Malmesbury Town Defences

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Caer-Bladon; Ingleburn

In the civil parish of Malmesbury.
In the historic county of Wiltshire (Modern Authority of Wiltshire, 1974 county of Wiltshire).

Bond writes Anglo-saxon earthworks of no post Conquest importance. System by which responsibility for the maintenance of the defences was allotted was recorded in late C13. PastScape report 'Saxon and Medieval town defences (site and remains of) at Malmesbury. The town walls were originally built when Malmesbury became a burh in the late C9 or early C10. It is thought that they were rebuilt in the late C12 or early C13 to enclose a larger circuit than the Saxon burh. Gates existed on the East (extant), South and West sides, the latter having a Northern postern gate. The Abbey prevented access from the North. Only parts of the East side and gate survive.' Also reports that North garden wall of Abbey House sits atop C12 town wall.

This site has been described as a;
Urban Defence.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry footings remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST93578734

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; 212606

• Web site links
  • http://www.ogdoad.force9.co.uk/alfred/alfhidage.htm
• Books
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p128, 230, 256
    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 p503
    Haslam, Jeremy with Edwards, Annette, 1976, Wiltshire towns: the archaeological potential p35-6
    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
    Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London)
• Journal Articles
  • Longman, T., 2006, Iron Age and later defences at Malmesbury: excavations 1998-2000' Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine Vol99 p104-64
    Rees, 1945, Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine Vol51 p187-92
    Brakspear, 1930, Archaeological Journal Vol87 p458
    1922, 'Proceedings of the Annual Summer Meeting at Tetbury and Malmesbury 22nd July 1922' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol44 p28
    Ballard A. and Beteman, M., 1906, English Historical Review Vol21 p98-105
    1891-2, Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol16 p1
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/wilshireeng.html#wilts4]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p487