Building record BSE 722 - Fragment of 'Abbey-stone' wall

The short length of stone-built wall fronting Barn Lane represents a surviving fragment of a 6ft 3" high property boundary that once separated the tannery yard of John Ridley from the street. The wall was constructed, as a statement piece, during the 18th century from re-used stone in an era when parts of the medieval monastic town, which had survived the initial post-Dissolution destruction, were being pulled down. The demolition of these monuments, which at this time included the Abbots Palace (c.1720) and the town gates (1761-65), would have created a stockpile pf readily available building materials. All of the stone within the wall is the same type, originally cut from the medieval Barnack quarries, which suggests that they could have been 'reclaimed' from a single source. Barnack stone was used extensively in the construction of the early phase of the Abbey buildings (pre-14th) which included the precinct wall, town wall and gates which were started during the abbacy of Anselm (AD1121-46).

The present entrance has been the way in to the site since at least 1845; there are no indication that it was an original feature and it was possibly created when the 18th century tannery office (to which the wall was possibly once joined), was pulled down; an event that occurred during the first quarter of the 19th century when the tannery yard was being developed with the addition of new 'factory' buildings. The north end of the stone wall was retained and incorporated into the construction of tannery sheds/warehouses at the beginning of the 19th century, which were then later converted into the cottages (nos. 8-10) that occupy the street today.

Eastgate Street was the 'tannery quarter' of the town from c.13th century and was located here to exploit the river down-stream of the Abbey; tannery pits and large quantities of horn cores - a waste product indicative of the industry - have been found at the nearby Eastgate Nursery (BSE 329) and 15-17 Eastgate Street )BSE 292) sites. John Ridley's works was in existence for about 150 years at the culmination of this tradition (S1).