Beverley Town Defences
Has been described as a Certain Urban Defence
There are major building remains
| Name | Beverley Town Defences |
| Alternative Names | North Bar; Norwood Bar; Newbegin Bar; Eastgate Bar; Keldgate Bar |
| Historic Country | Yorkshire |
| Modern Authority | East Riding of Yorkshire |
| 1974 Authority | Humberside |
| Civil Parish | Beverley |
C14 town had ditch and earth ramparts and five masonry gates. North Bar survives, although rebuilt in brick in 1409. No murage grants, but town petition to parliament after Scots raid in 1321, indicates desire to wall town.
The North Bar was built in 1409 at a cost of £96 0s 11½d. 2 storeys in brick with room over archway. North face shows buttresses framing a depressed pointed arch over which is a late C17 cartouche of arms in carved stone. 2 blind niches and 1 window have trefoil heads and label moulds with finials. Under the embattled parapet is a cogged string course. South face, main opening has label mould. 3 trefoil arches are grouped inside the strings arranged gablewise surmounted by finial. 3 brick shields. 2 small modern windows. Cogged string and embattled parapet lined in by a pilaster strip on corbels. Interior of main opening has plain brick vault to contour of arch. Rib vaulted in 2 bays with single chamfered brick ribs and portcullis groove. 2 modern side openings outside the original building for pedestrians. The house is of early C18 origin, refronted by William Hawe in 1866, attached to the Bar on the east. 2 storeys in stuccoed brick with moulded egg and dart architraves to windows. Band. Deeply moulded eaves cornice. Parapet with vase-shaped balusters of square plan. Giant pilasters framing each elevation, with urns on the parapet above. 1:2 windows on east face, 4 on north, 3 on west. Front door on each side has wood case with 2 reeded attached Doric columns, 2 side lights, fanlight, 6-panel door and entablature broken over columns. Plain tile roof. Tower with 4 round-arched windows has slated roof and delicate cast iron balustrade. Some of the interior features date from William Middleton's alterations of c.1793-4 including a chimneypiece with cast 'Adam' ornament. Staircase apparently C19, probably replacing the principal C18 one, as it has early C18 wainscot with moulded panels to dado height, as does the hall
The stair which was formerly the back stair to the two houses when one, is C18, altered; closed string, plain newels, moulded handrail, and the lower flight has C19 flat-cut ornamented balusters. Nearly all door frames have early C19 reeded architraves. (Listed Building Report)
Not scheduled
This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law
Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | TA030398 |
| Latitude | 53.8449287414551 |
| Longitude | -0.435900002717972 |
| Eastings | 503010 |
| Northings | 439880 |
