Beverley town walls
Encyclopedia
Beverley's town walls are a sequence of defensive structures built around the town of Beverley
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
, England.
In 1322, however the town of Beverley petitioned parliament
, requesting that they be allowed to build a protective town wall. Beverley had been attached by the Scots
in 1321 during the Wars of Scottish Independence
and had had to be ransomed from the Scots in early 1322, and other than the simple gates and ditches, the town was undefended. No action was taken, not least because of disinterest from the Archbishop of York
. In 1371, prompted by the threat of war with France, a commission examined the problem of Beverley's defences again, once again with little result.
At the beginning of the 15th century, during the reign of Henry IV
, the political situation in England became unstable and further steps were taken to improve Beverley's defences. The Town Council had North Bar rebuilt in brick
between 1409 and 1410, with a portcullis
and parapet
s; the work cost £97. Chains were bought to block entrances and streets, other gateways repaired with brick and iron, and additional "bars" - long pieces of timber - were acquired to protect the entrances to the town. By the time that the antiquarian
John Leland visited in 1540, North Bar gate, Keldgate and the recently constructed Newbegin gate were all built in brick. These defences were in sufficient, however, to prevent rebels entering the town in 1537.
In the 1640s civil war
broke out between the supporters of Charles I
and Parliament
. The defences of Beverley were reinforced with new ditches, the gatehouses were repaired and a garrison of 900 men guarded the town. Once again, these defences were not sufficient and Royalist forces were able to successfully raid the town. After the war the defences were neglected and ditches began to be filled in as the town expanded. Today only traces of the original ditches and the North Bar gate remain intact; the later is considered by historians Oliver Creighton and Robert Higham to be the "best surviving example in England of a brick-built town gate". The gatehouse is protected as a grade I listed building.
Beverley
Beverley is a market town, civil parish and the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, located between the River Hull and the Westwood. The town is noted for Beverley Minster and architecturally-significant religious buildings along New Walk and other areas, as well as the Beverley...
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, England.
History
In the early medieval period, the town of Beverley was not walled. A "great ditch", later called Bar Dike, had been built on west side of the town by 1169, and by the 13th century there were a handful of formal gateways to the town: North Bar, South Bar (later called Keldgate Bar).In 1322, however the town of Beverley petitioned parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
, requesting that they be allowed to build a protective town wall. Beverley had been attached by the Scots
Scots
Scots may refer to:*The Scottish people, the inhabitants of Scotland*Scots language *Scotch-Irish*Scottish English*Scots pine, a Scottish tree*Short for Pound Scots...
in 1321 during the Wars of Scottish Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
and had had to be ransomed from the Scots in early 1322, and other than the simple gates and ditches, the town was undefended. No action was taken, not least because of disinterest from the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
. In 1371, prompted by the threat of war with France, a commission examined the problem of Beverley's defences again, once again with little result.
At the beginning of the 15th century, during the reign of Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
, the political situation in England became unstable and further steps were taken to improve Beverley's defences. The Town Council had North Bar rebuilt in brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
between 1409 and 1410, with a portcullis
Portcullis
A portcullis is a latticed grille made of wood, metal, fibreglass or a combination of the three. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege...
and parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
s; the work cost £97. Chains were bought to block entrances and streets, other gateways repaired with brick and iron, and additional "bars" - long pieces of timber - were acquired to protect the entrances to the town. By the time that the antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
John Leland visited in 1540, North Bar gate, Keldgate and the recently constructed Newbegin gate were all built in brick. These defences were in sufficient, however, to prevent rebels entering the town in 1537.
In the 1640s civil war
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
broke out between the supporters of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
and Parliament
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
. The defences of Beverley were reinforced with new ditches, the gatehouses were repaired and a garrison of 900 men guarded the town. Once again, these defences were not sufficient and Royalist forces were able to successfully raid the town. After the war the defences were neglected and ditches began to be filled in as the town expanded. Today only traces of the original ditches and the North Bar gate remain intact; the later is considered by historians Oliver Creighton and Robert Higham to be the "best surviving example in England of a brick-built town gate". The gatehouse is protected as a grade I listed building.
See also
- List of town walls in England and Wales
- Chester city wallsChester city walls.Chester city walls consist of a defensive structure built to protect the city of Chester in Cheshire, England. Their construction was started by the Romans when they established the fortress of Deva Victrix between 70 and 80 AD. It originated with a rampart of earth and turf surmounted by a...
- York city wallsYork city wallsThe English city of York has, since Roman times, been defended by walls of one form or another. To this day, substantial portions of the walls remain, and York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England...