Servats Tower, Bucklesbury

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Queen's Tower of Sernat; Sernes; Sewtes; la Tour Servat; Surnetistour; Sylvestre tour; Seruesse; Service

In the civil parish of City Of London.
In the historic county of London, City of (Modern Authority of London, City of, 1974 county of Greater London).

Licence to crenellate issued to Willielmus Servat, civis et mercator in 1305 "quandam turellam ultra portam mansi sui in Civitate praedicta, petra et calce de novo construere et Kernellare".This stood on the north side of Bucklesbury, with the Walbroke as part of its east boundary. Stow called the building 'an ancient and strong tower of stone', it was demolished in late C16. The house, was acquired by Queen Isabella in 1317 and housed the Great Wardrobe until 1333.

This site has been described as a;
Fortified Manor House.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ326810

Sources of information, references and further reading

Books

Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p439
Schofield, J., 1994, Medieval London House (Yale University Press) p69, No42
Harben, H.A., 1918, 'Sernes Tower', A Dictionary of London http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=4544
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p405

Journal Articles

Coulson, C., 1994, 'Freedom to Crenellate by Licence - An Historiographical Revision' Nottingham Medieval Studies Vol38 p119-20
Honeybourne, M.B., 1965, 'The Reconstructed Map of London under Richard II' London Topographical Record Vol22 p67-8

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

Calendar of Patent Rolls (1301-7) p379

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

Stow, J., 1598, [3edn Kingsford, C.L. (ed), 1971] Survey of London Vol1 p260

Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)

Keene, D., 1987, The Walbrook Study: a Summary Report (MS in library of Institute of Historical Research, University of London)

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.

¤¤¤¤¤