The London Wall Walk Tile 21 - St Martin's le Grand, London, UK
N 51° 31.010 W 000° 05.807
30U E 701426 N 5711297
The London Wall, together with the River Thames, used to provide defences to the City of London. Much of the wall has now disappeared but 21 tiles have been placed to take those interested on a walk where the wall used to be. This is tile 21.
Waymark Code: WMK9K7
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/05/2014
Views: 5
The Walking in London website tells us:
The City of London, or the Square Mile, is basically the bit of town that was originally inside the walls that the Romans built. Its a little larger now, but not much. At first glance it would be easy to think that there's not much of those walls remaining, but a little investigation turns up an amazing amount, from street names like London Wall, Houndsditch, Barbican, Aldgate, Bishopsgate, Moorgate, Newgate, Ludgate and more, and huge surviving sections of wall at Tower hill and the Barbican.
The Museum of London planned a Wall walk in the 1980's, but as the intention was to guide tourists to the museum itself, this only went from the Tower of London to the museum building - about half the length of the Wall (if you include the riverside section). This was marked with 21 numbered blue and white tile information panels - plus an introduction at each end of the walk; about half of which still exist. Some are in remarkably good condition, some have been replaced, others are just missing. The fate of some echo the recent history of london - for example panel 8 was destroyed by an IRA bomb.
The text that is specific to this tile tells us:
The increasing threat of raids by Saxons from across the North Sea in the 4th century led to the strengthening of the City defences. It was probable that the west gate of the Roman fort was blocked and a new gate was built here at this time. This gate was of late Roman military design with twin roadways flanked by semi-circular projecting towers. These were built of solid masonry and provided an elevated platform for catapults.
Aldersgate continued as an important gate in the medieaval period as it gave access beyond the wall and ditch to St Bartholomew's Priory, the London Charterhouse and the livestock market and fair on Smithfield. It was also sometimes used as a prison. On 20 October 1660 Samuel Pepys wrote "I saw the limbs of some of our trytors, set upon Aldersgate... A bloody week this and the last have been, there being ten hanged, drawn and quartered".
After being damaged in the Great Fire of 1666 the gate was rebuilt. This imposing structure was finally demolished in 1761 to improve traffic access.