Roman BritainLondon Wall: section of Roman wall and medieval bastion in Postman's Park and King Edward Street
Roman Site · Civilian

London Wall: section of Roman wall and medieval bastion in Postman's Park and King Edward Street

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-17031
Site type
Site
Category
Civilian
Latitude
51.5167
Longitude
-0.0981
Overview

History & context

This is a surviving stretch of the Roman landward wall of Londinium, built c. AD 200, which enclosed the city for roughly 2 miles and stood some 6m high and 2.4–3m thick, faced in Kentish ragstone with characteristic tile bonding courses. The Postman's Park and King Edward Street section preserves the original Roman fabric at its lower courses, with the upper portion comprising medieval rebuilding and a later (13th–14th century) semicircular bastion typical of the north-western circuit.

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

Significance

Historical significance

The wall was the most monumental piece of civic infrastructure in Roman Britain, defining London's defensive perimeter and street layout for over a millennium; its construction marks Londinium's later phase as provincial capital, when it likely served as the seat of the governor of Britannia Superior. The medieval bastions added along its line — solid at the base in this western sector, hollow in the east — reflect the wall's continuous strategic relevance into the medieval period.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

Excavations along the western circuit, including work near the General Post Office site and Aldersgate, have confirmed the standard sequence: a sandstone plinth, ragstone-and-mortar core with tile courses, and an internal earthen bank. The bastions in this sector have produced reused Roman masonry in their foundations, including sculpted blocks and tombstone fragments from the extramural cemeteries, consistent with patterns documented at nearby bastions on Camomile

About this site

Questions & answers

What is London Wall: section of Roman wall and medieval bastion in Postman's Park and King Edward Street?

This is a surviving stretch of the Roman landward wall of Londinium, built c. 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: section of Roman wall and medieval bastion in Postman's Park and King Edward Street?

London Wall: section of Roman wall and medieval bastion in Postman's Park and King Edward Street 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: section of Roman wall and medieval bastion in Postman's Park and King Edward Street?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including London Wall: section of Roman wall and Roman, medieval and post-medieval gateway at Aldersgate (0.1 km), London Wall: section of Roman and medieval wall and bastion at Noble Street (0.2 km), London Wall: the west gate of Cripplegate fort and a section of Roman wall in London Wall underground car park, adjacent to Noble Street (0.2 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: section of Roman wall and medieval bastion in Postman's Park and King Edward Street?

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