Launceston Town Wall

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Dunheved

In the civil parish of Launceston. In the historic county of Cornwall (Modern Authority of Cornwall, 1974 county of Cornwall).

Small section and south gate of C13 stone wall survive. Built to form a common defence with the castle. Gate is Grade 1 listed, walls Grade 2*.
Town gate. C14, slightly remodelled C17, pedestrian gate added 1887. Dressed volcanic agglomerate stone and greenstone to lower half, otherwise slatestone rubble with volcanic agglomerate dressings plus C17 granite dressings; pyramidal rag slate roof behind late C19 embattled parapet; stone stack over left-hand (west) wall removed C20: two square rooms over main gateway approached by stone staircase bridging smaller gateway. 3 storeys; 1-window range outer elevation and similar inner elevation. Both elevations have 2 chamfered pointed arches, the main arch fronting ribbed vaults; C17 three-light granite mullions with hoodmoulds to upper floors. Outer SE front has narrower pedestrian gateway on its left and main gateway with portcullis slots over. To outer side of passage are remnants of arch dated 1639 and fragments of tracery. Water point dated 1825 and inscribed "PCH" for Parr Cunningham Hocking, Mayor of that time, to right of inner elevation; this was the towns first public water supply. HISTORY: until the early C19 the rooms of the South Gate were used as a gaol for petty offenders and a prison for debtors. (Robbins p302). (Images of England)
There are no murage grants, and the town records, although they are a nearly complete series from 1334, contain only occasional references to the gates and none to the wall. (Turner) How was the building and maintenance of the walls funded? From the castle's funds? Directly by the Earl of Cornwall?

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SX331846

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 437141; 437201; 437217; 437209; 437210; 437224; 437204
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.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/201/launcestongate.htm
    http://www.cornwall-online.co.uk/north-cornwall/launceston.htm
• Books
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p18, 24, 67, 72, 83, 214, 216, 238, 239-40, 26
    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) p25
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p18-19
    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 p78
    Sheppard, Peter, 1980, The historic towns of Cornwall: an archaeological survey p75-6
    Barley, M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) Medieval Towns in England and Wales (CBA research reports) pp57-71
    Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p197
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Robbins, A.F., 1888, Launceston, Past and Present (Launceston) p301-2 http://www.archive.org/details/launcestonpastpr00robb
    Peter, R., 1885, Histories of Launceston and Dunheved (Plymouth) p233-9
• Journal Articles
  • Preston-Jones, Ann and Rose, Peter, 1986, 'Medieval Cornwall' Cornish Archaeology Vol25 p135-185 http://www.cornisharchaeology.org.uk/documents/CA25-5s2.pdf
    King, G. and Sheppard, P., 1973, 'Parochial Checklist of Antiquities; East: 1, St Stephen's by Launceston' Cornish Archaeology Vol12 p64-66
    1896, Archeaolgia Cambrensis Vol51 p341-3
• 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/Cities15.htm]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p62, 87-8
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol1 p325 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl01lelauoft