• Building survey of Cathedral Close Wall, Lincoln (Phase 3)
• Trial trenching at West Tower, D'Isney Palace Hotel grounds, Lincoln

Protected Status

• Conservation Area
• Scheduled Monument
• Listed Building

Sources and further reading

Related records

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