Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, including the gate way on Chilkwell Street, Chilkwell Street and Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, Silver Street

Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, Silver Street

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1345438
Date first listed:
21-Jun-1950
List Entry Name:
Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, including the gate way on Chilkwell Street, Chilkwell Street and Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, Silver Street
Statutory Address:
Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, Silver Street
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Location

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Date:
2001-06-25
Reference:
IOE01/01994/29
Rights:
© David Sanderson. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1345438
Date first listed:
21-Jun-1950
List Entry Name:
Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, including the gate way on Chilkwell Street, Chilkwell Street and Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, Silver Street
Statutory Address 1:
Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, Silver Street
Statutory Address 2:
Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, including the gate way on Chilkwell Street, Chilkwell Street

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, Silver Street
Statutory Address:
Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, including the gate way on Chilkwell Street, Chilkwell Street

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
Somerset (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Glastonbury
National Grid Reference:
ST 50332 38759

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 03/03/2020

863/7/112
ST50303879

CHILKWELL STREET (south west side)
Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, including the gate way on Chilkwell Street

(Formerly listed as Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey Retreat House, including the gate way on Chilkwell Street)


21.06.50

GV
II*

and

863/7/113
ST50303879

SILVER STREET (south side)
Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House

(Formerly listed as Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey Retreat House)


21.06.50

GV
II*
The wall runs along the south side of Silver Street before turning at right-angles to run south along the west side of Chilkwell Street. It is said to be largely the original late medieval wall which surrounded the Abbey precinct. Some sections of the masonry are considerably disturbed. The gateway on Chilkwell Street is largely C19 but incorporates medieval work. Large four-centred archway with small window over. Buttresses with set-offs to each end. Four medieval carved panels inset above archway (two on inside face) including depictions of the Pelican in her Piety and St Joseph's cruet. Against the north side of the gateway is a fragment of wall standing to its original height. The wall running north is stepped down to approximately 7/8 ft, random freestone blocks with concrete coping. On Silver Street, the wall retains the jambs and voussoirs of a small four-centred archway (blocked). Directly north of Abbey House the wall rises abruptly to approximately 12 ft and is much disturbed. This higher section ends to the west with a late medieval buttress with one set-off and chamfered plinth. This buttress also terminates a section of wall composed of masonry blocks running south at right-angles to the street, and with a crenellated section returned at south end. The wall on Silver Street continues some distance further west at a lower height of approximately 8 ft.

To the south of the Chilkwell Street gateway, the wall is approximately 10 ft high and apparently stands to its original height. A short section of original coping survives, replaced by concrete further south. Random rubble, partly coursed. This wall has considerable irregularities and lessens in height before turning west away from the street. The wall continues in a rebuilt form along the backs of the houses at Bere Lane before it finally reaches Friar's Hill. This section has stones set on end along the top.

Abbey House, Glastonbury Abbey (see Magdalene Street), Wall around grounds of the Abbey and Abbey House, and the listed buildings from No 3 to No 17 Chilkwell Street (north east side), all form an important group.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
265894
Legacy System:
LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, including the gate way on Chilkwell Street, Chilkwell Street and Wall around grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and Abbey House, Silver Street

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 16-Jul-2026 at 11:52:34.

Download a full scale map (PDF)
© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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