Exeter City Wall

In the civil parish of Exeter.
In the historic county of Devon (Modern Authority of Devon, 1974 county of Devon).

2 mile stone wall, still intact but with frequent small gaps. Rebuilt on foundations of Roman wall in C12 and C13, although the roman walls seemed strong enough to resist, for 18 days, a siege by William in 1067. All gatehouses demolished in C18. Regular murage granted from 1224 until late C14.

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SX919925

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 448309

Books

Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p23, 30, 40-1, 43-4, 46, 48, 52, 57-8, 60, 68, 70, 89, 92, 96, 105-7, 109, 123, 128, 130, 132-3, 137-8, 141, 143, 147, 163, 171, 173, 177-8, 181, 184, 187-9, 195-7, 200, 209, 222, 227-8, 231-4, 237, 241-2, 246-7, 255, 278
Stoyle, M., 2003, Circled with a stone: Exeter's city walls 1485-1660 (Exeter: University of Exeter Press)
Henderson, C., 1999, 'The city of Exeter from AD 50 to the early nineteeth century' in Kain, R. and Ravenhill, W. (eds), Historical Atlas of South-West England (University of Exeter Press) p482-498
Higham, Robert A., 1999, 'Castles, Fortified Houses and Fortified Towns in the Middle Ages' in Kain, R. and Ravenhill, W., Historical Atlas of South-West England (University of Exeter Press) p136-43
Salter, Mike, 1999, The Castles of Devon and Cornwall (Malvern) p60, 63
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p57-8
Blaylock, S.R., 1995, Exeter City Wall Survey (Exeter: Exeter Archaeology)
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) Vol1 p122
Henderson, C.G. et al, 1977, ‘Exeter' Archaeological Excavations 1976 (HMSO) p112-14
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 plan p62
Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p191-6
Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p214-6
Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p470
Sprake, 1832, The Gates, etc., of City of Exeter (Exeter)

Journal Articles

Henderson, C., 2001, 'The development of the south gate of Exeter and its role in the city’s defences' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol59
Kowaleski, M., 1980, 'Tax payers in late fourteenth-century Exeter: the 1377 Murage Roll' Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries Vol34.6 p217-222
Burrow, I., 1977, ‘The town defences of Exeter' Transactions of the Devonshire Association Vol109 p13-40
Griffiths, M., 1974, 'Recent work by the Exeter Archaeological Field Unit' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol32 p167-70
Fox, A., 1968, 'Excavations at the South Gate, Exeter, 1964-5' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol26 p1-20

Guidebooks

Blaylock, S.R., 1998, Exeter City Wall, Devon Archaeological Society Field Guide No12 (Exeter: Devon Archaeological Society and Exeter Archaeology)

Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)

The Anglo-saxon Chronicle; Worcester Chronicle AD1067

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

William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/cornwalleng.html#devon8]
John Hooker, 1575, The Antique Description and Account of the City of Exeter (Exeter: Andrew Brice) [http://www.trytel.com/%7Etristan/towns/florilegium/introduction/intro04.html]
Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p120
Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol1 p227

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