Monument Type(s):

• TOWN DEFENCES (Late Saxon to Medieval - 800 AD? to 1540 AD)
• TOWN WALL (13th century to 15th century - 1200 AD to 1499 AD)

Summary

Line of the medieval town wall, across the narrowest point of the town site peninsula, from the castle to the river.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA4837 - 2000 Evaluation at site of Garewalds Tower in advance of remedial works, Smithfield Road, Shrewsbury by Marches Archaeology
• ESA7535 - 1999/2000 WB during groundworks at 24 Meadow Place, Shrewsbury by Jo Barnes
• ESA7590 - 2015 Conservation management survey of the town walls, Shrewsbury, by SCAS
• ESA11468 - 2025 Watching brief on two test pits to the rear of 21-23 Meadow Place, Shrewsbury by Nigel Baker

Description

Line of the medieval town wall, across the narrowest point of the town site peninsula, from the castle to the river.
The wall runs from the slight salient on the west side of the castle inner bailey curtain wall [PRN 62508], across the Dana (inserted c.1790), and forms the property boundary between 17 and 18 Castle Gates to approach the site of the Lower Gate [PRN 01443]. From the gate, the wall line follows the north frontage of Meadow Place, now occupied by 18th-19th-century buildings, with a short section still standing [see PRN 62523]. From there the wall ran to the site of Garewald's Tower [PRN 01446] on the riverbank.
The course of the wall, as outlined, is clear throughout the cartographic sequence, from Speed's map (1610) and Rocque's (1746), to Hitchcock's (1832) and Wood's (1838). The wall was known to 19th-century scholars as Belesme's Wall, their contention being that it had been built by Robert of Belesme c.1100, the association seems first to have been made by Owen (1808) [<1><2>]. The first edition OS plan of 1882 show a raised pavement on the north side of Meadow Place, along the wall, which may have been a surviving wall-walk. R E Davies wrote in 1911 that the 'alure, or high footway, was only broken up a few years ago, when steps leading to the houses were substituted' [<3>]. The line of the wall, running across the peninsula at its narrowest point, and following a break in slope down to the north, suggests the possibility that the known, possibly 13th-century, masonry wall may have had predecessors, and may represent the line of the town's Anglo-Saxon defences; possibly this consideration prompted antiquarian speculation regarding construction by Belesme well before the remainder of the town walls. This hypothesis receives some support from the wall's association with Garewald's Tower or castellum [see PRN 01446], bearing an apparently early English personal name. There is some evidence for an interval tower somewhere along this section of wall west of the Lower Castle Gate. Such a tower is indicated on the original version of Speed's map of 1610 a short distance west of the gate. This may be the tower referred to in a Corporation document of 6 October 6 Eliz.I (1564), when it was agreed that Wm Smith alias Boyer 'should have a tower upon the walls in Rowsell next the Castle Gate to fee farm paying 8d yearly if the commons consent [<4>] <5>

In advance of remedial works, two trenches were excavated behind the postulated line of the town wall alongside the Severn in Smithfield Road, Shrewsbury. At a depth of approximately 300mm substantial stone footings were encountered. These formed part of the wall and excavation ceased. Apart from clearly modern pottery, only one sherd was found adhering to the top of the wall and may be contemporaneous with the construction of the wall, or at least its upper portion. This was dated to the late 17th/early 18th century. It was considered that this section of the wall was subject to consolidation at this time, perhaps indicating that the well-documented civil war defence strengthening of the wall needed later repair. <6>

A programme of archaeological monitoring was undertaken by Jo Barnes, Conservation Officer, SABC in association with redevelopment at 24 Meadow Place in 1999/2000. No 24 Meadow Place consists of two buildings, one a house with a basement, ground and first floor, the other a commercial or ancillary building with a basement and first floor. The front wall of both buildings below first floor level incorporate a section of the medieval town wall. ->

-> As a part of a pre-planning determination condition an assessment of the town wall fragments included in no 24 was undertaken. This identified two clear phases of construction in the west basement the first comprising a chamfered plinth associated with construction material of red and white sandstone ashlar and the second a cruder coarsed sandstone without a plinth. The plinthed section of wall was tentatively identified as primary town wall fabric whilst the coarser material may be a later repair to the fabric where the incorporation of the plinth was not considered a requirement of the work. ->

-> Subsequently, archaeological monitoring was carried out on ground reduction, the removal of c.320mm-400mm of soil across the whole of the site. This recorded a cobbled surface unerlying layers of clinker. ->

-> Includes some photographs, without scales, of the interior face of the wall as revealed. <7>

Source <7> represents a limited report on these works. It is unclear if formal recording of the town walls ever took place. It may be that a further report was produced on this work, but if so, the likelihood of obtaining a copy remains remote. <8>

Brief snippets of information on this programme of works were noted in a round-up from Jo Barnes to the Civic Society. This suggests that the wall here is part of the original external façade of the Medieval town wall. It records three distinct phases of wall at this location. <9>

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, togehter with detailed analysis and management recommendations for individual sections (in gazetteer form in volume 2). This stretch is identified as 1a. ->

-> Thea Meadow Place defences join the inner bailey wall of Shrewsbury Castle across the Dana footpath. The wall runs from the slight salient on the west side of the castle inner bailey curtain wall across the Dana footpath which was inserted c.1790. The masonry arch is an 18th century addition. The wall continues as a brick property boundary wall through the properties on the east side of Castle Gates below the Dana to approach the site of the Lower Gate (PRN 01443)). There are two sections of upstanding sandstone masonry on Meadow Place itself, both incorporated into the south walls of buildings on the north side of the road (PRN 62523). The first section, part of No 24 Meadow Place, is rebuilt masonry. The second section from The Albert PH to 20 Meadow Place comprises at least two phases – a lower phase of red sandstone, and upper courses of mixed sandstone bringing the wall up to roof level. The top of the lower courses has traces of a number of patches of masonry filling which have been interpreted as possible filled crenellations. From there the wall ran to the site of Garewald's Tower (HER 01446) on the riverbank. A town ditch is thought to have run along the outer side of this section of the wall, and is suspected of being the cause of subsidence in The Bull PH on the north side of Castle Gates (PRN 62528). <10>

A watching brief was maintained while two small test-pits were dug to test the structural stability of the 19th-century boundary walls to the rear of 21-23 Meadow Place, Shrewsbury. Although the lower yard level here – well below Meadow Place carriageway level – reflects the underlying presence of the town ditch, no trace of this or the town wall were observed in this work which encountered only 19th- and 20th-century deposits. <11>

Sources

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