Newcastle town wall

HER Number:
1507

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Newcastle town wall

Place:
Newcastle

Map Sheet:
NZ26SW NZ26SE

Class:
Defence

Site Type: Broad:
Town Defences

Site Type: Specific:
Town Wall

General Period:
MEDIEVAL

Specific Period:
Medieval 1066 to 1540

Form of Evidence:
Ruined Building

Description:
Newcastle was enclosed by defences in piecemeal fashion between perhaps 1265 and the early 15th century (evidence from excavations). At their greatest extent the defences occupied a strip of ground c. 100 feet wide, and consisted of an intra-mural road, a wall (2-3+ metres thick), a ditch (11 metres wide x 5 metres deep) and some open ground. The wall was defended by 6 large gates and one small one, 17 towers and some turrets, and was pierced by several posterns and watergates. Demolition began in c. 1762, and continued into the 20th century. Remains include the curtain wall (with some gaps) between the Close and Forth Street; the curtain with towers (3 gaps) between Westgate Road and Newgate Street; Plummer Tower; Corner Tower & curtain wall to the east; Walknoll Tower. SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENT

Easting:
424000

Northing:
563000

Grid Reference:
NZ424000563000

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 1507 >> J. Brand, 1789, History of Newcastle, I, 1-19 R.E. Hooppell, 1886, The Town Wall of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in Pandon Dene, Archaeologia Aeliana, 2, XI, 236-9 S. Holmes, 1896, The Walls of Newcastle upon Tyne, Archaeologia Aeliana, 2, XVIII, 1-25 S. Holmes, 1896, The Town Wall of Newcastle, in Gallowgate, Archaeologia Aeliana, 2, XVIII, 109-12 P. Brewis, 1934, The West Walls of Newcastle upon Tyne, between Durham and Ever Towers, Archaeologia Aeliana, 4, XI, 1-20 C. Blair, 1937, The Walls of Newcastle..iluustrated...by George Bouchier Richardson, Archaeologia Aeliana, 4, XIV, 123-28 J. Nolan, et al. 1989, The Medieval Town Defences of Newcastle..Excavation and Survey '86-87, Archaeologia Aeliana, 5, XVII, 29-78 J. Nolan, 1993, The Town Wall...Orchard Street and Croft Street, 1987-89, Archaeologia Aeliana, 5, XXI, 93-149 R. Fraser, 1993, Excavation adjacent to Close Gate, Newcastle, 1988-89 R. Fraser, 1993, Excavation on the site of the Mansion House, Newcastle; Grace McCombie, 2009, Newcastle and Gateshead - Pevsner Architectural Guide, pp 168-9; Barbara Harbottle, 2009, The Medieval Archaeology of Newcastle in Diana Newton and AJ Pollard (eds), 2009, Newcastle and Gateshead before 1700, pages 34-37