Lichfield City Defences

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Bachunneswich Gate; Culstubbe Gate; Sandford Gate; Tamworth Gate; Stowe Castle

In the civil parish of Lichfield.
In the historic county of Staffordshire (Modern Authority of Staffordshire, 1974 county of Staffordshire).

Bishop Roger de Clinton (1129-48) made a defensive ditch round Lichfield. There is evidence that George Lane is on the line as it was still known as Castle Ditch in mid C15. The course on the SE is shown on a plan of 1350. Milley's Hospital is built in the ditch. No visible remains. PastScape also reports five C12 town gates.

This site has been described as a;
Urban Defence.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK119093

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 306630, 306633, 306642, 306645, 306639, 306636

Books

Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p48, 105, 207, 266
Salter, Mike, 1997, Castles and Moated Mansions of Staffordshire (Malvern) p32
Greenslade, M.W. (ed), 1990, VCH Staffordshire Vol14 p7, 9, 27, 39-40, 42, 70, 162
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
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p453
Barley, M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) Medieval Towns in England and Wales (CBA research reports) pp57-71
Greenslade, M.W. (ed), 1970, VCH Staffordshire Vol3 p276

Journal Articles

Youngs, S.M. et al, 1988 ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1987' Medieval Archaeology Vol32 p274-5
Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T., 1987, ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1986' Medieval Archaeology Vol31 p159
Bassett, J., 1971, 'Medieval Lichfield: a topographical review' Transactions of the South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol22 p93-121
Barns, T., 1913, North Staffordshire Field Club transactions Vol48 p123-8

Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)

Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p438

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