Roman BritainLondon Wall: remains of medieval and Roman wall extending 75yds (68m) N from Trinity Place to railway
Roman Site · Civilian

London Wall: remains of medieval and Roman wall extending 75yds (68m) N from Trinity Place to railway

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-343
Site type
Site
Category
Civilian
Latitude
51.5105
Longitude
-0.0761
Overview

History & context

This stretch of London Wall north of Trinity Place (near Tower Hill) preserves a 68m section of Londinium's landward defensive circuit, with the Roman wall surviving to substantial height and overlain by medieval rebuilding. The Roman wall here was constructed c. AD 200, part of the roughly 3km circuit enclosing the Roman city, and remained in use and repair through the late Roman, Saxon and medieval periods until the post-medieval era.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

This is one of the most visible and best-preserved fragments of London's Roman defences, lying close to the south-eastern angle of the circuit where the wall ran down toward the Thames. The Tower Hill area is particularly significant because the river wall (a later, c. late 4th-century addition) joined the landward wall nearby, and the section illustrates the continuity of the defensive line into the medieval city.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

The exposed fabric shows the characteristic Roman construction of Kentish ragstone with bonding courses of tile, set on a plinth, with medieval ashlar and brick refacing and crenellation above; the adjacent Trinity Place section famously stood close to where the tombstone of the procurator Julius Classicianus was reused as bastion rubble (recovered in 1852 and 1935). Excavations along this stretch have confirmed the standard Roman sequence of wall, internal earthen bank, and external V-shaped ditch, with later medieval refurbishments well documented

About this site

Questions & answers

What is London Wall: remains of medieval and Roman wall extending 75yds (68m) N from Trinity Place to railway?

This stretch of London Wall north of Trinity Place (near Tower Hill) preserves a 68m section of Londinium's landward defensive circuit, with the Roman wall surviving to substantial height and overlain by medieval rebuilding. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a site site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is London Wall: remains of medieval and Roman wall extending 75yds (68m) N from Trinity Place to railway?

London Wall: remains of medieval and Roman wall extending 75yds (68m) N from Trinity Place to railway is classified as a Roman site — a civilian site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.

What other Roman sites are near London Wall: remains of medieval and Roman wall extending 75yds (68m) N from Trinity Place to railway?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including London Wall: section of Roman wall and bastion beneath Crosswall, No. 1 America Square and Fenchurch Street railway station (0.1 km), London Wall: remains of Roman wall and bastion (4a) at Crutched Friars (0.2 km), The Roman riverside wall and wharves at Three Quays (0.3 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around London Wall: remains of medieval and Roman wall extending 75yds (68m) N from Trinity Place to railway?

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Research the area around London Wall: remains of medieval and Roman wall extending 75yds (68m) N from Trinity Place to railway