Boundary Walls To East Side Of River Severn Extending North From The Water Gate

Boundary walls forming the western edge of the former Monastery of St Mary, with possible origins in the 14th century, but largely rebuilt and altered in the 18th and 19th centuries. The walls extend approximately 220 metres northwards from the Water Gate to the northern boundary of the Bishop’s Palace. They are constructed of sandstone in red, cream, and grey/green hues, and red brick. Heights range from about 2 to 5.5 metres. The wall’s construction varies along its length, including brick, stone, brick over lower stone courses, and stone facing on lower sections. The majority of the coping is stone, with some stones being chamfered to each wall face, others flush, and some oversailing. The stonework consists of regularly coursed, smooth-faced rectangular blocks, generally measuring approximately 0.25 metres by 0.5 metres.

The first 50-metre section north of the Water Gate, excluding the return wall to the gate archway, is battered back for the first 2 metres of height and features four buttresses; this section is entirely of stone. Further north, a pair of blocked window openings and a large arched recessed area align with the monastery ruins. At the northern end, a pedestrian access to the Bishop’s Palace is provided through a 4-centred arched brick opening, containing a vertically boarded oak door with matching arched head framing.

Historical excavations near the Water Gate indicate that the wall to the south of the gate was built before the towpath on the riverbank, likely in the early 19th century. This suggests the south wall, and therefore the north wall, are at least late 18th century in date.

Associated remains of the former Monastic Precinct Wall (a Scheduled Ancient Monument) are visible to the east and south of College Green, running north from Edgar Tower and south from Edgar Tower along the northwestern side of Castle Place, forming the southern boundary to numbers 2-6 College Green.