Town Wall Adjacent To Former Convent School

The Scarborough Town Wall once enclosed the landward side of the town, running from Cross Street to the sea. Built in the 13th century, it followed the line of the cliff and ended at the castle. A deep ditch ran outside the wall to strengthen the defences. The wall was first recorded in 1225 when the town received timber and tolls to maintain it. Later, in 1283, monks sought to demolish part of it, but townspeople resisted and repairs continued into the 14th century. Parts of the wall were later rebuilt further west, with substantial foundations still visible in the 18th century. Two surviving sections off St Thomas Street date from the 15th century, with later brick additions and 19th-century repairs. These sections are built of stone topped with brick and have buttresses, making them Grade II listed. Excavations near St Mary’s Parish House revealed the original ditch was 9 metres wide and up to 4.4 metres deep. Today, visitors can see two small curved sections of the wall along St Thomas Street. The stone and brick structures stand as remnants of Scarborough’s medieval defences. The ditch, though no longer visible, once added to the wall’s strength. The surviving parts offer a glimpse of the town’s fortified past.