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Dear Leigh I am not aware that there is anything 'physical' to denote a town wall from other walls, but clues are Line and position - are other sections of wall known and can a link be made (same material, etc) and its course. If it is brick then it is either re-used Roman brick, or late Medieval (I can't remember when brick was first used in the Middle Ages, I think late 14th century - can anyone on the list help?) Size - town walls are likely to be higher, wider and grander than other walls. How does your wall compare? (This isn't infallible, as 1) wall probably has been cut down 2) some walls were to force traders to enter by the gates, so sometimes almost any structure would do) Boundaries - what are the civic boundaries of the town. Does a church parish stop at the wall? (if so may be a boundary) The Orchard - what is the history of the orchard? Was it thought to be inside or outside the circuit of the town? Who owned it and the surrounding land Could you put a picture of the section of wall, that would be helpful All the best Chris Daniell -----Original Message----- From: British archaeology discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Leigh Driver Sent: 03 July 2003 09:30 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Mediaeval Town Wall Hi I am new to this so please be gentle! As one of the local historians for Brandon in Suffolk I have been asked to discover whether an old wall that forms part of the boundary of the Town Orchard is in fact part of a mediaeval town wall. I have not been able to find any evidence of this on any old maps (the earliest I have found is from the early 1800s) and was wondering what physical clues there might be that would indicate whether this old town legend has any foundation in truth. One possible suggestion is that it was part of the emparkment of the manor perhaps undertaken at some point by the monks of Ely who were granted the manor in the late 10th century. The reason for urgency is that the orchard is soon to become a nature reserve. If this wall is indeed the town wall we can get a £20,000 grant for its restoration - if we cannot prove anything then it will be torn down and replaced with a modern one. I hope you can help. Kind regards Leigh