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HER Number (PRN):05545
Name:Possible site of Medieval town defences, Wem
Type of Record:Monument
Protected Status:Conservation Area: Wem

Monument Type(s):

Summary

The town defences of Wem, as based on topographic evidence.

Parish:Wem Urban, North Shropshire, Shropshire
Map Sheet:SJ52NW
Grid Reference:SJ 5117 2884

Related records: None recorded

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events: None recorded

Description

CMHTS Comment:- There is no documentary reference to medieval defences at Wem but the topography of the town suggests a defensive circuit based on the castle. The back boundary of tenement plots off Noble Street may mark the defences to the N of the town and Leek Street and Drawwell Lane may have originated as a road inside the defences to the E and SE. The line of any defences to SW is not clear. The position of the gates of any defences may have survived as the "bars" which marked the three main entrances to the town (cf SA5543). Garbet [<2>] states that one of these was "below parsonage house" on Mill Street, another against the grammar school on Lowe Hill Road/ High Street and the third "at a long stone near the pinfold" (the position of this is not known but presumably it was on Aston Street, if this component is drawn correctly, between Leek St and Drawwell Walk). It is important to note that this is only a suggested position for defences. If defences were present they, like the castle, probably went out of use quite early. The New Street medieval suburb was outside them and there is no trace of them shown ont he 1631 map of the town [<3>] <1>

Garbet's account referred to above <2>

1631 map <3>

CMHTS Report <4>

Sources

[01]SSA19974 - Record form: Buteux Victoria. 1993/ 1996. CMHTS SMR Records Shropshire: Wem. Central Marches Historic Towns Survey record form. Vol 11. Wem 5545.
[02]SSA5960 - Monograph: Garbet S. 1918. History of Wem. p230.
[03]SSA11686 - Map: Anon. 1631 ca. The Lordship of Wem.
[04]SSA12087 - Historic landscape survey report: Dalwood Hal et al. 1996. Archaeological Assessment of Wem, Shropshire (CMHTS). Hereford & Worcester CAS Rep. Rep 351.
Date Last Edited:Dec 2 2020 11:12AM