Archaeological sites and monuments

The walls, which are believed to date from the early part of the 12th Century have been restored in phases, commencing in 1996 with the partial reconstruction of the Postern Gate followed by a short length of the wall to the rear of Silver Street.  Works have concentrated on the eastern defences of the town extending Northwards from St Josephs School and which were repaired in 1999 - 2000 with further repairs to the wall to the rear of St Aldhelm's Church to Silver Street being undertaken during 2000 - 2001.

The most recent programme of works covered the length of wall between the Holloway Gate and the former railway cutting with work having commenced late in October 2005 and completed in late Spring 2006.  The wall, at this point, is Scheduled Ancient Monument and the work involved the consolidation of unstable sections with a number of areas of extensive collapse being subject to reconstruction.

Extensive archaeological monitoring and investigation was undertaken as the work progresssed and in association with the dismantling of unstable areas of masonry, remaining the remains of earlier earthworks to the rear of the wall dating to the Iron Age and the Saxon period.  Additional archaeological investigative trenching undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology and funded by English Heritage has further contributed to the archaeological record with a previously unknown additional defence ditch and walling being discovered in advance of the existing wall line.