Alnwick town walls

Alnwick town walls
Alnwick, Northumberland
The Bondgate Tower, displaying the Percy lion
Alnwick town walls
Coordinates	55.4123°N 1.703°W / 55.4123; -1.703
Grid reference	grid reference NU188132
Type	City wall

Alnwick's town walls are a 15th-century defensive structure built around the town of Alnwick in England.

History

Alnwick's town walls were built in the 15th century following a period of considerable border instability and raiding that had caused significant damage to Alnwick's economy.[1] Henry VI permitted the town to charge murage on selected imports to Alnwick in 1434 and, using these taxes, protective walls with four gates were built in stone over a period of around fifty years.[2] The local Percy family controlled the neighbouring Alnwick Castle and the Bondgate Tower was decorated with their lion crest - an unusual feature for town gates of this period which normally celebrated civic, rather than local noble, identities.[3]

The surviving sections include the 15th century Bondgate Tower[4] and Pottergate (which was rebuilt in the 18th century).[5] Both are scheduled monuments and Grade I listed buildings.

See also

• List of town walls in England and Wales

References

1. Pettifer, p.172; Creighton and Higham, p.87.
2. Pettifer, p.172; Creighton and Higham, p.269.
3. Creighton and Higham, p.141.
4. 55°24′46″N 1°42′13″W
5. 55°24′54″N 1°42′39″W

Bibliography

• Creighton, Oliver Hamilton and Robert Higham. (2005) Medieval Town Walls: an Archaeology and Social History of Urban Defence. Stroud, UK: Tempus. ISBN 978-0-7524-1445-4.
• Pettifer, Adrian. (2002) English Castles: a Guide by Counties. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0-85115-782-5.