Chesterfield Town Defences

Has been described as a Possible Urban Defence

There are no visible remains

NameChesterfield Town Defences
Alternative Names
Historic CountryDerbyshire
Modern AuthorityDerbyshire
1974 AuthorityDerbyshire
Civil ParishChesterfield

A major medieval ditch was excavated on the Roman fort site (see PastScape 314408) running parallel to the former boundary of free land along Station Road. Its profile was V-shaped, and its depth 5m. C14 and C15 pottery was recovered from its infill, and the ditch may be identified tentatively as a medieval town defence for which no record is known to have survived. (PastScape ref. Courtney, 1976)

Gatehouse Comments

Presumable the pottery represents the end of this ditch which is most likely to date from the development of the Chesterfield as a market town by William Brewer around 1204, when a market charter was obtained. If so the ditch may well have had more to do with control of trade (and livestock) than defence.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSK386712
Latitude53.2368392944336
Longitude-1.42218005657196
Eastings438600
Northings371200
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2013, Medieval Walled Towns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 157 (slight)
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 37, 131, 267
  • Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report 61) p. 92-116 online copy
  • Courtney, T.W., 1977, 'Chesterfield, Station Road' Archaeological excavations 1976 (HMSO) p. 112
  • Courtney, T.W., 1976, Archaeological excavations (Department of the Environment) p. 86-7

Journals

  • Creighton, Oliver, 2006, ''Castles of Communities': Medieval Town Defences in England; Wales and Gascony' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 75-86

Other

  • Dave Barrett, Gill Stroud, 2009, Extensive Urban Survey - Derbyshire (English Heritage) Download copy
  • Trent and Peak Archaeological Trust, 1989, Chesterfield, Derbyshire: The Vicar Lane Development Unpublished interim report on archaeological evaluation. SMR document no. 176.