Exeter City Wall

In the civil parish of Exeter. In the historic county of Devon (Modern Authority of Devon, 1974 county of Devon).

2 mile stone wall, still intact but with frequent small gaps. Rebuilt on foundations of Roman wall in C12 and C13, although the roman walls seemed strong enough to resist, for 18 days, a siege by William in 1067. All gatehouses demolished in C18. Regular murage granted from 1224 until late C14.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SX919925

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 448309
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.

• Books
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p23, 30, 40-1, 43-4, 46, 48, 52, 57-8, 60, 68, 70, 89, 92, 96, 105-7, 109, 123, 128, 130, 132-3, 137-8, 141, 143, 147, 163, 171, 173, 177-8, 181, 184, 187-9, 195-7, 200, 209, 222, 227-8, 231-4, 237, 241-2, 246-7, 255, 278
    Stoyle, M.J., 2003, Circled with a stone: Exeter's city walls 1485-1660 (Exeter: University of Exeter Press)
    Henderson, C., 1999, 'The city of Exeter from AD 50 to the early nineteeth century' in Kain, R. and Ravenhill, W. (eds), Historical Atlas of South-West England (University of Exeter Press) p482-498
    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) p60, 63
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p57-8
    Blaylock, S.R., 1995, Exeter City Wall Survey (Exeter: Exeter Archaeology)
    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 p122
    Henderson, C.G. et al, 1977, ‘Exeter' Archaeological Excavations 1976 (HMSO) p112-14
    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 p62
    Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p191-6
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p214-6
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p470
    Sprake, 1832, The Gates, etc., of City of Exeter (Exeter)
• Journal Articles
  • Henderson, C., 2001, 'The development of the south gate of Exeter and its role in the city’s defences' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol59
    Kowaleski, M., 1980, 'Tax payers in late fourteenth-century Exeter: the 1377 Murage Roll' Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries Vol34.6 p217-222
    Burrow, I., 1977, ‘The town defences of Exeter' Transactions of the Devonshire Association Vol109 p13-40
    Griffiths, M., 1974, 'Recent work by the Exeter Archaeological Field Unit' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol32 p167-70
    Fox, A., 1968, 'Excavations at the South Gate, Exeter, 1964-5' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol26 p1-20
    Morris, P., Montague, L. and Radford, C., 1946 'Report on the excavations in the Palace garden, Exeter' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol3 pt3
    Montgomerie-Neilson, E. et al., 1934, 'Report of the Exeter Excavation Committee' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol2 pt2
    Montgomerie-Neilson, E. & Montague, L., 1931, 'Exeter excavations 1931' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol1 pt3
• Guidebooks
  • Blaylock, S.R., 1998, Exeter City Wall, Devon Archaeological Society Field Guide No12 (Exeter: Devon Archaeological Society and Exeter Archaeology)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • The Anglo-saxon Chronicle; Worcester Chronicle AD1067 http://omacl.org/Anglo/ [Text based on Everyman Press edn of 1912]
    Rot. Litt. Claus. I, 186; Pipe Roll 2 Henry III, Rot. 9a [grants from tallage for walls]
    Rot. Litt. Claus. I, 268 [order to clear houses from wall and ditches]
    CPR (1216-1225) p495; (1232-47) p151; (1247-1258) p592; (1258-1266) p141; (1266-1272) p456; (1281-1291) p149; p375; (1292-1301) p144; p512; (1338-1340) p156; (1340-1343) p44; p335; p562; (1367-1370) p284 [murage grants]
    CPR (1374-1377) p476, 502 and CPR (1377-1381) p3 [A commission to levy inhabitants and enforce workman in response to invasion scare.]
    Historical Manuscripts Commission, 1916, Report on the Records of the City of Exeter http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=728 [For location and summary of city accounts]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/cornwalleng.html#devon8]
    John Hooker, 1575, The Antique Description and Account of the City of Exeter (Exeter: Andrew Brice) [http://www.trytel.com/%7Etristan/towns/florilegium/introduction/intro04.html]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p120
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol1 p227 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl01lelauoft