Jewry Wall
Encyclopedia
The Jewry Wall in Leicester
, England
is the substantial ruined wall of a public building of Roman Leicester
(Ratae Corieltauvorum).
and coursed masonry. In the centre of the wall are two large arched openings about 3 metres (10 ft) wide and 4 metres (13 ft) high; there are further arched alcoves on the eastern side.
The wall lies to the west of St Nicholas' Church, which includes in its late Saxon
and early medieval fabric much re-used Roman brick and masonry.
The remains of the town's public baths
, lying immediately west of the wall, were excavated in four seasons from 1936 to 1939 by Dame Kathleen Kenyon
and date from approximately 160 AD. The wall and some of the foundations of the baths are now laid out to public view. They are adjoined by a building housing the Jewry Wall Museum
and Vaughan College, which stands on the remainder of the baths site (including the site of the three furnaces). The museum contains excellent local examples of Roman mosaics and wall plaster.
The site is in the guardianship of English Heritage
.
. The ruin was also occasionally identified as "part of a bath". For much of the 19th century it was widely believed to have been a town gate, despite the fact that this was suggested by neither its structure nor its location: nevertheless, this interpretation still appeared as a statement of fact in the generally authoritative Victoria County History
as late as 1907. The prevailing view in the early twentieth century was that the ruin was part of the town basilica
.
When she began her excavations in the late 1930s, Kathleen Kenyon initially thought that the overall site was that of the town forum
(of which the basilica would have formed a part). Although she modified her views when she uncovered the remains of the baths, she continued to believe that the area had originally been laid out as the forum, with the Jewry Wall the west wall of the basilica; but argued that in a second phase of building, only about 20 years later, the site had been converted to become the public baths. This interpretation later had to be abandoned when, in a series of excavations undertaken between 1961 and 1972, the true remains of the forum were firmly identified a block further east (Insula
XXII). The Jewry Wall was then identified as the wall of the palaestra
(gymnasium) of the baths complex, and this continues to be the explanation which is most commonly accepted, which is given in the official Scheduled Monuments listing, and which appears in the interpretive material on site.
There are still a number of unanswered questions, however, and the issue remains open.
in 1231. One theory, which has achieved widespread currency, is that the name bears some relation to the 24 jurat
s of early medieval Leicester, the senior members of the Corporation of Leicester, who were said to have met in the town churchyard - possibly that of St. Nicholas. However, it seems more likely that the name in fact derives from a broader folk-belief attributing mysterious ruins of unknown origin to Jews. Such attributions are found at a number of other sites elsewhere in England and in other parts of Europe.
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
is the substantial ruined wall of a public building of Roman Leicester
Ratae Corieltauvorum
Ratae Corieltauvorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Leicester, located in the English county of Leicestershire.-Name:...
(Ratae Corieltauvorum).
Description of the wall
The wall, an impressive example of standing Roman walling, is nearly 2000 years old. It measures 23 metres (75 ft) long, 8 metres (26 ft) high and 2.5 metres (8 ft) thick. It is the second largest piece of surviving civil Roman building in Britain (the largest being the "great work" at Wroxeter). The structure comprises alternate bands of Roman brickRoman brick
Roman brick can refer either to a type of brick originating in Ancient Rome and spread by the Romans to the lands they conquered; or to a modern type of brick, inspired by the ancient prototypes...
and coursed masonry. In the centre of the wall are two large arched openings about 3 metres (10 ft) wide and 4 metres (13 ft) high; there are further arched alcoves on the eastern side.
The wall lies to the west of St Nicholas' Church, which includes in its late Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
and early medieval fabric much re-used Roman brick and masonry.
The remains of the town's public baths
Thermae
In ancient Rome, thermae and balnea were facilities for bathing...
, lying immediately west of the wall, were excavated in four seasons from 1936 to 1939 by Dame Kathleen Kenyon
Kathleen Kenyon
Dame Kathleen Mary Kenyon , was a leading archaeologist of Neolithic culture in the Fertile Crescent. She is best known for her excavations in Jericho in 1952-1958.-Early life:...
and date from approximately 160 AD. The wall and some of the foundations of the baths are now laid out to public view. They are adjoined by a building housing the Jewry Wall Museum
Jewry Wall Museum
The Jewry Wall Museum is a museum in Leicester. It faces the Jewry Wall ruins, and houses artifacts from iron age, Roman, and medieval Leicester....
and Vaughan College, which stands on the remainder of the baths site (including the site of the three furnaces). The museum contains excellent local examples of Roman mosaics and wall plaster.
The site is in the guardianship of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
The identity of the building
The wall appears to have formed the western (long) side of a large rectangular basilica-like structure. However, the precise character and function of this building has been a matter of much debate. 18th and early 19th-century antiquaries tended to identify it as a Roman (or British) temple, sometimes said to have to have been dedicated to the god JanusJanus
-General:*Janus , the two-faced Roman god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, and endings*Janus , a moon of Saturn*Janus Patera, a shallow volcanic crater on Io, a moon of Jupiter...
. The ruin was also occasionally identified as "part of a bath". For much of the 19th century it was widely believed to have been a town gate, despite the fact that this was suggested by neither its structure nor its location: nevertheless, this interpretation still appeared as a statement of fact in the generally authoritative Victoria County History
Victoria County History
The Victoria History of the Counties of England, commonly known as the Victoria County History or the VCH, is an English history project which began in 1899 and was dedicated to Queen Victoria with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of...
as late as 1907. The prevailing view in the early twentieth century was that the ruin was part of the town basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
.
When she began her excavations in the late 1930s, Kathleen Kenyon initially thought that the overall site was that of the town forum
Forum (Roman)
A forum was a public square in a Roman municipium, or any civitas, reserved primarily for the vending of goods; i.e., a marketplace, along with the buildings used for shops and the stoas used for open stalls...
(of which the basilica would have formed a part). Although she modified her views when she uncovered the remains of the baths, she continued to believe that the area had originally been laid out as the forum, with the Jewry Wall the west wall of the basilica; but argued that in a second phase of building, only about 20 years later, the site had been converted to become the public baths. This interpretation later had to be abandoned when, in a series of excavations undertaken between 1961 and 1972, the true remains of the forum were firmly identified a block further east (Insula
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
XXII). The Jewry Wall was then identified as the wall of the palaestra
Palaestra
The palaestra was the ancient Greek wrestling school. The events that did not require a lot of space, such as boxing and wrestling, were practised there...
(gymnasium) of the baths complex, and this continues to be the explanation which is most commonly accepted, which is given in the official Scheduled Monuments listing, and which appears in the interpretive material on site.
There are still a number of unanswered questions, however, and the issue remains open.
The name of the wall
The name of the wall (first recorded in c.1665) is unlikely to relate to Leicester's medieval Jewish community, which was never large and which was expelled from the town by Simon de MontfortSimon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
in 1231. One theory, which has achieved widespread currency, is that the name bears some relation to the 24 jurat
Jurat
Jurat is the name given to the clause at the foot of an affidavit showing when, where, and before whom the actual oath was sworn or affirmation was made....
s of early medieval Leicester, the senior members of the Corporation of Leicester, who were said to have met in the town churchyard - possibly that of St. Nicholas. However, it seems more likely that the name in fact derives from a broader folk-belief attributing mysterious ruins of unknown origin to Jews. Such attributions are found at a number of other sites elsewhere in England and in other parts of Europe.