This study of the fortifications of an early modern English city provides a portrait of the ancient system of walls, towers and gates which ringed the city of Exeter during the Tudor and early Stuart periods. It traces the development of the fortifications over time, the many purposes they served, and shows how they were defended agains a series of major attacks: most notably during the Prayer Book rebellion of 1549 and the English Civil War. The text is accompanied by a series of extensive transcripts from Exeter's city archives, including two newly-discovered documents relating to the Prayer Book rebellion.