Bury St Edmunds Town Defences

Has been described as a Certain Urban Defence

There are no visible remains

NameBury St Edmunds Town Defences
Alternative Names
Historic CountrySuffolk
Modern AuthoritySuffolk
1974 AuthoritySuffolk
Civil ParishBury St Edmunds

The town was founded after the enshrinement of the body of St Edmunds in the royal vill in 903 AD. A Benedictine order built an abbey. and was given special jurisdiction over the vill and surrounding lands. Under monastic guidance the town was laid out on a Norman grid iron plan which obliterated all pre-conquest features. The towns defences consisting of a wall and four gates which were built in C12 by the sacrist Radilph Hervey. The town gates were later demolished for access reasons. (PastScape)

A charter of 1121/38 laid on knights as well as on burgesses an obligation to share the maintenance of defences, which suggests that they already existed. (Turner)

The remains of a large man-made gravel bank, part of the medieval town defences, were found running N—S along the St Andrew's Street frontage. The bank was 12.2m wide and sealed the original ground surface. (PSIAH 2004)

Gatehouse Comments

Murage granted in 1304 for three years and 1330 for seven years. No remains.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceTL852637
Latitude52.2410087585449
Longitude0.715139985084534
Eastings585200
Northings263700
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2013, Medieval Walled Towns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 38
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 104, 105, 150, 174, 211, 218, 262
  • 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
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) p. lxvii
  • Barley, M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) The plans and topography of medieval towns in England and Wales (CBA Research Report 14) p. 57-71 download/view online
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 353
  • Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 125

Journals

  • Creighton, Oliver, 2006, ''Castles of Communities': Medieval Town Defences in England; Wales and Gascony' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 75-86
  • 2004, 'Archaeology in Suffolk 2003' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol. 40.4 p. 504 online copy
  • 2001, 'Archaeology in Suffolk 2000' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol. 40.1 p. 89-90 (slight) online copy
  • 1998, 'Archaeology in Suffolk 1997' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol. 39.2 p. 221 (slight) online copy
  • West, S.E., 1970, 'The excavation of the Town Defences at Tayfen Road, Bury St. Edmunds, 1968' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol. 32.1 p. 17-24 online copy
  • Smith, J.T., 1951, 'A note on the origin of the town-plan of Bury St. Edmunds' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 108 p. 161-4 online copy

Primary Sources

  • Butler, H.E. (ed), 1949, Cronica Jocelini de Brakelona de rebus gestis Samsonis, Abbatis Monasterii Sancti Edmundi (London) p. 55, 103 online copy
  • Hardy, T.D. (ed), 1835, Rotuli Litterarum Patentium in Turri Londinensi Asservati (1201-16) (Record Commission) p. 135a, 161 online copy
  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1898, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward I (1301-1307) Vol. 4 p. 227, 267 online copy
  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1891, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1327-30) Vol. 1 p. 526 online copy
  • - < >Also see the Gatehouse murage pages for full details of murage [grants > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/murage/murindex.html], [petitions > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/murage/mupindex.html ] and [other such > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/murage/muaindex.html]. < >