Cowbridge town wall

Cowbridge town wall

Cowbridge town wall is a Grade II*-listed medieval wall in the small market town of Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. The walls were built by about 1300. It is believed that the purpose of the walls were to protect the Lord of Glamorgan's burgage plots (rental property) and to provide a way of collecting tolls from the town's market, held twice-weekly.[1]

The wall originally had four gates. The North is believed to have been to first to go before the 18th century, followed by the West gate in 1754 and the East gate in 1771.[2][3] Only the South Gate remains intact today.[2] The South Gate and surrounding area is well-preserved, with two angle towers still intact. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales summarises it as the "remains of a stone curtain, describing a pentagonal figure about the central part of the borough of Cowbridge".[4]

The wall is 7.7 metres (25 ft) high, with an outside batter and walk inside which is 4.3 metres (14 ft) wide.[3] It was subject to excavation in 1981–2.[3] In 2004 the local council attached a blue plaque to the wall, which reads: "The Town Wall is now unique in Glamorgan. It was built by 1300 to enclose the "New Town" of Cowbridge".

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Cowbridge's historic past". Vale of Glamorgan Council. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Cowbridge town walls". Ecastles.co.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "Cowbridge Town Wall". The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Historic Environment Record. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "Cowbridge Town Walls". Coflein.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2016.

Coordinates: 51°27′42″N 3°27′06″W / 51.4617°N 3.4517°W / 51.4617; -3.4517

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