Wareham Walls Walk ~ Point 2, West Walls
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Wareham Walls Walk ~ Point 2, West Walls The Viking Threat Size Is Everything Warwick Fortified Towns Worchester listed in the Burghal The Vikings first came to England in AD 787, landed at Portland A document known as the ‘Burghal Hidage’ was compiled in the Buckingham Hidage in the 900’s and killed the Reeve of Dorchester who mistook them for early 900s AD and lists 31 fortified places in Wessex. It records Oxford peaceful traders. Over the next 100 years, raids became frequent that Wareham’s walls were 2200 yards in extent and that it was Cricklade Wareham Bypass River Piddle and were equally as bloody and violent, not only did the invaders the fourth largest ‘burh’ in the kingdom. Only Wallingford and Malmesbury Wallingford 5 Sashes Southwark devastate the land but they forced payment or ‘tribute’ in the Southwark on the River Thames, and Winchester, the royal capital Bath Chisbury Common North Bowling form of coinage known as ‘Danegeld’. By the 870s the Vikings were bigger. Axbridge Bridge Green Winchester Eorpeburnan Watchet Langport Wilton Eashing Edward Crescent under their leader Prince Guthrum were rapidly overpowering Earthen ‘walls’ were constructed on the west, north and east Pilton Lyng Shaftesbury Southampton Hastings the country. Portchester Burpham Lewes Folly Lane sides of the town and enclose 100 acres – there were never Map of Exeter Bridport Twynam Lydford WAREHAM Chichester St. Martins Lane any defences to the south by the River Frome. A total of 1600 Mount Pleasant Nundico Alfred, king of Wessex, devised a policy both Wareham St Martins during and after this turbulent period to men from the local area would have been called on to build Halwell Church Nundico Wareham was the fourth largest town after Wallingford, North North Bestwall Road strengthen his kingdom by establishing and maintain these fortifications as well as making sure that the Southwark and Winchester. Moretons Mill St Edward ‘fortified’ sites (burh). These were strategically roads and bridges were kept in good order. The grid-like street ShattersThe Hill Martyr 4 Church placed to guard the main route-ways and pattern was laid out at this time and the town then consisted of Four hundred years later, following the Lane to ensure that his people were no more simple houses clustered along the main streets, and the quayside. Monmouth uprising in 1685, Judge Jeffries Brixeys Lane than 20 miles from a safe refuge in time of There was a nunnery and a large convent church (Lady St Mary) at Dorchester Assizes sentenced five Dorset North Walls need. Documentary sources imply that by overlooking the river. It is likely that the Crown owned land and rebels to be ‘hung, drawn and quartered’ Severed heads of the executed rebels AD 875, massive earthen banks had been property in the town where tribute to the king in the form of rents, in the same place. The severed heads were 3 Bonnets Lane In the 1830s Bloody Bank was lowered and the soil used to fill in Mill Lane Dollins Lane 6 constructed around three sides of Wareham. crops and food was stored. displayed on a wooden tower set up on in Tinkers Lane the ditch below so that a road could be constructed to the new the middle of the town. workhouse on the western outskirts of the town. This building North Street Bells Orchard Lane Bloody Bank Health West Walls Ropers Lane housed the poor and destitute from a wide area around Wareham. Centre Carrion Lane This stretch of the walls is so-called after two grizzly and gruesome episodes. In 1213, a hermit known as Peter de Pomfret Judge Jeffries P YOU P and his son were allegedly tied to a horse’s tail and dragged Biodiversity Hot Spot ARE P 7 from Corfe Castle to Wareham, and hung here for prophesying 2 HERE Howards Lane Bestwall that King John’s unstable and brutal reign would come to a It is interesting to reflect that the Walls Streche Road Road East Walls East lie within a 10km2 area that has the Monmouth Road Cow Lane T P premature end. The traditional site for the hanging is here at most diverse range of plants in the Bloody Bank Town Bloody Bank. Hall Museum British Isles - a biodiversiy hot spot! East Street New Street The Cross Bloody Bank as a whole supports Great Fire Church started here. End of the a moderate range of breeding Now Lloyds Bank Wyatts Lane P West Street Walls Walk butterflies, including a colony of Common Recreation P Ground Street common blue. blue Trinity Lane Viking soldier South Street 1 Start of the St. P Walls Walk The Conniger Lane Medieval Pound Lane Rectory Johns P Town Pound Hill Church Lane Worgret Road TIC and Site of Encombe Road Library old mint Westport Road Purbeck Lady St. P Mary Church Police District Abbots T Station Council Former site of Quay The Quay The Wareham Castle South Causeway Priory Bird’s-foot (private land) South P trefoil Small Tortoiseshell Bridge River Frome The western slope of dry, acid grassland P Parking contrasts with the neutral grassland T Toilet habitat of the eastern side. Here you Wareham Walls Walk will find bird’s-foot-trefoil, cut-leaved View point crane’s-bill and some wild clary. Saxon defender and his house Hermit Peter de Pomfret and his son being dragged to their execution at Bloody Bank 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 Burgal Monmouth Bloody Bank Hidage Rebellion lowered and Vikings came compiled Peter de Pomfret executions road built to England Walls built by King Alfred executed Timeline Wareham Wareham WarehamRoman Post-Roman Saxon Medieval Post-Medieval ModernModernModern Timeline Designed and illustrated by Maria Burns Illustration & Design www.mb-id.co.uk The Walls are a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It is an offence to do damage to them in any way. Wareham Town Walls are managed by Purbeck District Council for the Manor of Wareham Historical text by Lilian Ladle OBE Tel: 01929 556561 www.dorestforyou.com/purbeck W D D T.