Alnwick Town Walls (Alnwick)
Bondgate Tower, Alnwick. Photo Northumberland County Council, 1968.
(NU 18401345 and NU 18731312) Town Wall (Course of) (Twice). (1)
Licence to 'wall and embattle' the town of Alnwick was granted in 1433. Fortifying made slow progress, and 50 years elapsed before it was completed. The wall was 6ft thick, and 20ft 6ins high, with four entrances defended by strong towers. See map diagram. (2)
Bondgate Tower (see photographs) is all that survives of the town's fortification. (3)
Gate [NU 18861322]. (4)
5330 Bondgate within (East End)
The Hotspur Gateway or Bondgate Tower, I
NU 1813 SE 1/18 20.2.52
Built after 1434 (circa 1450) by the 2nd Earl of Northumberland. East gate in former town walls, polygonal on each side of arched thoroughfare on outside, straight front to west. Not crenellated. Rough ashlar. Three stages. Central segmental archway with vaulted passage on four wide ribs. East face: remains of large corbels in centre, panel below with much faded lion rampant by a sculptor named Matthew, narrow lookouts. West face: slight set back above second stage, a plain two light mullion window above the archway and a blocked cross window to left. There are portcullis slits to the outer arch. Scheduled A M. (5)
Alnwick fortified in 15th century. Murage grant 1434; money raised throughout 15th century. Bondgate - lion over the archway carved in 1450. The wall can be traced on the line of Hotspur Street and Green Batt to the site of the Clayport gate, along Dispensary Street to Pottergate. Pottergate is an 18th century rebuilding of the medieval gate. The wall continued down Northumberland Street across to Narrow Gate where there was a small tower. Merged with castle defences. (6)
Additional references. (7)(8)
A trial trench at Beal's Yard in 2002 located possible evidence of a rampart to the rear of the town wall. A metalled street had been covered by substantial ground make-up that had been deposited against a feature outside the excavation. This made up ground may have formed a rampart to the rear of the town wall and positions the town wall under the present retaining wall and the western side of Hotspur Street. Later activity revealed in the trench may be associated with possible robbing of the town wall and was represented by a large cut through the 'rampart'. (9)(10)
A watching brief by Bernicia Archaeology in 2001 located remains of the 15th century town wall beneath Greenwell Road. Greenwell Road is believed to mark the limit of the medieval town and hence the line of the town wall. Its precise location and whether it was ever completely built has been unclear until now as the only visible remains are Bondgate Tower. The watching brief revealed the town wall at a depth of 1.11m below ground level, aligned NE to SW running obliquely across the trench. The wall measured 1.55m wide and was constructed from rough ashlar blocks bonded with lime mortar. The base was not excavated but the exposed remains stood 0.22m high. (11)(12)
A charter of William de Vesci dated between 1157 and 1185, granted to the burgesses of Alnwick the customs of Newcastle. (a) (13a, d)
NU 189 132. Bondgate Tower. Scheduled No ND/61. (13b)
Included in a study of English small towns. (13c)
Licence to 'wall and embattle' the town of Alnwick was granted in 1433. Fortifying made slow progress, and 50 years elapsed before it was completed. The wall was 6ft thick, and 20ft 6ins high, with four entrances defended by strong towers. See map diagram. (2)
Bondgate Tower (see photographs) is all that survives of the town's fortification. (3)
Gate [NU 18861322]. (4)
5330 Bondgate within (East End)
The Hotspur Gateway or Bondgate Tower, I
NU 1813 SE 1/18 20.2.52
Built after 1434 (circa 1450) by the 2nd Earl of Northumberland. East gate in former town walls, polygonal on each side of arched thoroughfare on outside, straight front to west. Not crenellated. Rough ashlar. Three stages. Central segmental archway with vaulted passage on four wide ribs. East face: remains of large corbels in centre, panel below with much faded lion rampant by a sculptor named Matthew, narrow lookouts. West face: slight set back above second stage, a plain two light mullion window above the archway and a blocked cross window to left. There are portcullis slits to the outer arch. Scheduled A M. (5)
Alnwick fortified in 15th century. Murage grant 1434; money raised throughout 15th century. Bondgate - lion over the archway carved in 1450. The wall can be traced on the line of Hotspur Street and Green Batt to the site of the Clayport gate, along Dispensary Street to Pottergate. Pottergate is an 18th century rebuilding of the medieval gate. The wall continued down Northumberland Street across to Narrow Gate where there was a small tower. Merged with castle defences. (6)
Additional references. (7)(8)
A trial trench at Beal's Yard in 2002 located possible evidence of a rampart to the rear of the town wall. A metalled street had been covered by substantial ground make-up that had been deposited against a feature outside the excavation. This made up ground may have formed a rampart to the rear of the town wall and positions the town wall under the present retaining wall and the western side of Hotspur Street. Later activity revealed in the trench may be associated with possible robbing of the town wall and was represented by a large cut through the 'rampart'. (9)(10)
A watching brief by Bernicia Archaeology in 2001 located remains of the 15th century town wall beneath Greenwell Road. Greenwell Road is believed to mark the limit of the medieval town and hence the line of the town wall. Its precise location and whether it was ever completely built has been unclear until now as the only visible remains are Bondgate Tower. The watching brief revealed the town wall at a depth of 1.11m below ground level, aligned NE to SW running obliquely across the trench. The wall measured 1.55m wide and was constructed from rough ashlar blocks bonded with lime mortar. The base was not excavated but the exposed remains stood 0.22m high. (11)(12)
A charter of William de Vesci dated between 1157 and 1185, granted to the burgesses of Alnwick the customs of Newcastle. (a) (13a, d)
NU 189 132. Bondgate Tower. Scheduled No ND/61. (13b)
Included in a study of English small towns. (13c)
N4497
WATCHING BRIEF, Greenwell Road, Alnwick 2001; Bernicia Archaeology
TRIAL TRENCH, Beal's Yard, Alnwick 2002; Tyne and Wear Museums
WATCHING BRIEF, Hotspur Street and Bondgate Without 2010; Bamburgh Research Project
TRIAL TRENCH, Beal's Yard, Alnwick 2002; Tyne and Wear Museums
WATCHING BRIEF, Hotspur Street and Bondgate Without 2010; Bamburgh Research Project
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