Exeter city walls

Exeter's city walls survive as a circuit approximately 2.35km long, of which 72% is still visible, some parts up to 2.5m high. The walls of Exeter, England, are a scheduled ancient monument.

History

Originally built by the Romans circa 200 AD, there were four gateways, which were dismantled in the 18th and 19th centuries. The walls were repaired and rebuilt during the Anglo-Saxon, medieval and Civil War periods and the city was besieged at least twice. Several turrets and bastions in the wall are of uncertain date.
William of Malmesbury attributed the walls' construction to Æthelstan, though they certainly had Roman origins. However, the Anglo-Saxon period did see significant repair and strengthening of the walls, as did the medieval period. As a result, the surviving walls today contain a mixture of work from many periods.