Curfew Tower - 500 Years - Broadway, Barking, London, UK - Commercial Commemorations on Waymarking.com

Inside the Curfew Tower, on the south wall, is a stone that was placed to commemorate the toer's 500th anniversary. The inscription, along the lower edge of the stone, reads:

This stone was set up on 4th December 1960 to mark the fifth centenary of the Curfew Tower

Above this inscription are three more inscriptions about the buildings. The left inscription reads:

Barking
Abbey
was founded by St Erkenwald
in the year 666. Destroyed by
the Danes it was rebuilt in
the 10th century. William the
Conqueror stayed here after
his coronation in 1066. It was
dissolved in 1539 and demol-
ished within three years.

The centre inscription reads:

Saint
Margarets
Church
founded about 1215
was altered and
enlarged in the 15th
and 16th centuries.
Captain Cook
was married here
in 1762.

The right inscription reads:

Curfew
Tower
a gateway to the Abbey was
built in the 14th century
and reconstructed in 1460.
The 12th century stone rood
now in the chapel over the
gateway was the object of
pilgrimage in medieval
times.

St Margaret's church website tells us about the tower:

Almost all that remains of the old Abbey buildings is the Curfew Tower or Fire Bell Gate (rebuilt about 1460), with its 12th or early 13th-century stone rood in the upper storey chapel. The Tower is a symbol of Barking featuring in the Coat of Arms for the old Borough of Barking (now on display in St Margaret's Church) and the current Coat of Arms for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

The Curfew Tower was the central one of three gateways to the Abbey and is the only part of the Abbey still standing. There is no evidence of the Curfew being rung here although a small bell may have been used to summon parishioners to services before the Church Bell Tower was built in the late 15th Century.

The Tower was built in 1370 and rebuilt or reconstructed in 1460. The Tower contains The Chapel of the Holy Rood, given this name because of the stone Rood on the east wall. The Rood dates back to at least the 12th century and at one time was probably fixed to an outside wall of the Abbey, hence the damage to the Rood itself. The Holy Rood, a stone representation of the crucifixion, has the figure of Christ in the centre with St Mary and St John on either side. The Holy Rood has been the object of pilgrimage and veneration from late medieval times. Apparently special indulgencies were granted to those making the pilgrimage. Shields in the corners of the Chapel are those of the Abbey, The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Chelmsford and Barking Borough Council.

In 1955/56 repairs were carried out to the windows and the interior was redecorated. Consideration was given to opening up the two bricked up windows but experts were of the opinion doing so would weaken the structure. New furniture including an Altar Table and rush chairs were installed.

Urgent conservation repairs were carried out between May 2005 and January 2006 to ensure the safety of the Curfew Tower for future generations. The roof over the staircase was replaced and repairs were carried out to some of the timbers on the North side which support the main roof. The main roof was also re-covered. A large amount of defective stone was replaced and the whole structure was re-pointed. The gates and electrical equipment were overhauled, the furniture was renovated and the Chapel redecorated. Funding for these works, which cost in excess of £130,000, was only possible thanks to financial support from The Heritage Lottery Fund, Heritage of London Trust and a significant donation from the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

The tower is Grade II* listed with the entry at the English Heritage website telling us:

Late C15-early C16. Two storey gateway. Coursed rubble and stone dressings. Crenellated parapet with embattled octagonal stair turret to north-west corner. Inner and outer archways with moulded jambs, 4-centred arches and labels. Angle buttresses to gateway. Ogee shaped niche above each archway. Early C19 iron gates. Upper floor formed Chapel of the Holy Rood with cinquefoiled lights in a 4-centred head to east and west walls. Fine early mediaeval stone roof. Below and to the north of the east window is late C12 Rood in stone with figures of Virgin and St John. The upper storey has been largely rebuilt in the late C19.