Boundary Marker No. 09 - Muscovy Street, Tower Hill, London, UK - Public Land Survey Marks on Waymarking.com

The Tower Liberty boundary markers were set up at various dates from 1868 onward and it is said that 22 still survive in one form or another. The ‘Liberty’ was land that was outside the jurisdiction of either the City of London, to the north and west, or the County of Middlesex, to the east. Initially the boundary was formed by the walls of the castle itself, but later the boundary was extended a short distance into the surrounding area to give a buffer zone for security purposes. The boundary was surveyed in 1525 and again in 1597.

In time the Tower of London became principally a military site and boundary marking became the responsibility of the War Department - hence the initials ‘WD’ that appear on the majority of surviving boundary markers, some of which probably survive from the boundary marking exercise of 1868 (although not this one, which is a more recent replacement).

The Liberty was finally abolished in 1894 and the land now forms part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (i.e. it lies outside of the City of London). A Beating of the Bounds ceremony does still take place and a modern pub beside the boundary is named the Liberty Bounds. An explanatory plaque giving information about the markers is placed between markers 3 and 4.

The plaque reads as follows:
“This plaque and line of paving mark the historic boundary of the Tower Liberty.
From the Middle Ages until the 19th century, this area immediately outside the walls of the Tower of London did not belong to the City of London or the County of Middlesex, but was governed directly by the Tower Constable on behalf of the Crown. He had control of taxation, law enforcement and military service within this boundary.
The Liberty boundary runs in an irregular arc around the Tower. Boundary markers with an arrow symbol representing the Board of Ordnance and the letters WD for the War Department still mark the boundary today”.

Marker No. 9 is described by Historic England as being a square metal plaque with embossed inscription reading ‘9 TL BM’ set into road surface at corner of Trinity Square and Muscovy Street. Date unknown but probably mid C20’. I think we can be on safe ground to assume that TL BM stands for Tower Liberty Boundary Marker. The positioning of this marker reflects the changing road layout in the area over time. For some reason the marker is set at a slight angle to the paving stones.

Type of survey mark: Ward boundary marker. What indicators are near the mark to help people identify where it is located?: This marker is set into the road surface at the junction of Trinity Square and Muscovy street. Beware of traffic. What property is this mark defining?: The boundary between the City of London and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

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Date Logged Log   12/20/2020 Master Mariner visited it