Saffron Walden Town Defences

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Repell Ditches, Battle Ditches; Magnum Fossatum

In the civil parish of Saffron Walden.
In the historic county of Essex (Modern Authority of Essex, 1974 county of Essex).

Earthworks of Medieval or Late Saxon enclosures or town defences. Romano-British pottery and coin recovered. The enclosed area was intensely occupied from circa 1050 to circa 1150 with a falling off in C13. Excavation in 2001 suggested rampart of ditch was probably removed in C18. The late saxon town lay south west of the castle and the town moved to a new focus around the castle, probably in C12, and the new town originally lay in the castle's outer bailey. However as the town expanded a new large ditch enclosure was constructed, probably by Hemphrey de Bohun in mid C13, this enclosure used part of the earlier saxon defences, however, since these were then and now on the periphery of the town it is these oldest defences which still survive.

This site has been described as a;
Urban Defence.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL53543814

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 373676

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 408, 413, 436, 443, 446, 476, 14906, 14917

• Web site links
  • http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/
• Books
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p40, 262
    Medlycott, M., 2000, Origins of Saffron Walden (essex County Council) p4-5, 9-10
    Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p92-116
    Bassett, S.R., 1982, Saffron Walden: excavations and research 1972-80 (CBA research reports Vol45) p67-80
    Barley, M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) Medieval Towns in England and Wales (CBA research reports) p57-71
    Bassett, S.R., 1973, Archaeological excavations (DOE) p77
    Bassett, S.R., 1972, Archaeological excavations (DOE) p84-5
    Powell, W.R. (ed), 1963, VCH Essex Vol3 p195
    RCHME, 1916, An inventory of the historical monuments in Essex. Vol1 [north-west] pp259-60
• Journal Articles
  • Couchman, C.R., 1979, Essex Archaeology and history Vol11 p57
    Bassett, S.R., 1974, Essex Archaeology and history Vol48 p12