Wells City Wall

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Welles

In the civil parish of Wells. In the historic county of Somerset (Modern Authority of Somerset, 1974 county of Somerset).

Roman settlement, Saxon and Medieval town. There is documentary evidence for medieval town defences. The Medieval borough was created in 1174. A licence to crenellate and, three days later, a grant of murage for 5 years in 1341 to the mayor, bailiffs and burgesses. The licence to crenellate was revoked shortly afterward (per considerationem curie) and presumably the murage was not collected. Bond writes C14 Stone walls planned but probably never built or never completed. There is probably some confusion between the walls of the extensive cathedral close (ibid) (the work of the Bishop, Dean and Chapter) licensed in 1340 but possible not completed until licensed again in 1451 and any defences planed by the town (Mayor and burgesses).

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST5445

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 197153
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 24810 '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://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=24810
• Books
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p26, 48, 207, 218, 257
    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
    Haslam, Jeremy (ed), 1984, Anglo-Saxon towns in southern England p193-4
    Faull, Margaret L. (ed), 1984, Studies in late Anglo-Saxon settlement p16
    Aston, M and Leech, R., 1977, Historic Towns in Somerset p147-154
    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) p200
• Journal Articles
  • Rodwell, W., 1980, Current Archaeology Vol73 p38-44
• 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 Charter Rolls Vol5 p6-7 [licence to crenellate]
    Calendar of Patent Rolls (1340-43) p248 [murage grant]