Jewry Wall facts for kids
The wall with St Nicholas' Church in the background
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 Location in the East Midlands
Location in the United Kingdom
Location in Europe
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| Location | Leicester, England |
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| Coordinates | 52°38′5.71″N 1°8′29.13″W / 52.6349194°N 1.1414250°W |
| Type | Roman |
| History | |
| Periods | Iron Age and Roman Empire |
The Jewry Wall is a very old and impressive Roman wall in Leicester, England. It was built about 1,900 years ago, around 125–130 AD. This large wall stands next to St Nicholas' Circle and St Nicholas' Church.
It was once part of a big public building in the Roman town called Ratae Corieltauvorum, which is what Leicester was called back then. Next to the wall were public baths. You can still see the foundations of these baths today, as they were dug up in the 1930s. The wall also gives its name to the nearby Jewry Wall Museum.
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The Mystery of the Name: Jewry Wall
The name "Jewry Wall" has been used since at least 1665. But why is it called that? It's a bit of a mystery!
It probably doesn't have much to do with the small Jewish community that lived in Leicester long ago. They were actually asked to leave the town in 1231.
One idea is that the name comes from "jurats," who were important local officials. They might have met near the wall. However, a more likely idea is that the name comes from an old folk belief. When people found mysterious old ruins and didn't know who built them, they sometimes thought Jews had built them. You can find similar names for old ruins in other parts of England and Europe.
What the Jewry Wall Looks Like
The Jewry Wall is a fantastic example of Roman building. It's one of the largest Roman structures still standing in Britain.
It is about 23 meters (75 feet) long, 8 meters (26 feet) high, and 2.5 meters (8 feet) thick. The wall is made from different layers. It has bands of Roman bricks mixed with layers of local stone. These stones include granite, limestone, and sandstone. In the middle of the wall, there are two large arched openings. Each arch is about 3 meters (10 feet) wide and 4 meters (13 feet) high. There are also more arched spaces on the eastern side of the wall.
The wall is right next to St Nicholas' Church. This church itself uses many old Roman bricks and stones that were recycled from other Roman buildings.
Exploring the Roman Baths and Museum
The remains of the Roman public baths are just west of the Jewry Wall. These baths were dug up by an archaeologist named Kathleen Kenyon between 1936 and 1939. Today, you can visit the wall and see some of the bath foundations.
Next to these ruins is the Jewry Wall Museum. This building was built in the 1960s. The museum stands on top of the rest of the bath site, including where the furnaces for the baths used to be. Inside the museum, you can see amazing Roman mosaics, painted wall plaster, and other Roman and Iron Age objects found in Leicester.
The Jewry Wall has been looked after by the government since 1920. Now, English Heritage is responsible for it. The wall is a very important historical building, known as a Grade I listed building. The whole area, including the baths and St Nicholas' Church, is a protected historical site.
What Was the Jewry Wall For?
For a long time, people weren't sure exactly what the Jewry Wall was part of. In the 1700s and early 1800s, some thought it was a Roman temple. Others believed it was part of a bathhouse. For most of the 1800s, many thought it was a town gate, even though its structure and location didn't really fit that idea.
When Kathleen Kenyon started digging in the 1930s, she first thought the site was the town's main public square, called the forum. She later changed her mind when she found the baths. She then thought the Jewry Wall was the west wall of a large public hall, or basilica, within the forum. She believed the site was later changed into public baths.
However, later digs between 1961 and 1972 found the real forum in a different spot. So, the Jewry Wall is now believed to be part of the palaestra. This was a large open area, like a gymnasium, within the Roman baths complex. This is the most accepted idea today, and it's what you'll learn about at the site.
Even with all the research, there are still some questions about the wall's exact purpose. It keeps archaeologists thinking!
The Jewry Wall Museum
The Jewry Wall Museum is right across from the Jewry Wall ruins. It holds many amazing objects from the Iron Age, Roman times, and the medieval period in Leicester. The museum building is also an important historical building. It is located below Vaughan College, which is part of Leicester University.
The museum is run by Leicester City Council and is free to enter. In 2004, there were plans to reduce the museum's opening hours to save money. A group called 'Friends of Jewry Wall Museum' was formed to help promote the museum. Even so, the council did reduce the hours, and the museum is closed for several months in winter.
In 2011, there were more plans to close the museum completely. But, after a lot of discussion and effort from local councillors, this decision was changed. The museum stayed open for everyone to enjoy.
See also
- Ratae Corieltauvorum
- Roman Britain
- Roman client kingdoms in Britain
- Governors of Roman Britain
- Romano-British culture
- Sub-Roman Britain
- Roman sites in the United Kingdom
- Roman sites in Great Britain
- End of Roman rule in Britain
- History of the British Isles
- Britannia (disambiguation)
