Fortified Britain
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Worcester City Walls
- Worcester, Worcestershire
- OSGB – SO 852 549
- Grade II Listed Building
Town defences. Included a wall and ditch.
- Hopmarket Hotel stands on the site of Foregate, the main entrance to the city.
- Trinity Gate was one of Worcester’s prisons.
- St Martins Gate was on the east.
- Sidbury Gate, also called, London Gate, was to the south.
- Frog Gate was the smallest gate.
- Bridge Gate was originally built of wood.
- St Clements Gate was a small entranceway next to Bridge Gate.
- Bar Gate.
- Friar’s Gate/Monks Gateway.
- Northgate.
872-899 The site was first defended by Æthelred, Earl of the Mercians.
884-901 Anglo Saxon charter records a request from Bishop Waerfirth to fortify the town. They enclosed an area of 40 acres and were built of a timber and stone revetted earth bank and a steep ditch on the outer side.
- The townspeople were responsible for the upkeep of the walls.
1150 Worcester was captured by King Stephen.
1154-1196 The East Gate is first mentioned.
1182 Northgate is first mentioned.
1199-1216 The towns people paid King John not to destroy the fortifications.
1200 Edgar Tower was built giving access only to the castle and cathedral. Earlier entrance to the Roman camp. Originally called St Mary’s Gate.
1224 Stone wall.
1226 Greyfriers were given permission to build a postern gate, known as Friers Gate.
1246 The Friar’s were given permission to make Friar’s Gate, as an access way to the burial ground and church located outside of the city wall
13th C City surrounded by walls with approximately 5 towers and a ditch enclosing 83 acres.
1313 Funds were raised by the Prior of Worcester to build a stone Bridge Gate.
1378 The Water Gate was built by Walter Poer.
1459 Stone was taken from the area of the castle to repair the city walls.
1485-1509 Gates on the north west part of the town was moved to Angel Place.
1540-1546 Itinerary of John Leyland – ‘reasonably well waulyd’
1610 The walls were still complete.
1642-1651 Civil War: Repaired.
1646 English Civil War: The town refused to surrender to Sir Thomas Morgan, Parliament. The was a ‘skirmish’ outside of the walls but no serious fighting. Parliament erected some forts on Roger’s Hill and Wheeler’s Hill.On the 11th June they started to bombard the town with artillery. The town eventually surrendered.
1651 Repairs were made to the walls and earthworks were erected outside of the walls. They blocked the Foregate, and across the London Road they erected more earthworks. Fort Royal was constructed and adjoined the walls with a rampart.
1651 Charles I escaped through St Martins Gate during the Battle of Worcester.
1651 The Sidbury Gate was stormed by Parliament during the Battle of Worcester. More than 100 Scots died at the site.
1699 Until: A poorhouse stood on the site of Foregate.
1702 The North Gate was demolished. Cells used below Foregate, as a prison, were finally removed.
1705 Almshouse built by Robert Berkeley of Spetchley on the site of the wall.
1768 The Sidbury Gate was demolished.
1773-87 St Martins Gate was demolished.
1796 Much of the wall had been demolished.
18th C End: Bridge Gate and St Clements Gate were demolished.
1820 The Friers Gate was demolished.
1904 Traces of the wall by the Butts could still be seen.
1913 The Mayor of Worcester toured the city boundary with local people.
1920 Effigy of King Edgar was copied and put on Edgar’s Gate.
1950’s Excavated.
1970’s Excavated.
1990’s Area investigated.
