Roman and Medieval Town Wall at Tower Hill, London
Yesterday I had a meeting with a couple of archaeologists at Tower Hill to discuss my recent letter to the London Archaeologist which suggests a piece of conservation of the wall was wrong and based on an misunderstanding of the physical remains. To my relief they agreed with my assessment of the wall and we agreed to follow it up.
It is a complex issue and I will try to upload a copy of the report at the bottom of this page. But briefly. at some point in the past the inner face of part of the wall collapsed (the piece closest to the camera). You can see that only the bottom Roman tile courses continue to the camera end of the wall – the ones above were swept away in the collapse on the inner face, they survived on the outer face.
The section just visible at the front used to show this collapse graphically because only half of the width of the tile courses survived (i.e. on the outer face not the inner face.) At some point someone in the 1980s picked up some fragments of the tile and stuck them superficially on the wall to complete the tile courses. This shows a complete lack of understanding of the archaeology of the wall and ignores the collapse. You can just see the end of that false tile course a few feet above the bottom genuine Roman tile course.
Not a great nor important bit of history but the Wall Walk plaque is wrong on this matter too so it would be good to get that changed.
Its difficult to date the original collapse but the wall at the top looks clearly medieval.
What was even more exciting is that while waiting for the archaeologists to turn up I was looking from afar at the section above. If you look very carefully at the wall nearest the camera you will see a few feet above the bottom of the wall a string of stones which are aligned to the Roman tile course and it seems that whoever recreated this section of the Roman wall after the collapse tried to copy the Roman wall but did not have any tiles so did it in stone. This part of the ‘repair’ is clearly different in style to the medieval repair above (although I had not noticed the difference in 40 years of looking at this wall).
I was very excited about this and thought maybe this is Post Roman work, because it is different to the section above which is medieval, and mimicking or continuing the Roman design the Roman. Identifying a pre-Medieval repair to the wall would be, I think, unique.
I pointed it out to Jane Sidell and Jenny Hall, and they were also interested in this finding. Jane pointed out that it seems that whoever did this seems to have been copying the Roman core of the wall just to the left, rather than copying the original Roman inner face which you can see at the end of the wall away from the camera. She thought it was more likely to have been a 19th or 20th Century repair. But we are following it up.
Here is the letter as published in London Archaeologist Vol.16 No. 2 / Autumn 2020
Robert Milligan once reigned supreme outside the Museum of London in Docklands as a representative of the West Indies merchants who proudly set up the West Indies docks. Now he has been removed from his prestigious position and acquired by the Museum of London. Their Docklands Museum can be seen behind the statue in this sketch. According to a statement by the Museums Association he will be ‘fully contextualised’ in the museum. The docks were set up to to maximise profits from the slave driven sugar plantations in the West Indies. Milligan was the Deputy Chairman of the project.
The museum has an excellent display on the slave trade.
Sorry for gap in posts as I’m recovering from surgery following an accident whereby a taxi driver opened his door and knocked me off my push bike so typing one handed and dealing with images is quite difficult at present. Please adopt the ‘Dutch Reach’ when opening car doors and be careful.
Conwy Estuary from the Castle, looking towards Deganwy to the North
Monday 7th March 2022 7.00 pm
See the gateway to Snowdonia and its magnificent Medieval Castle, Town and Bridges
Borrowing my title from Daniel Defoe’s early chorography, my first circuit is from Chester to Edinburgh. Now on our second stop we are taking a virtual tour of the gateway to North Wales – the delightful town of Conwy.
For a small town Conwy has everything – an absolutely magnificent Medieval Castle, a City Wall that is still intact around the entire Circuit. Some of the great feats of bridge and tunnel engineering, and a pocket sized town containing historic buildings, nice pubs, and the ‘smallest house in Great Britain.’
It is not only picturesque but was a settlement of enormous strategic importance in the invasions by the Romans and the English. And to finish the tour we will take a small excursion into Snowdonia to see what it guarded
This is what my dad wrote about my Grandma’s work at Bovrils.
‘My mum left school at 14 years old, and went to work as a cook in the staff canteen at Bovril’s factory and offices in Old Street. The factory was opposite to Henry Street, where she lived. Everyone said my Mum was a great cook. My children used to love going to her house on a Saturday, as she made a superb tea of egg, bacon, beans and chips. Kevin, my son, tells me he has never tasted better fried eggs, and he hated going to her house on a Sunday as Sunday was the day for cucumber Sandwiches rather than a fry up.’
I looked up the factory and discovered that the Bovril factory was set up in 1889 to produce a meat extract from beef. The name came from Bo (bovinus – ox in Latin), and the suffix ‘vril’ came from an early science fiction novel by Edward Bulwer-Lytton‘ called the The Coming Race (1870), in which a superior race of the Vril-ya, gain their powers from an electromagnetic substance named “Vril”. Bovril is therefore the super-power given by eating Ox.
Scott, Shackleton and Edmund Hilary’s expeditions were powered by tea made from Bovril. The beef was from Argentina. In 1924 the company introduced ‘Marmite’ and in 1935 Ambrosia Creamed Rice.
The frosty month of the French revolutionary calendar.
The rational calendar (which we will deal with later in another post) divided the year into 12 30 day months, plus 5 days for end of year festivities. Leap year every 4 years.
Weeks were 10 days long, 3 per month. Days were named first day, second day up to tenth day. There were ten hours in a day, 100 minutes per hour, and 100 seconds per minute. But this last part didn’t last very long, french people really objected to their day being mucked up.
Revolutionary period pocket watch
The Revolutionary Year was adopted in 1793 but began retrospectively from September 22nd, 1792 when the Republic was proclaimed.
My French correspondent tells me that, therefore, the First Republic started on: Le premier Vendémiaire de l’an 1.
On this walk we look at how London has celebrated the New Year over the past 2000 years, and using our crystal ball look forward to what will befall London in 2022
Sunday January 2nd 2022 7.30pm
We look at London’s past to see where and how the Solstice might be celebrated. We also explore the different New Years we use and their associated Calendars – the Pagan year, the Christian year, the Roman year, the Jewish year, the Financial year, the Academic year and we reveal how these began. We look at folk traditions, Medieval Christmas Festivals, Boy Bishops, Distaff Sunday and Plough Monday, and other New Year London tradition and folklore.
At the end we use ancient methods to divine what is in store for us in 2022.
The walk finds interesting and historic places in the City of London to link to our stories of Past New Year’s Days. We begin, virtually, at Barbican Underground and continue to the Museum of London, the Roman Fort; Noble Street, Goldsmiths Hall, Foster Lane, St Pauls, Dr Commons, St. Nicholas Colechurch and on towards the River.
CHRISTMAS & JANE AUSTEN’S LONDON VIRTUAL WALK
Sunday 19 December 2021 7.30pm
We look at Jane Austen’s London , Sense & Sensibility and Christmas traditions and amusements.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a Jane Austen devotee in possession of the good fortune of a couple of free hours must be in want of this walk.”
The walk is in Mayfair, which Jane Austen frequented when visiting her banking brother, Henry and was the location of the London section of Sense and Sensibility. So its a fascinating place to follow the immoral Willoughby, sensible Elinor, overwrought Marianne, dull but nice Edward Ferrars, dull and horrible Robert Ferrars, stolid Colonel Brandon, vulgar but kind Mrs Jennings and her unforgivably vulgar daughter Mrs Palmer with her despairing husband; and the Steeles gals ruthlessly working their assets.
We also look at the traditions of Christmas during the Regency period and how Jane Austen might have celebrated it.
Mayfair was also the centre of the Ton – the wealthy elite of Regency London. It was here that the French Royal family in exile hung out. The haunt of Beau Brummel and the Prince Regent, loungers-in-chief who were so well satirised in the figure of Persuasion’s Sir Walter Elliot. This is where the rich shopped for guns, swords, cigars, snuff, hats, shoes, tailored clothes, uniforms, cures for constipation, wine, prostitutes, and lovers. They came to visit art galleries, see panoramas of European Cities, to ‘see the invisible woman living in her glass jar’, to choose their Wedgwood pottery
This is a London Walks Guided Walk by Kevin Flude, Museum Curator and Lecturer.
ROMAN LONDON – A LITERARY & ARCHAEOLOGICAL VIRTUAL WALK
Painting of the Roman Forum of London from the air
Sunday 12 December 2021 11.30 MONUMENT TUBE VIRTUAL TOUR 7.30pm
This is a virtual sightseeing tour of Roman London accompanied by Ovid, Martial, ex Museum of London Archaeologist Kevin Flude and others. It features the amazing archaeological discoveries of Roman London, and looks at life in the provincial Roman capital of Londinium.
We disembark at the Roman Waterfront by the Roman Bridge, and then explore the lives of the citizens as we walk up to the site of the Roman Town Hall, and discuss Roman politics. We proceed through the streets of Roman London, with its vivid and cosmopolitan street life via the Temple of Mithras to finish with Bread and Circus at the Roman Amphitheatre.
Publius Ovidius Naso and Marcus Valerius Martialis will be helped by Kevin Flude, former Museum of London Archaeologist, Museum Curator and Lecturer.
November 2021
ZEPPELIN NIGHTS – A VIRTUAL WALK FOR REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
Sunday 14 November 2021 6.30pm
We follow the route of a Zeppelin Raid through London. On the way we discover London in World War 1
Oct 2021
MYTHS, LEGENDS, & HALLOWEEN WALK
King Bran’s head buried at Tower Hill
SUNDAY 31st October 2021 2.30pm Tower Hill Underground Station
The walk tells the story of London’s myths and legends and the Celtic origins of Halloween.
The walk is led by Kevin Flude, a former archaeologist at the Museum of London, who has an interest both in the archaeological evidence as well as the myths and legends of London’s origin.
The walk will tell the story of a selection of London’s Myths and Legends, beginning with the tale of London’s legendary origins in the Bronze Age by an exiled Trojan called Brutus. Stories of Bladud, Bellinus, Bran and Arthur will be interspersed with how they fit in with archaeological discoveries.
As we around the City we also look at the origins of Halloween celebrations and how they may have been celebrated in early London The virtual route starts at Tower Hill, then down to the River Thames at Billingsgate, to London Bridge and Southwark Cathedral, to the Roman Forum at the top of Cornhill, into the valley of the River Walbrook, passed the Temple of Mithras, along Cheapside to the Roman Amphitheatre, and finishing up in the shadow of St Pauls.
This is a London Walks Guided Walk. Look at their web site for a list of other of their amazing walks.
REVIEWS (from London Walks website) “Kevin, I just wanted to drop you a quick email to thank you ever so much for your archaeological tours of London! I am so thrilled to have stumbled upon your tours! I have wanted to be an archaeologist since 1978 at the ripe old age of 8 years,… I was told for years that I could not be an archaeologist [for any number of reasons, which I now realise are completely ridiculous!], so I ended up on a different course of study. And now at the age of 50, it is my one great regret in life. So, I am thoroughly enjoying living vicariously through you, the digs you’ve been on, and the history you bring to life for us! British archaeology would have been my specific area of study had I pursued it. ?? Thank you SO MUCH for these! I look forward to them more than you can imagine, and honestly, I’ll be sad if you get them down to 1.5 hours! They’re the best 2 hours of my week! Best, Sue
Sept 2021
RING IN THE EQUINOX VIRTUAL WALK
Druids gathering at Tower Hill on the Equinox
Tuesday 21st September 2021 7.30pm
On this walk we look at London at the Equinox, its calendars, folklore and events associated with the beginning of Autumn
I am preparing my autumn and winter programme of Virtual Tours but am starting with:
THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL WALK Virtual Zoom Walk on Sunday Sept 5th 6.30pm Short Description On the Anniversary of the Great Fire of London we retrace the route of the fire of 1666 from Pudding Lane to Smithfield. Description Along with the Norman Conquest of 1066 and winning the World Cup in 1966 the Great Fire in 1666 are the only dates the British can remember! And we remember the Great Fire because it destroyed one of the great medieval Cities in an epic conflagration that shocked the world.
At Pudding Lane we investigate theories as to how the Fire started, and spread so quickly. At the Monument we look at whom contemporary Londoner’s blamed for the Fire and why they might have started it.
We follow the Fire through the streets, alleys, houses, squares and churchyards of the City and look at the few post-fire buildings that have survived redevelopment. The walk puts the Great Fire in the context of the time – Civil War, anti-catholicism, plague, and the commercial development of London. We also look at Stuart fire fighting techniques and.the rebuilding of the City after the Great Fire.
The walk brings to life 17th Century London, and vividly recreates the drama of the Fire as experienced by eye-witnesses. Route includes: Fish Street Hill, Pudding Lane, Monument, Royal Exchange, Guildhall, Cheapside, St Pauls, Amen Corner, Newgate Street, Smithfield. To Book click here
JUNE 2021
THE PEASANTS REVOLT ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL WALK
Medieval Manuscript of Peasants Revolt at Smithfield
Sunday 13th June 2021 6.30pm
A Virtual Walk tracking the progress of the Peasants as they take control of London
JANE AUSTEN’S VIRTUAL LONDON SENSE & SENSIBILITY WALK
Sunday 20th June 2021 6.30pm
Exactly what it says on the tin. With sense, sensibility, pride but no prejudice we’re on the trail of the great novelist. Jane Austen’s London.
MAY 2021
Night view of the City of London
THE FINANCIAL CITY FROM SLAVERY TO HEDGE FUND VIRTUAL WALK
SUNDAY 30th May 2021 6.30pm
A Virtual Walk in the historic City of London on the development of the Financial City from 16th Century to the present day
London in the 5th Century Reconstruction painting.
THE DECLINE AND FALL OF ROMAN LONDON ARCHAEOLOGY VIRTUAL WALK
Thursday 13th May 2021 6.30pm
An exploration of what happened at the end of the Roman Period, and how the City became deserted, and then, reborn as an English City.
THE LONDON OF THOMAS MORE AND THOMAS CROMWELL.
THE CITY OF WOLF HALL VIRTUAL BOAT TRIP AND WALK
Sunday 16 May 2021 6.30pm
We begin on the River touring by boat the Tudor Palaces that were the backdrop to the drama of Henry’s Court. We then walk around the City to find where the two Thomases lived and died.
The Canterbury Pilgrims PAINTINGS painting Blake, William (1757 – 1827, English) Painting entitled ‘The Canterbury Pilgrims’ by William Blake PC.89
CHAUCER’S LONDON TO CANTERBURY PILGRIMAGE
Sunday 9th May 2021 6.30pm
A Virtual Walk exploring Chaucer’s London, the Canterbury Tales and the route to Canterbury
LONDON BEFORE LONDON – PREHISTORIC LONDON VIRTUAL COACH TOUR
Sunday 25th April 2021 6.30pm
An exploration of London before the foundation of Londinium
Painting of the Roman Forum of London from the air
THE DECLINE AND FALL OF ROMAN LONDON ARCHAEOLOGY VIRTUAL WALK
Sunday 18th April 2021 6.30pm
An exploration of what happened at the end of the Roman Period, and how the City became first deserted, and then a Saxon, German speaking English City.
ROMAN LONDON – ARCHAEOLOGY VIRTUAL TOUR
Sunday 11th April 2021 6.30pm
The virtual walk looks at the amazing archaeological discoveries of Roman Londinium
THE ORIGINS OF LONDON ARCHAEOLOGY WALK
Thursday1st April 2021 6.30pm
The virtual walk looks at the amazing archaeological discoveries that uncovered the many origins of London.
JANE AUSTEN’S VIRTUAL LONDON – A PICTURE OF LONDON 1809 WALK
Sunday 28 March 2021 6.30pm
With the help of a contemporary Guide Book, her letters, and works we explore Austen’s London
ZEPPELIN NIGHTS – A VIRTUAL WALK FOLLOWING THE 1915 BOMBING RAID THROUGH WW1 LONDON
Sunday 14 March 2021 6.30pm
8th of September 1915, the Zeppelin dropped its first bombs near Russell Square and we follow it to its last bomb at Liverpool Street. On the way we discover London in World War 1
THE DECLINE AND FALL OF ROMAN LONDON ARCHAEOLOGY VIRTUAL WALK
Thursday 18th March 2021 6.30pm
An exploration of what happened at the end of the Roman Period, and how the City became deserted, and then, reborn as an English City.
RING IN THE EQUINOX VIRTUAL WALK
Saturday 20th March 2021 7pm
On this walk we look at London at the Equinox, its calendars, folklore and events associated with the beginning of Spring
MYTHS, LEGENDS OF LONDON VIRTUAL GUIDED WALK
Virtual Guided Walk Sunday 21 March 6.30pm
The walk will tell the story of the legendary origins of London as told by Geoffrey of Monmouth.
ROMAN LONDON – A LITERARY & ARCHAEOLOGICAL VIRTUAL WALK
Sunday 17th Jan 2021 6.30pm
The virtual walk looks at the amazing archaeological discoveries of Roman London, and an attempt to bring to life through archaeology and Roman literary sources what it was like to live in a provincial Roman Capital.
THE REBIRTH OF SAXON LONDON ARCHAEOLOGY VIRTUAL WALK
Sunday 24th Jan 2021 6.30pm
An exploration of what happened following the Roman Period. How did a Celtic speaking Latin educated Roman City become, first deserted, then recovered to become the leading City in a germanic speaking Kingdom?
CHAUCER’S MEDIEVAL LONDON VIRTUAL WALK.
Sunday 31st Jan 2021 6.30pm
A Virtual Walk around Medieval London following in the footsteps of its resident medieval poet – Geoffrey Chaucer
THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF LONDON BRIDGE & THE HISTORIC BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK VIRTUAL WALK
Sunday 14 February 2021 6.30pm
The walk explores London Bridge and Southwark which are at the heart of pre-Roman, Roman and Medieval London’s Archaeology
Saturday 20 February 2021 7.00pm
A Virtual Walk around Medieval London following in the footsteps of its resident medieval poet – Geoffrey Chaucer
Sunday 21 February 2021 6.30pm
We begin on the River touring by boat the Tudor Palaces that were the backdrop to the drama of Henry’s Court. We then walk around the City to find where the two Thomases lived and died.
To book https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-london-of-thomas-more-and-thomas-cromwell-wolf-hall-virtual-walk-tickets-136342428875JANE AUSTEN’S VIRTUAL LONDON WALK
Sunday 28 February 2021 6.30pm
Exactly what it says on the tin. With sense, sensibility, pride but no prejudice we’re on the trail of the great novelist. Jane Austen’s London.
A silhouette of a Zeppelin caught in searchlights over the City of London
ZEPPELIN NIGHTS – VIRTUAL WALK FOR REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY Sunday 14 November 2021 6.30pm
We follow the route of a Zeppelin Raid through London. On the way we discover London in World War 1
On the night of September 8th Kapitanleutnant Henreich Mathy pilotted Zeppelin L 13 across Central London dropping bombs as they went. The trail of destruction lead from University College London, via Russell Sq….. to Gray’s Inn, Farringdon St, Smithfield and out past Liverpool Street to the East End. The walk follows the route taken by the Zeppelin and looks at Central London during World War 1.
Before World War One London was the centre of the largest Empire the world had ever known. It was the first great era of globalisation; international trade and finance was booming. London was full of the mega-rich but poverty and sub-standard housing was extensive. Inner London was still the home of Industry, and home to large immigrant communities. Political dissent was widespread with the Labour Party beginning to erode the Liberal Party’s power base, and the issue of suffrage was rocking society. Then, catastrophe as ‘the lights went out all over Europe’.
How would the War affect London? How would Londoners cope with this terrifying new form of warfare – death from above?
We begin our virtual tour at Russell Square Tube and follow the path of the bombing raid to Liverpool Street, looking at London, before, during and after World War One.
I do various walks from time to time, nearly all for London Walks. (A list of all the walks. lectures, study tours I have given can be found here):
JANE AUSTEN’S LONDON
Jane Austen’s London takes place at 2.30 pm on Sunday, July 4th. The meeting point is just outside the Green Park exit (by the fountain) of Green Park Tube.
The walk takes in the area of the London section of Sense and Sensibility. This is where Jane Austen frequented when visiting her banking brother, Henry. He lived here during his ‘successful’ period, after resigning as a Captain in the Militia and setting up a bank to help soldiers pay for their commissions. He then did what all good bankers do – went bankrupt and ruined himself, family and friends. His uncle lost 10,000 pounds; his rich brother, Edward Knight lost £20,000. (that is 2/5ths of the fortune of Willoughby’s wife, and equal to the income of Darcy, 100 times the annual income of Mrs Austen after her husband died) i.e. a heck of a lot of money. Jane lost £13.
But this area was also the centre of the Ton – the wealthy elite of Regency London. It was here that the French Royal family, in exile, hung out, and the haunt of Beau Brummel and Prinny, the Prince Regent, loungers in chief who were so well satirised in the figure of Sir Walter Elliot. This is where the Dandies lounged, leered and shopped. Here the rich could get their guns, swords, cigars, snuff, hats, shoes, tailored clothes, uniforms, wine, prostitutes, lovers. They came to visit art galleries, see panoramas of European Cities, to ‘see’ the invisible women living in her glass jar, to choose their Wedgwood pottery.
And what is astonishing is that this is still where the megarich do exactly the same things: hang out and shop. All the top brands are here, and instead of people like John Willoughy are to be found Russian Oligarchs, and the rich of the Emirates, and every other country in the world. And most marvellously many of the shops survive into the present day. The same shops and shop fronts still in use. They catered to the stupidly wealthy of the 18th Century are now catering for the stupidly wealthy of the 21st Century. This is where you can buy luxury yachts.
So we follow Jane and Henry, and see the ghost traces left by immoral Willoughby, sensible Elinor, overwrought Marianne, dull but nice Edward Ferrars, dull and horrible Robert Ferrars, stolid Colonel Brandon, vulgar but kind Mrs Jennings and her unforgivably vulgar daughter Mrs Palmer with her despairing husband; the Middletons, the Steeles gals ruthlessly working their assets. Plus we have a little look at the relationship between Prinny and Beau Brummel, and the terrible childbed of Princess Ch
THE REBIRTH OF SAXON LONDON ARCHAEOLOGY VIRTUAL WALK
Sunday 4th July 2021 6.30pm
An exploration of what happened following the Roman Period. How did a Celtic speaking Latin educated Roman City become, first deserted, then recovered to become the leading City in a germanic speaking Kingdom?
My first virtual walk took place every Sunday at 2pm in August 2020 and was:Myths, Legends and the Archaeological Origins of London in August 2020 and I have since done:
Sunday 25th October 2020 The Archaeology and Culture of Roman London Virtual Walk. For more details click here.
Sunday 1st November 2020 The Decline and Fall of Dark Age London Archaeology Virtual Walk. For more details click here.
Sunday 8th November 2020 The Rebirth of Saxon London Archaeology Virtual Walk For more details click here.
Sunday 22nd November 2020 Flower of Cities All – Medieval London History & Archaeology Virtual Walk For more details click here.
Sunday 29th November 2020. The London of Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell Virtual Walk For more details click here.
Sunday 6th December 2020 The Financial City from Slavery to Hedge Fund Virtual Walk For more details click here.
Sunday 13 th December 2020 Myths, Legends and the Origins of London Archaeology Virtual Walk . For more details of this walk click here.
THE FINANCIAL CITY FROM SLAVERY TO HEDGE FUND VIRTUAL WALK
SUNDAY 30th May 2021 6.30pm
To book
This walks looks at the development of the City of London as a financial centre. Its origins were among the money lenders of the Jewish and Italian quarters of Old Jewry and Lombard Street. We continue the story with the introduction of the first commercial companies and the Merchant Adventurers of Elizabethan London, alongside the revival of the cruel trade in Slaves. We walk through the alleyways of the City where innovation went side by side with the introduction of Coffee in the Coffee Houses of Stuart London.
We look at the distinctive architecture of the City as we walk around one of the most specialised market places in the world that once prided itself on the virtues of providing face to face contact.. The financial institutions in the City have encountered many changes since the scandal of the South Sea Bubble and it has weathered them all, so far. It was given a huge boast by the ‘Big Bang’ in Mrs Thatcher’s time. But the consequences of the effects of Brexit and Covid on top of the Internet are not yet clear on the City.
THE REBIRTH OF SAXON LONDON ARCHAEOLOGY VIRTUAL WALK
London in the 5th Century Reconstruction painting.
Sunday 4th July 2021 6.30pm
An exploration of what happened following the Roman Period. How did a Celtic speaking Latin educated Roman City become, first deserted, then recovered to become the leading City in a Germanic speaking Kingdom?
