Gloucester City Wall

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Gloucestre; Gloucestrie

In the civil parish of Gloucester. In the historic county of Gloucestershire (Modern Authority of Gloucestershire, 1974 county of Gloucestershire).

Foundations of one gate and some short stretches of wall are only remains of wall that dates back to Roman times. First murage grant in 1226 and then frequent until until end of C14. East Gate - Medieval town gate to the Gloucester defences. It was first documented in 1253 and housed a charity school in 1260. It was later used as a prison and demolished in C18. Excavations took place in 1904 and 1974.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO833184

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 115263 and others
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

• Web site links
  • http://www.visit-gloucestershire.co.uk/gloucester/13th.htm
• Books
  • Blanchard, Ian, 2007, Twelth Century: A neglected Epoch in British Economic and Social History (Newlees E-book) p185-7 [plan] http://www.ianblanchard.com/Folder/Chapter%208.pdf
    Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p23, 51, 53, 68, 70, 95, 169-70, 174, 177-8, 200, 211, 226, 229, 232-3, 237, 255
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Gloucestershire and Bristol (Malvern) p21
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p79
    Herbert, N.M., 1988, ‘Bridges, gates, and walls’, and ‘Gloucester Castle’, in Herbert, N.M. (ed), VCH Gloucestershire Vol4 (Oxford: OUP for the Institute of Historical Research) p242-7 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42303
    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
    Hurst, H.R., 1986, Gloucester, the Roman and later defences: excavations on the E. defences and a reassessment of the defensive sequence (Gloucester: Gloucester Archaeological Publications)
    Garrod, A.P. and Heighway, C.M.. 1984, Garrod’s Gloucester: Archaeological observations 1974-81 (Bristol: Western Archaeological Trust)
    Heighway, C.. 1983, The east and north gates of Gloucester and associated sites: excavations 1974-81 (Bristol: Western Archaeological Trust Excavation Monograph 4)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p186
    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 p63
    Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p204
    Lobel, M.D., 1969, 'Gloucester' in Lobel, M.D. (ed), Historic Towns: Maps and Plans of Towns and Cities in the British Isles, with Historical Commentaries, from Earliest Times to 1800' Vol1 (London: Lovell Johns-Cook, Hammond and Kell Organization) p1-14
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p243-4
• Journal Articles
  • Heighway, C., 1975, GIoucester 1974, Committee for Rescue Archaeology in Avon, Gloucestershire and Somerset
    Heighway, C.M., 1975, ‘The North and East Gates of Gloucester' Gleuenti Vol9 p3-6
    Hurst, H., 1974, 'Excavations at Gloucester, 1971-73: second interim report' Antiq Journal Vol54 p8-52
    Hurst, H., 1972, 'Excavations at Gloucester, 1968-71: first interim report' Antiq Journal Vol52 p24-69
    Williams, A.R., 1969, ‘The siege of Gloucester, 1643' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol88 p173-83 http://www2.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v088/bg088173.pdf
    Fullbrook-Leggatt, L.E.W.O., 1945, 'Medieval Gloucester' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol66 p1-48 http://www2.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v066/bg066001.pdf
    Baddeley, St. C., 1931, 'The West Wall of Glevum' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol53 p237-41 http://www2.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v053/bg053237.pdf
    Gloucester Roman Research Committee, 1931, Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol53 p267-84 http://www2.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v053/bg053267.pdf
    Bellows, 1877, Cotteswold Naturalists' Field Club Vol6 p154-90
    Bellows, 1876, 'On the Roman Wall of Gloucester' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol1 p153-66 http://www2.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v001/bg001153.pdf
• Guidebooks
  • Heighway, C.. 1985, Gloucester: a history and guide (Gloucester: Alan Sutton)
    Heighway, C., 1980, The East Gate of Gloucester (City Museum and Art Gallery)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • CPR (1225-1232) p61; p479; (1232-47) p110; p225; (1247-1258) p73; (1258-1266) p67; p428; (1292-1301) p352; (1301-1307) p68; (1307-1313) p497; (1343-1345) p563; (1358-1361) p178; (1367-1370) p188 [murage grants]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Speed, John, 1611-12, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain [http://faculty.oxy.edu/horowitz/home/johnspeed/Cities11.htm]
    William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/gloceng.html#gloc8]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p171, 188