— Standing since 1387 —

Every stone
remembers

For six centuries this weathered wall has watched the town grow, fall, and rise again. This is its story, told stone by stone.

Discover the story
The Story Behind the Wall

Built to last a thousand years

Raised by hand from local limestone, the Old Wall was first a fortification, then a boundary, then simply a landmark — the silent backdrop to a thousand ordinary lives.

Wars came and went. Ivy climbed and was cut back. Children carved their initials into its base, and their grandchildren traced them decades later. The wall endured all of it.

Today it stands restored but unchanged in spirit — a monument not to any single event, but to time itself.

The weathered old wallThe eastern face, photographed in 1908
"To stand before the Old Wall is to stand in the presence of every century that built it."
— Town Chronicle, 1952
Historical Highlights

Moments etched in stone

The Siege of 1463

The wall held for forty days, sheltering the townsfolk through a brutal winter siege.

The Market Years

For two centuries, traders leaned their stalls against its sun-warmed southern side.

The Great Restoration

In 1971, master masons repaired the crumbling arch using original techniques.

Heritage Listing

Declared a protected monument in 1989, safeguarding it for generations to come.

Timeline

Six centuries, one wall

1387

The first stone

Construction begins as a defensive fortification on the town's eastern edge.

1463

The great siege

The wall withstands a forty-day siege, entering local legend.

1710

The market era

Traders settle along its southern face for two prosperous centuries.

1971

The restoration

Master masons rebuild the crumbling arch using original methods.

1989

Protected forever

The wall is granted heritage status as a national monument.

Voices

What the wall means to us

"My grandfather found his initials still carved here, eighty years after he left them. We both wept."
— Margaret O., resident
"As a mason, restoring this wall was the honour of my career. You feel the hands that came before you."
— Tomás R., conservator
"Every town needs a place that outlasts everyone. For us, that place is the Old Wall."
— Dr. Ines V., historian
Plan Your Visit

Come and touch history

The Old Wall is open to visitors year-round. Guided heritage walks run every weekend — book ahead or simply wander.

  • Eastern Gate, Old Town
  • Open daily · 9am–dusk
  • visit@theoldwall.org