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HER Number (PRN):62572
Name:Frankwell Ford
Type of Record:Monument
Protected Status:Conservation Area: Shrewsbury

Monument Type(s):

  • FORD (Late Saxon - 800 AD? to 1066 AD)

Summary

One of the two principal historic fords of Shrewsbury, crossing the river about 50m downstream of the present site of Welsh Bridge.

Parish:Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury and Atcham, Shropshire
Map Sheet:SJ41SE
Grid Reference:SJ 4881 1275

Related records

01471Related to: Old Welsh Bridge (St George's Bridge) and Gate, and Mardol Gate (Monument)
01459Related to: Shrewsbury Town Wall: The New Work (Monument)

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events: None recorded

Description

A natural ford crossing the Severn approx. 60-100 metres downstream of the present Welsh Bridge. Referred to by various authorities, e.g., Owen 1808 [<1>] and A W Ward [<2>]. The New Work (62559) is generally supposed to have been built specifically to control traffic over the ford. The precise line requires clarification: it may extend from the bottom of Water Lane in Frankwell, but its exact landfall on the town side has not been established. Said still to be walkable (by David Pannett) <3>

Water Lane is thought to represent the line of the main road out of Shrewsbury in this direction in the late Saxon period. The ford is not clearly marked on Burghley's 1575 map [<5>], perhaps indicating that it had gone out of use <4>

Probably an important part of the Saxon road network, though it continued in use long after the medieval bridge had been constructed and was still important enough to be defended. Apart from the construction of the New Work, the old Welsh Bridge [PRN 01471] had parapets pierced with loops that overlooked the ford downstream. <6>


<01> Owen H, 1808, Some Account of the Ancient and Present State of Shrewsbury, p79 (Monograph). SSA5372.


<02> Ward A W, 1935, Bridges of Shrewsbury, p125-126, p131 (1983 repr) (Monograph). SSA5617.


<03> Baker Nigel J, UAD Analysis (SMR comment). SSA20432.


<04> Appleton-Fox Nic, 2003, Builders Yard, Frankwell, Shrewsbury, Shropshire: report on an archaeological assessment (Deskbased survey report). SSA22109.


<05> Burghley (for Burghley, by ?Symonds J), 1575, The Burghley Map of Shrewsbury (Map). SSA5543.


<06> Morriss Richard K, 2003, 3-4 Claremont Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire: an architectural analysis & archaeological desk top study of cottages behind 5-6 St Austin's Street (Field survey report). SSA22231.

Sources

[01]SSA5372 - Monograph: Owen H. 1808. Some Account of the Ancient and Present State of Shrewsbury. p79.
[02]SSA5617 - Monograph: Ward A W. 1935. Bridges of Shrewsbury. p125-126, p131 (1983 repr).
[03]SSA20432 - SMR comment: Baker Nigel J. UAD Analysis.
[04]SSA22109 - Deskbased survey report: Appleton-Fox Nic. 2003. Builders Yard, Frankwell, Shrewsbury, Shropshire: report on an archaeological assessment. Marches Archaeology Series. 282.
[05]SSA5543 - Map: Burghley (for Burghley, by ?Symonds J). 1575. The Burghley Map of Shrewsbury.
[06]SSA22231 - Field survey report: Morriss Richard K. 2003. 3-4 Claremont Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire: an architectural analysis & archaeological desk top study of cottages behind 5-6 St Austin's Street. Mercian Heritage Series. 188.
Date Last Edited:Mar 18 2016 3:16PM

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