Stafford Town Defences
Has been described as a Certain Urban Defence
There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains
| Name | Stafford Town Defences |
| Alternative Names | Staffordie; East Gate; Green Gate; North Gate; Goal Gate; West Gate |
| Historic Country | Staffordshire |
| Modern Authority | Staffordshire |
| 1974 Authority | Staffordshire |
| Civil Parish | Stafford |
Scant remains of C13 stone wall, which, with ditch, marshes, river and earthbanks, made Stafford medieval town defences. Grant of timber made in 1215 and first murage granted in 1224. Built to replace those of the Anglo Saxon burh (which may have enclosed a smaller area) Refortified during the Civil War, raised in 1643, the walls were in ruins by the 1670s. PastScape also reports sites of four town gates of which traces remain of one, though not in situ. Note especially medieval north gate (SJ92082353) which by C17 it was in use as a prison and was known as Gaol Gate and was ruinous by 1678 and which is sometimes confused with the Domesday King's Castle /p>
East Gate. Part of gate, the sole remaining fragment of the medieval town walls. Probably early C15, most of gate demolished c1800, moved for road widening, 1939, and rebuilt against wall of a cottage which was demolished in 1964. Dressed squared stone. Wall approx. 5 metres tall and 3 metres wide, with some dressed jambs to right end; part of brick cottage wall remains to rear. (Listed Building Report)
Stafford has today no visible indications of defences, but there was a grant of timber in 1216, followed by a long series of murage grants. A large-scale map in the William Salt Library, Stafford, undated but c. 1620, shows a complete circuit of defences; the conventions suggest that about half of it was stone wall, the remainder timber palisading. (Barley)
This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
This is a Grade 2 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 | SJ923234 |
| Latitude | 52.8064002990723 |
| Longitude | -2.11141991615295 |
| Eastings | 392300 |
| Northings | 323400 |
