Bishops Castle town defences

In the civil parish of Bishops Castle. In the historic county of Shropshire (Modern Authority of Shropshire, 1974 county of Shropshire).

Town defences identified by D Hill, and excavated in two locations (SA5141 and SA5142) CMHTS Comment:- Defences were replaced by back lanes before post medieval period; identified course from OS map 1883. Fieldwork (1994) showed most obvious indications of defences at S end of defended area. The SE angle (in Station Street) is wall 1.0m high revetting raised ground to NW; similarly SW angle in Union Street is wall 2m high. Houses along NW to SE alignment of Union Street/Station Street are terraced into higher ground, with revetting walls up to 2.0m high. There is a low revetting wall in places along W side of Station Street, and a slightly raised area in garden of Hill View in NW angle of defences. The west side of defences along Union Street is not clearly marked although there is a steep bank 2m high on west side of Union Street. The defences are not readily apparent as earthworks but seem to leave slight traces. (Shropshire SMR record)
The excavation were inconclusive and have not been published and I wonder if the revetting is purely about terracing the hillside for level building platforms. There are no historical sources to support town defences here.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO322888

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 County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 05145; 05141; 05142 '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.

• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Buteux, V. and Dalwood, H., 1993-96, CMHTS SMR Records Shropshire: Acton Burnell to Bishop's Castle, Bishops Castle 5145
    Dalwood, H. et al, 1996, Archaeological Assessment of Bishop's Castle, Shropshire (CMHTS)