Kings Lynn Town Wall: Bishops Bretask

• Kings Lynn, Norfolk
• OSGB – TF 620 200
• Scheduled Monument

Medieval and post Medieval town defences including Old Gannock Gate, Tums Aquilamis, West Bretask, Purfleet to Kettle Hill, The Lake, South Gate, The White Tower, Doucehill Gate, East Gate (St.Catherines Gate), St. Anne’s Gate, East Bretask and North Bretask.

Part of the south eastern defences were referred to as Clay Walls, and my suggest the use of cob or clay walling.

Building work began at Newland with a stone gate.

The earliest defences were called Bishop’s Bretask and consisted of wooden towers situated at the main roads leading into Lynn. They included an earthen rampart and ditch. There was possibly a palisade on the rampart.

Civil War defences were constructed over the earlier Medieval defences..

Parts of a moat survive.

1266                            A murage, or special tax, was taken from the people of Lynn for building/repairs to the stone wall.

1271-1350                 The town was laid out in a grid plan.

1294                            A murage, or special tax, was taken from the people of Lynn for building/repairs to the stone wall.

13^th C                          Medieval defences built, including a stone wall.

1300                            A murage, or special tax, was taken from the people of Lynn for building/repairs to the stone wall.

1319                            Before: A stone gate was built to the south.

1339                            A murage, or special tax, was taken from the people of Lynn for building/repairs to the stone wall.

1360’s                         c: South Gate and East Gate existed with gate keepers.

1587                            Boundaries built.

1642-1651                   Civil War: Bastions were added to the walls.

1643                            The town was besieged by Parliament for three weeks, and then it surrendered.

1978                             Field Investigation.

1998                             Desk Top Assessment.

2001                            Trial Trenching.

2005                             Scheduling updated.

2009                            Scheduling updated.

2012                            Watching Brief.

2015                             Excavated.

The whole town on the land side is encompassed by a deep, wet foss, formally defended by nine bastions, and flanked by a strong, embattled wall, of which latter, extensive ruins still remain, together with the South Gate, a fine Gothic tower with a lofty pointed archway for carriages, and a smaller one for foot passengers.

Near the foss, on the east side of the town, is an octagonal tower, called The Lady’s Chapel, and standing on a conical mound called the Red Mount – perhaps a corruption of Rood Mount, and no doubt formally used for military as well as ecclesiastical purposes…. White 1836

See also,

• Blockhouse, Kings Lynn Town Defences
• Civil War Blockhouse, Kings Lynn Town Defences
• Doucehill Gate, Kings Lynn Town Defences
• East Bretask: East Gate: St. Catherine’s Gate, Kings Lynn Town Defences
• North Bretask, Kings Lynn Town Defences
• Old Guanock Gate, Kings Lynn Town Defences
• Purfleet to Kettle Mill, Kings Lynn Town Defences
• Red Mount: Red Mount Chapel, Kings Lynn Town Defences
• South Gate, Kings Lynn Town Defences
• St. Anne’s Gate, Kings Lynn Town Defences
• St. Anne’s Fort, Kings Lynn Defences
• The Loke, Kings Lynn Town Defences
• The White Tower, Kings Lynn Town Defences
• West Bretask, Kings Lyn Town Defences

White. W. 1836. History Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk, and the City and County of the City of Norwich. William White.