Great Yarmouth Town Wall

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Gernemuth

In the civil parish of Great Yarmouth. In the historic county of Norfolk (Modern Authority of Norfolk, 1974 county of Norfolk).

11 towers remain of medieval wall. Licensed in time of Henry III (1261) but not commenced until 1276; murage grants renewed on various occasions; completed in the late C14, Strengthened in C16 and ceased having a defensive role in the late C18. Circa 23 ft high, 2238yds long and encloses an area of 133 acres. There are several gunports in the South-East tower and the adjoining wall, dating to circa 1460. The defences were modified in 1587 when it was found that they were poorly kept. A rampart was added outside the walls from the South gate around to Blackfriars Gate.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TG52670734

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 133974; 133992; 133989; 134033; 134045; 134027; 134050; 134015; 134030; 134042; 134053; 134056; 134112; 134036; 133986; 134012; 134024; 134018; 134006; 133980; 134106
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 4294 '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.

• Web site links
  • http://web.ukonline.co.uk/members/g.woodcock/gyarm/history/history3.htm
    http://www.the-orb.net/encyclop/culture/towns/yarmouth.html
    http://www.ean.co.uk/Data/Bygones/History/Local/Norfolk/Great_Yarmouth/Palmers_Perlustration/html/body_town_wall.htm
    http://www.trytel.com/~tristan/towns/yarmouth.html
    http://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid=MNF4294
• Books
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p41, 240, 254, 264
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p57
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p159
    Kent, Peter, 1988, Fortifications of East Anglia (Lavenham: Ternence Dalton)
    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 p311-2
    Wilton, J.W., 1979, Earthworks and Fortifications of Norfolk (Weathercock Press) p31-2
    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
    Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p139-44
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p227-9
    Ferrier, 1908, in Astley, Memories of Old Norfolk (London) 157-60
    Swinden, 1772, History and Antiquities of Great Yarmouth (Norwich) p75-130
• Journal Articles
  • Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p213
    Carter, A., 1980, ‘Yarmouth - the defences' Archaeological Journal Vol137 p303-4
    Green, C., 1970, 'Excavations on the town wall, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, 1955' Norfolk Archaeology Vol35 p109-117 or p167-70
    O'Neil and Stephens, 1945, Norfolk Archaeology Vol28 p1-6
    Tingey, 1914, Norfolk Archaeology Vol18 p129-48
    Palmer, 1864, Norfolk Archaeology Vol6 p106-24
    Palmer, 1852, Norfolk Archaeology Vol3 389-93
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1258-66) p177 [licence to crenellate]
    CPR (1272-1281) p315 [audit of murage]
    CPR (1258-1266) p177; (1281-1291) p177; (1321-1324) p35; (1324-1327) p134; (1327-1330) p106; (1330-1334) p333; (1334-1338) p151; CPR (1338-1340) p156; (1345-1348) p79; (1350-1354) p23; (1358-1361) p62; (1361-1364) p381; (1367-1370) p334; (1377-1381) p382; (1381-1385) p438; (1389-1392) p277; (1391-1396) p603; (1396-1399) p572; (1399-1401) p172; (1401-1405) p179; (1405-1408) p122; (1408-1413) p33; (1416-1422) p123; p304; (1422-1429) p411; (1429-1436) p112; (1441-1446) p180; (1452-1461) p468; (1461-1467) p200 [murage grants]
    CCloseR (1279-1288) p328 [40 marks for defences]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Manship, 1854, History of Great Yarmouth (Yarmouth) p46-8, 67-74, 275-8 [written temp. James I]
    William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/norfeng.html#norf9]