Monument Type(s):

• TOWN WALL (13th century to 15th century - 1200 AD to 1499 AD)

Summary

A section of the town wall known from documentary sources; a small section of the town wall has been recorded in a watching brief, in the centre of Claremont Bank.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA4795 - 2000-2001 WB on Shrewsbury South Central (Phase 3) Water Mains Renewal by SCCAS
• ESA7590 - 2015 Conservation management survey of the town walls, Shrewsbury, by SCAS

Description

The town wall (line of), from the Romaldesham Postern [PRN 01455] south to the section of town wall demolished for New St Chad's and surveyed at that time [see PRN 62568]. This stretch of wall has not been encountered archaeologically, but it appears to run down the centre of Claremont Bank. Was demolished in 1794 when the street was improved and lowered and Claremont Buildings were built by Carline & Tilley [<1>]. <2>

The top of the town wall was exposed in the trench for a new water main, part of the Shrewsbury South Central (Phase 3) renewal programme. The wall and associated deposits were best seen in the west-facing section of the pipe trench, as other services ran along the western edge of the roadway, removing earlier deposits on that side. The wall consisted of red and purple sandstone blocks and fragments; its lower visible courses were bonded in a brown sandy mortar (the medieval build) its upper courses in a light grey mortar (interpreted as post-medieval rebuild). The top of the wall lay just 300mm below the road surface. On the north (outer side) of the wall was made-up ground of grey brown silty clay sand with brick rubble, mortar, and pebbles much cut about by other services. To the south (inner side) a deposit of brown silty sand with small sandstone fragments, mortar, and pebbles butted against the face of the wall. A little further to the south, this deposit was seen to overlie a layer of brown sand with pebbles, cobbles, and rounded gravel. This deposit proved to be the natural subsoil; the top of the natural rose to the south to lie at a depth of 350mm below the road surface opposite St Chad's Cottage. <3>

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 stretch is identified as section 8, running up the west side of Claremont Bank from the site of the Romaldesham Postern (PRN 01455) to the site of the Gatepol Postern (PRN 01453) at the end of Claremont Hill. The site of a mural tower, Berringtons Tower (PRN 01454), lies about halfway along this section. ->

-> The defences, where they survive, in this section lie entirely below ground. Sandstone masonry (c. SJ 4880 1256) supporting a raised section of forecourt outside the northern end of Claremont Buildings may have derived from the town wall. The terraced Claremont Buildings themselves lie on the line of the town ditch, and have probably removed this as a feature; to the north of these buildings the ditch was probably removed by late 19th/20th century landscaping. <4>

Sources

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