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Summary

This part of the eastern town wall, between the half-round tower (dovecote tower) and Gods House Tower survives above-ground. The west wall of Gods House Tower may incorporate earlier walling that was originally part of the town wall. The town wall here would have crossed the property of Gods House Hospital.

A programme of archaeological excavations took place along Back of the Walls in the 1980s and 1990s (SOUs 253, 395 and 433). The west side of this section of town wall appears to have been partially investigated during this work, although the footings were not exposed and no complete section through the rampart bank was obtained. It would seem that here, as elsewhere along Back of the Walls south of Briton Street, the rampart butted the town wall and was probably raised as the wall was built, serving as a building platform. At the north end, the relationship of the town wall to the half-round tower does not appear to have been established.

The upper foundations of the west wall of Gods House Tower, where it joined Gods House Gate, were exposed during a watching brief in 1994 (SOU 592 Trench 2).

The combined archaeological and documentary evidence suggests that much of this stretch of town wall, along with the rest of the town wall between Briton Street and God's House Tower, was originally built in the mid-to-late 14th century, before 1373. However the putative town wall incorporated into the west wall of Gods House Tower could be of late 13th century date and contemporary with the first phase of Gods House Gate. There is some evidence of a wall-walk associated with the first phase of the gate, and firmer evidence of a wall-walk associated with the second phase of the gate (which perhaps dates to the mid 14th century). The surviving town wall north of Gods House Tower is on a different alignment to this early section of town wall. It may have been rebuilt when Gods House Tower was built, probably in the early 15th century.

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1091982: TOWN WALLS: SECTION OF WALL RUNNING NORTH FROM GOD'S HOUSE ALONG BACK OF THE WALLS TO ROUND TOWER ADJACENT TO NO 15
• Scheduled Monument 1001931: Town wall: remains of East side of town wall South of East Street and North of God’s House Tower

Other Statuses/Codes: None Recorded

Monument Type(s):

• CURTAIN WALL (Built, Medieval - 1250 AD? to 1373 AD?)
• TOWN WALL (Built, Medieval - 1250 AD? to 1373 AD?)

Full description

Records for the town defences are currently being enhanced and it is intended that further details will be added to this description at a later date. (SCC HER 4/12/09)
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[14]: Listed Building Description. TOWN WALLS. Section of wall running north from God's House along back of the Walls to Round Tower adjacent to No 15 (formerly listed as section of Town Wall in back of the Walls running south from Raleigh House until it joins the South Gate or God's House). Grade I.
- Remains of mediaeval city walls. Wall of stone rubble incorporating a C13 half drum tower. Scheduled as an ancient monument.
[Derived from English Heritage LBS download dated 19/08/2005. Crown Copyright. Reproduced under the terms of the Open Government Licence.]
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SOU 253 (Excavation at the Dovecote Tower, Back of the Walls in 1986)
SOU 395 (Excavation on Back of the Walls in 1989)
SOU 433 (Investigations at Back of the Walls between 1990 and 1992):
[1]: The combined evidence of all the investigations along Back of the Walls south of Briton Street, together with the documentary evidence for the construction of certain structures along the wall, suggest that the town wall between Briton Street and God's House Tower was built in the mid to late 14th century, but before 1373 (see page 21 for discussion).
(See also [2][3][4] for SOU 253, [5][6][7] for SOU 395 and [8] to [13] for SOU 433.)

IP 24/9/04: I have not re-checked [1] for specific references to this stretch of the town wall immediately south of the dovecote tower.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESH253 - Excavation at the Dovecote Tower, Back of the Walls in 1986 (Ref: SOU 253)
• ESH395 - Excavation on Back of the Walls in 1989 (Ref: SOU 395)
• ESH433 - Investigations at Back of the Walls between 1990 and 1992 (Ref: SOU 433)

Related records

Associated Links: None recorded

Images

God's House Tower and town wall, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower and town wall, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower and town wall, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate, God's House Tower and town wall, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Gate, God's House Tower and town wall, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower and town wall, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower and town wall, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Tower and town wall, Town Quay, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
Town wall north of God's House Tower, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	Town wall north of God's House Tower, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
Town wall north of God's House Tower, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	Town wall north of God's House Tower, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
Town wall north of God's House Tower, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	God's House Gate and Tower, and town wall to north, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
Dovecote Tower and town wall to south, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	Dovecote Tower and town wall to south, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
Dovecote Tower and town wall to south, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	Town wall north of God's House Tower, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
God's House Tower and town wall to north, Back of the Walls, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	Back of the Walls, looking south to God's House Tower and Gate, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
Town wall south of Dovecote Tower, Lower Canal Walk, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	Dovecote Tower, Lower Canal Walk, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
Dovecote Tower, Lower Canal Walk, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	Dovecote Tower, Lower Canal Walk, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham
Dovecote Tower and town wall, Lower Canal Walk, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham	Dovecote Tower and town wall, Lower Canal Walk, 30.8.09 (camera date not set), © I Peckham

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