Tower of London

In the civil parish of Stepney.
In the historic county of London, City of (Modern Authority of London Borough of Tower Hamlets, 1974 county of Greater London).

Great C11 tower built within Roman wall and by River Thames. Expanded as castle and palace almost continually since then with significant C13 curtain wall and bailey and other masonry work of many other periods. Legge's Mount and Brass Mount are early artillery bastions. World Heritage Site.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Palace
Artillery Fort.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

listed building

Images of England

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ336804

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 405480, 1100626, 1099876, 1100841, 1106118, 1099061, 1109292, 1106152, 1216432, 1100623, 1100681, 1109481, 1109453

Web site links

http://www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/tower_home.asp
http://www.tower-of-london.com/
http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/toweroflondon/toweroflondon.php
http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/176/thetower.htm
http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/tower%20of%20london.htm
http://www.touruk.co.uk/castles/castle_Tower.htm
http://www.norman-world.com/angleterre/Patrimoine_architectural/Angleterre/Castles/tol/TOL1.htm
http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/easy_results.asp?index=1&main_query=tower%20of%20london&theme=&period=&county=&district=&place_name=

Books

Whipp, David, 2006, The Medieval Postern Gate by the Tower of London (Museum of London Archaeology Service Monograph 26)
Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p244-5 [slight]
Diehl, D. and Donnelly, M.P., 2005, Tales from the Tower of London (Stroud: Sutton Publishing)
Keevill, Graham, 2004, The Tower of London Moat (Oxford Archaeology, Historic Royal Palaces Monograph 1)
Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern) p52-61
Lapper, I. and Parnell, G., 2000, Landmarks in History: The Tower of London, a 2000-year History (Oxford)
Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p11, 13, 16, 18, 25-7, 32-6, 40, 42-5, 48, 50-3, 56, 58-62, 66-80, 83, 92-9, 115, 117, 120-5, 127-32, 135-7, 146-9, 151-4, 157-61, 165-7, 169
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p151-4
Schofield, J., 1994, Medieval London House (Yale University Press) p1, 4, 8, 11, 13, 21, 31, 36, 82, 95-6, 97, 101, 112, 135, 149, 150
Parnell, Geoffrey, 1993, The Tower of London (London: English Heritage)
Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press)
James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby)
Brown, R.Allen, 1989, ‘The White Tower of London' in Brown, R.Allen, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p177–86
Brown, R.Allen, 1988, ‘The White Tower of London' in B Ford (ed), The Cambridge guide to the arts in Britain. 1. Prehistoric, Roman and early medieval (Cambridge: CUP) p254–63
Drage, C., 1987, 'Urban castles' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p117-32
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p270-1
Parnell, G., 1983, A plan of the Tower of London in 1682 (London: London Topographical Society)
Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works Vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p485-90
Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p309-11
Brown, R.Allen, 1978, ‘Architectural description' Brown, R.Allen, in J Charlton (ed), The Tower of London: its Buildings and Institutions (HMSO) p38-54
Curnow, P.E., 1978, ‘The Bloody Tower' in J Charlton (ed), The Tower of London: its Buildings and Institutions (HMSO) p55-61
Brown, R.Allen, 1978, ‘Architectural history and development to c 1547' in J Charlton (ed), The Tower of London: its Buildings and Institutions (HMSO) p24-37
Parnell, G., 1977, ‘Tower of London' Archaeological Excavations 1976 (HMSO) p28
Curnow, P.E., 1977, ‘The Wakefield Tower, Tower of London' in Apted, M.R. et al (eds), Ancient Monuments and Their Interpretation: Essays Presented to A J Taylor (Phillimore) p155-89
Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1975, The history of the King's Works Vol3: 1485-1660 (part 1) (London) p262-277
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
Grimes, 1968, The Excavation of Roman and Mediaeval London (London) esp p47-91
Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p706-729 and plate
Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p68-70
Bell, 1935, The Tower of London (London)
RCHME, 1930, Inventory of Historic Monuments in London Vol5: East London (HMSO) p74-95 and plan
Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p221-6
Hamilton Thompson, A., 1912, Military Architecture in England during the Middle Ages (London) p120-4
Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
Page, Wm (ed), 1911, 'Ancient earthworks' VCH Middlesex Vol2 p1-14 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22152
Sands, H., 1908, in Ditchfield, Memorials of Old London Vol1 (London) p27-65
Benham, 1906, Tower of London (London)
Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p104-25
Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 203-72
Thornbury, Walter, 1878, Old and New London (Thornbury and Walford) Vol2 p60-95 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=45075
Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p15-32
Bayley, 1825, History and Antiquities of the Tower of London (London)
Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p182-3
Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol3 p140-2

Journal Articles

Ashbee, J., 2004, 'The Tower of London and the Jewish expulsion of 1290' Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol55 p35-7
Impey, E., 1998, 'The western entrance to the Tower of London, 1240-1241' Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol48 p59-76
Keevil, G., 1997, 'The Tower of London' Current Archaeology Vol154 p384-7
Hiller, J. and Keevill, G., 1994, 'Recent archaeological work at the Tower of London' Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol45 p147-81
Tatton-Brown, Tim, 1991, ‘Medieval building stone at the Tower of London' London Archaeologist 6.13 p361-6
Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p319
Parnell, G., 1985, ‘The Roman and medieval defences and the later development of the inmost ward, Tower of London: excavations 1955–77' Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol36 p1–79
1984, London Archaeologist 4.14 p390
Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T.B., 1984, 'Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1983' Medieval Archaeology Vol28 p233
Parnell, G., 1983, ‘A carpenter’s mark from the Martin Tower, Tower of London' London Archaeologist 4.11 p297–8
Parnell, G., 1983, ‘Excavations at the Salt Tower, Tower of London, 1976' Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol34 p95–106
Parnell, G., 1983, ‘The western defences of the inmost ward, Tower of London' Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol34 p107–50
Curnow, P.E., 1982, ‘Some observations on the planning and construction of the west curtain at the Tower of London' in Melanges d’Archéologie et d‘Histoire Médiévales en I’Honneur du Doyen Michel de Boüard (Librairie Droz) Vol27 p65-74
Tomlinson, H., 1982 April, ‘Ordnance building at the Tower of London' History Today, 32 p43-7
Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1982, ‘Medieval Britain in 1981' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p194
Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1981, ‘Medieval Britain in 1980' Medieval Archaeology Vol25 p201
Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p220
1980, London Archaeologist, 3 p320-6
Parnell, G., 1980, ‘The Tower of London: the reconstruction of the inmost ward during the reign of Charles II' Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society, 31 p147-56
Parnell, G., 1979, ‘Observations on Tower Green' London Archaeologist, 3.12 p320-6
Sturdy, D., 1979, ‘Nine hundred years of the Tower' London Archaeologist, 3.10 p270-3
Brown, R.Allen, 1979, ‘Some observations on the Tower of London' Archaeological Journal Vol136 p99-108 [Reprinted in Brown, R.Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p163–76]
Parnell, G., 1977 ‘Tower of London' CBA Calendar of Excavations, summaries 1976 p9
Parnell, G., 1977, ‘Excavations at the Tower of London, 1976/7' London Archaeologist. 3.4 p97-9
Curnow, P.E., 1977, ‘The Wakefield Tower, Tower of London' Château Gaillard, 8 p87-101
King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
Davison, B.K., 1967, 'Three eleventh-century earthworks in England' Château Gaillard Vol2 p40-3
Hurst, D Gillian, 1964, 'Medieval Britain in 1962 and 1963, II. Post-Conquest' Medieval Archaeology Vol8 p255-6
Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
1958, Medieval Archaeology Vol2 p201
Blackiston, N., 1957, ‘The Great Storehouse in the Tower' Architectural Review, 121 p453
Brown, R. Allen, 1955, 'Royal Castle-building in England 1154-1216' English Historical Review Vol70 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp19-64
Harvey, 1944, Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol9 p20-35 [on main entrance]
Braun, 1937, Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol7 p445-51 [on foundation history]
Roth, 1934-5, Transactions of the RIBA [ser3] Vol42 p863-70 [on the White Tower]
Sands, 1913, Archaqeological Journal Vol70 p17-32
Sands, 1912, Archaqeological Journal Vol69 p161-72
Peers, 1912, Archaqeological Journal Vol69 p173-82
Hopwood, 1911, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol17 p171-82
1900, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol6 p26-32
Compton, 1881, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol37 p279-84
Hugo, 1860, Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol1 p211-24 [on Bell Tower]

Guidebooks

Impey, E. and Parnell, G., 2000, The Tower of London: Official Illustrated History (London, Merrell)
Chamberlin, R., 1989, The Tower of London: an illustrated history (Exeter: Webb & Bower)
Mears, K.J.. 1988, The Tower of London: 900 years of English history (Oxford: Phaidon)
Hammond, P., 1987, Her Majesty’s royal palace and fortress of the Tower of London (London: DOE)
Brown, R.Allen and Curnow, P.E.. 1984, Tower of London, Greater London (HMSO)
Hammond, P., 1981, The Tower of London Young Visitor’s Guide (HMSO)
Hammond, P., 1978, Royal Fortress: the Tower of London Through Nine Centuries (HMSO)
Hamilton, Hamish, 1978, The Tower, 1078-1978 (D Wilson)
Rowse, A.L., 1977, The Tower of London (Joseph)
Anon, 1974, The Tower of London (HMSO)
Anon, 1961, The Tower of London (HMSO)
Anon, 1947, The Tower of London (HMSO)

Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)

William FitzStephen, c. 1180, 'A description of London' Translated in Henry Thomas Riley (ed), 1860, Liber Custumarum. Rolls Series,no12, vol2 p2-15 [http://www.trytel.com/%7Etristan/towns/florilegium/introduction/intro01.html#p04]

Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)

Speed, John, 1611-12, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain [http://faculty.oxy.edu/horowitz/home/johnspeed/Cities17.htm http://faculty.oxy.edu/horowitz/home/johnspeed/Cities18.htm]
William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/midlesexeng.html#mids7]

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant

The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English Heritage and other individuals and organisations.

It is an offence to disturb a Scheduled Monument without consent. It is a destruction of everyone's heritage to remove archaeological evidence from any site without proper recording and reporting. Don't use metal detectors on historic sites without authorisation.

Please help me to make this as useful a resource as possible by contacting me if you see errors or if you can add information.
I do acknowledge the help I get with this site.

*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.

¤¤¤¤¤