Part of the mediaeval wall of the City of Bath

The wall segment is a rough, honey-colored stretch of limestone rising beside the sidewalk. It dates back to the late second century, when Romans built a defensive perimeter around the town of Aquae Sulis. During the middle ages, local builders incorporated these Roman stones into a larger circuit to control movement into the city. A massive iron gate once stood nearby, where tax collectors demanded tolls from farmers bringing grain to market. Now, the stone remains sit quietly behind modern metal railings.