Bath medieval city wall

A wall with Roman roots

Bath was first walled in the 3rd century, around the Roman settlement of Aquae Sulis. The Anglo-Saxons reused those defences, and in the 12th century, during the civil war known as the Anarchy, King Stephen ordered the stone walls raised. The medieval town had four gates, and the line of the wall still shapes the streets of the centre today.

What survives

Most of the walls and gates were pulled down in the mid-18th century to make room for Georgian Bath. The North and South Gates went in 1755 and the West Gate in 1776. This section on Upper Borough Walls was heavily restored in the late 19th century; Trim Street, behind it, was built outside the wall. It is Grade I listed and, with a larger fragment off Orchard Street, forms the scheduled monument of Bath City Walls.

Fitting it into a walk

It takes only a few minutes to see, so combine it with nearby sights. The East Gate, the only surviving medieval gate, is down by Pulteney Bridge, and the Roman Baths and Abbey are a short walk south. Trim Street and the surrounding lanes have independent cafés for a break.

Highlights

• One of two surviving sections of Bath's town wall
• Grade I listed and part of a scheduled monument
• Walls first built in the 3rd century, raised in stone in the 12th
• Free to view from the street
• Close to the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey

Good to know

• Outdoors and free to see at any time
• The section was heavily restored in the late 19th century
• The surviving East Gate is near Pulteney Bridge

Frequently asked questions