Monument Type(s):

• POSTERN (Built, 13th century - 1261 AD? to 1261 AD?)
• TOWN DEFENCES (Built, 13th century - 1261 AD? to 1261 AD?)

Summary

This site of medieval town defences and a postern.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA1990 - 1960 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA4908 - 1996 DBA and buildings assessment of land between Victoria Avenue and Lower Claremont Bank, Shrewsbury by Richard K Morriss & Associates
• ESA7590 - 2015 Conservation management survey of the town walls, Shrewsbury, by SCAS
• ESA7731 - 2001 DBA of 10-15 Barker Street, Shrewsbury by Richard K Morriss

Description

There is an agreement granting to the Prior of the Austin Friary (SA 1466) a gate through the middle of the wall in the street called Romaldesham, with a postern for ingress and egress towards their house and church <1a>
The postern of Romaldesham is mentioned in C13 documents, including the Patent Rolls for 1298 <1b>
The fortified postern, Romboldsham, afterwards known as Montgomery's Tower, stood at the bottom of Claremont Bank <1c>

The earliest reference appears to be of August 1261, when a mason was paid for working on 'the new gate of St Romald', which may actually have been newly-constructed at that date [<2>] (reference courtesy of Dorothy Cromarty). In 1298 Geoffrey Randolph gave the Augustinian Friars a plot of land for building outside the walls, near the postern of Rumboldsham [<3>]. Owen and Blakeway also cite a an agreement granting to the Prior of the Austin Friary a gate through the middle of the wall in the street called Romaldesham, with a postern for ingress and egress towards their house and church [<1a>], though whether the gate and the postern were in the same structure, and whether or not it was this one, is uncertain. This structure has not been encountered archaeologically. It was probably demolished some time in the early 18th century: Blakeway's notes written ?around the end of the 18th century, say that 'it was standing within memory' [<5>]; if this was the 'tower' rented from the Corporation by Edward Montgomery, it was certainly extant in 1686, when it appears in the Corporation rent roll [<4>]. <6>

In 1277 the gate was known as the Posternam Sancti Romoldi, in 1307 the Porta Sancti Romoldi and in an undated deed the portae juxta Fratres August. In later years it was apparently known as Montgomery's Tower, though the reason for this is unknown. <7>

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 tower is identified as 6c/8a, giving access to the Augustinian Friary. <8>

Appears in sketch form on the late-16th century Burghley map of the town. <9>

<00> Shropshire County Council SMR, Site and Monuments Record (SMR) cards, SMR Card for PRN SA 01455 (Card index). SSA20722.

<01a> Owen H & Blakeway J B, 1825, History of Shrewsbury, p451 (Monograph). SSA4127.

<01c> Davies R E, 1909/ 1912, Town Walls of Shrewsbury, p182-183 (Article in serial). SSA5571.

<01b> Hobbs J L, 1954, Street Names of Shrewsbury, p90-91 (Monograph). SSA365.

<01> Ordnance Survey, 1960, Ordnance Survey Record Card SJ41SE47.13 (Card index). SSA10668.

<02> Anon, 1261-Aug-28, Shrewsbury Bailiffs' Accounts, 28/08/1261 (Manuscript). SSA10667.

<03> Gaydon A T (ed), 1973, Victoria County History 2: Ecclesiastical Organisation, Religious Houses, Schools and Sports, p96 (Volume). SSA540.

<04> Anon, 1911/ 1912, The Gates: Shrewsbury Town Walls and Towers, p101, 03/05/1912 (Article in serial). SSA10638.

<05> Blakeway J B, 1907, The Topographical History of Shrewsbury (Article in serial). SSA10553.

<06> Baker Nigel J, UAD Analysis (SMR comment). SSA20432.

<07> Morriss Richard K, 1996, The Welsh Bridge Development, Shrewsbury: an Archaeological Desk-top Study, p.21 (Deskbased survey report). SSA10661.

<08> Hannaford Hugh R, 2015, Shrewsbury Town Walls: a conservation management plan (2 volumes), Gazetteer 6c/8a (Management report). SSA28223.

<09> Morriss Richard K, 2001, 10-15 Barker Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire: an archaeological desk-top study, p.6 (Deskbased survey report). SSA28462.

Sources

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