Denbigh Town Walls

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Dynebeghe

In the community of Denbigh. In the historic county of Denbighshire (Modern authority of Denbighshire, preserved county of Clwyd).

Small irregular area on strong site. One good double-towered gatehouse, two round towers, and one square one, near which is a spur-work, capped by a beaked tower, giving access to a well. Denbigh town walls were erected from 1282, concurrent with the castle, with which they formed a single architectural and defensive unit. Constructed of uncoursed flush-faced limestone rubble with sandstone quoining. Section of enceinte from NE to S comprises the NE and Bastion towers, the rectangualr Countess' Tower, and the polygonal Goblin Tower. Damaged during the Civil War, the Goblin Tower stands 15m high, with a battered plinth on N side, and irregular openings to each face. The enclosed site, by the castle, is difficult to access and much of the town, including the market, moved outside the walls even as early as 1334. The town walls then functioning as a large outer bailey to the castle with a town outside its gates. Only the church and a few burgess plots remained within the walls.
The late C13 charter of Henry de Lacy, as translated by Williams, reads 'And the heirs, or the assigns of each of these (being English) shall find a man armed in the aforesaid Town of Denbigh, within the walls, to gaurd and to defend the aforesaid Town—"Un homme defensable en ville de Dynebeghe dedenz lex murs a la garde et la defens."—for each burgage and curtilage before named.' 39 Individuals are named. Were these 39 armed men to be a permanent watch of an emergency response force?

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ05276583

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 National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 94723
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 101961 and others '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://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=61
    http://www.castlewales.com/bastide.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/116/burgess.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/116/exchequer.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/116/denbighwall.html
• Books
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p27, 28, 29, 30, 98, 128, 139, 140, 147, 204, 217, 226, 245, 267, 274
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p65-6
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p64-5
    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
    Soulsby, Ian, 1983, The Towns of Medieval Wales (Phillimore; Chichester) p121-26 [plan]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p106
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p347
    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) p213-6
    Beresford, M., 1967, New Towns of the Middle Ages (London) p547-8
    RCAHMW, 1914, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Denbighshire (HMSO) p40-1
    Williams, J., 1856, Ancient and Modern Denbigh (Denbigh) http://books.google.com/books?id=-ywLAAAAYAAJ
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47820#s1
    Gee. T., 1829. An Account of the Castle and Town of Denbigh
• Journal Articles
  • Smith, 1988, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol137 p108-112
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Ayrton, 1855-62, Chester Arcitectural, Archaeological and History Society Vol2 p53-5
• Guidebooks
  • Butler. L.A.S., 2007 [rev edn], Denbigh Castle, Denbigh town walls, Lord Leicester's Church, St Hilary's Chapel, Denbigh Friary (CADW)
    Butler, L.A.S., 1990. Denbigh Castle (CADW)
    Butler, L.A.S., 1976, Denbigh Castle, Town Walls and Friary, Clwyd (HMSO)
    Radford, C.A.R., 1935, Denbigh Castle (HMSO) p29-32
    Hemp, W.J., 1935 [abridged 1954], Denbigh Castle (HMSO)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Williams, J., 1856, Ancient and Modern Denbigh (Denbigh) p302-9 http://books.google.com/books?id=-ywLAAAAYAAJ [Contain translation of late C13 charter which mentions walls]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#denb3]
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1906, Leland's Itinerary in Wales (Bell and Sons; London) p96-7 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryinwales00lelauoft