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Northampton Town Wall

In the civil parish of Northampton.
In the historic county of Northamptonshire.
Modern Authority of Northamptonshire.
1974 county of Northamptonshire.

OS Map Grid Reference: SP748604
Latitude 52.2363° Longitude -0.9045°

Northampton Town Wall has been described as a certain Urban Defence.

There are no visible remains.
Description

The wall was built by the 1st Earl of Northampton, Simon de senlis I, between 1090-1111. Grants of murage were made in 1224, 1251, and 1301, the latter so large that it suggests a rebuild rather than repair. The four main gates were on the Market Harborough, London, Kettering and Daventry roads. After falling into disuse in C16, it was repaired in 1642-3. Demolished on Royal orders in 1662. Speed's map of 1610 shows two triangular bastions towars the south-east corner on the south side. Excavations in Green street in 1986-7 recovered the most complete sequence yet found. The earliest defences were a clay bank revetted in timber of early C10 date. This was later refaced in stone and a gateway ceated. The latter was blocked in C12 when the Mediaeval town wall was built. Evidence of Civil War usage was seen in two ditches cut into the Medaeval infilled ditch.
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This record last updated on Friday, May 3, 2013
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