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

WORCESTER

SO85SW KLEVE WALK 620-1/3/697 (East side) Boundary walls to E. side of R. Severn extending S. from the Water Gate

GV II*

Western boundary wall to former Monastery of St Mary including its east-west offshoots, the boundaries to 10 College Green (qv), that to the south also being the southern continuation of the Monastery Wall. Possible C14 origins but with later additions and alterations principally in the C18. Sandstone in red, cream and grey/green; red brick. Overall length approx. 64 metres from Water Gate southwards to southern boundary of 10 College Green (qv). Typical height approx. 3 metres; southern end approx. 2 metres. Regular coursed, smooth-faced rectangular blocks, typical block size 0.25m. x 0.5 m. Chamfered coping, inset with further chamfer to wall top or flush with wall face to south, oversailing at N. end. Whole length of wall sits on approx. half-height plinth with chamfered top; to north plinth has a further chamfered offset near ground level; centre section has 3 or 4 chamfered offsets to plinth. The northern section which is also overbuilt with a one-and-a-half storey brick and tile agricultural range, has four matching profile, full-height buttresses. Associated walls to No. 10 College Green (qv): Overall length, approx. 20 metres, and 25 metres to N. & S. respectively. Wall to south typically approx. 2-2.5 metres high, some areas of brick but predominantly stone in regular coursed masonry as per the western section to the river; similar double chamfered coping detail. Wall to north boundary of similar height, predominantly re-built in brick in C19 but incorporates remains of earlier stone wall.

HISTORICAL NOTE: Excavations in the Water Gate area have shown that the wall to the southern side of the gate was built prior to the construction of the towpath on this side of the river; pictorial evidence suggests this happened in the early C19. The wall is thus probably late C18 at its youngest.

Note: The former Monastic Precinct Wall (Scheduled Ancient Monument) is also visible to the east and south sides of College Green; a section runs N. from Edgar Tower (qv) as part of the western boundary to College Precincts; a further section runs S. from Edgar Tower (qv) along the NW side of Castle Place and forming the southern boundary to Nos. 2 - 6 College Green (qqv). (Worcester Cathedral Publications: Philip Barker: A Short Architectural History of Worcester Cathedral: Worcester: 1994-: 90).