Bury St Edmunds Town Defences

In the civil parish of Bury St Edmunds.
In the historic county of Suffolk (Modern Authority of Suffolk, 1974 county of Suffolk).

The towns defences consisting of a wall and four gates which were built in C12 by the sacrist Radilph Hervey. The town gates were later demolished for access reasons. A charter of 1121/38 laid on knights as well as on burgesses an obligation to share the maintenance of defences, which suggests that they already existed. Murage granted in 1304 and 1330. No remains.

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 TL852637

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; 382550, 382503

Books

Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p104, 105, 150, 174, 211, 218, 262
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) p.lxvii
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
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London)

Journal Articles

West, S.E., 1970, 'The excavation of the Town Defences at Tayfen Road, Bury St. Edmunds, 1968' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol32 pt1 p17-24
1951, Archaeological Journal Vol108 p161-189

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This record last updated on Friday, April 6, 2007

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