WALLS & GATEWAYS

The Barbican

The Barbican was an alternative strong point to the Tower of London in the City of London's fortifications. It was demolished in the 13^thC by King Henry III. This action underscored the importance of the Tower, which could be reinforced from the Thames in a way that the Barbican could not.

It is reputed that it is possible to see the remains of the Barbican gateway from a car park that is not accessible to the public.

See Also: THE TOWER OF LONDON

The Demolition of The City Wall and Gateways

Until the middle of the 18^thC the wall was kept in good repair. However, Britain's great military successes during the Seven Years War led the City authorities to express their confidence in their own safety. This took the form of demolishing the city gateways and much of the wall. The stone was used for other buildings. For the most part, these, in their turn, have also been demolished.

Location: Aldersgate, EC2Y 8AA (orange, purple)

Aldgate, EC3N 1RE (purple, yellow)

Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY (red, yellow)

Cripplegate, EC2Y 8DA (orange, brown)

Ludgate, EC4M 7LQ (orange, orange)

Moorgate, EC2R 6EJ (purple, yellow)

Newgate, EC1A 7AA (blue, pink)

Aldgate

Ebenezer Mussell (d.1764) was a keen antiquarian who leased a large house in Bethnal Green. In 1760 he bought the material of the demolished Aldgate and re-erected the structure as part of his house.

Location: Victoria Park Square, c.E2 9PB. Probably close to the northern end of the green's eastern side. (red, turquoise)

The Gateways

The City of London's wall was two miles long. The original Roman structure was built in the late 2^ndC. The City's original four gateways were Aldgate, Bishopsgate, Ludgate, and Newgate; Cripplegate was a gate between the Roman fort and the City; the stronghold had a western gate. In the 4^thC this was walled up and Aldersgate was created.

Aldgate was maintained by one of the monastic houses; no toll was charged for using it. The Bishop was the Bishop of London, who had a country seat at Bethnal Green. Cripple is of Latin derivation and means covered way. Lud was a side gate.

The Saxon saint St Botolph had strong associations with travelling. Hence, there were at one time churches dedicated to him by each of the City's four gateways.

During the medieval period a number of other gateways were constructed: Moorgate and the postern gates at the Tower of London and Aldermanbury.

The Holbein Gate

The Holbein Gate (1532) stood between Whitehall and Parliament Street connecting the eastern and western portions of Whitehall Palace. Its name derives from an opinion that the artist Hans Holbein (c.1497-1543) designed it. The picturesque structure was demolished in 1759 to allow traffic to flow more freely.

The front of Sir William Whitfield's (1920-2019) Department of Health Building (1987) echoes the long-demolished Gate.

Location: Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, SW1A 2NS (purple, pink)

Roman City Walls

To the east of Tower Hill Underground Station there is a section of the city walls that was built in 200 A.D. by the Romans. In part, their purpose was financial. Walls forced traders to take their goods through the walls gates and at the gates customs could be levied.

London s City wall acted as a fire break for the suburbs that lay outside of them.

Location: Tower Hill Underground Station, Trinity Square, EC3N 4DJ (purple, turquoise)

See Also: ROMAN REMAINS

St John's Gate

The original structure was five-storeys-tall. Much of the structure was remodelled by the Victorians. Order of St John Museum.

Location: St John s Lane, EC1M 4DA (blue, purple)

The Temple Bar

The Temple Bar marked the City of London's western edge. The first known reference to it dates from the late 13^thC. Originally, the Bar was a gate.

On state occasions that require the sovereign to be present in the City, s/he asks the Lord Mayor of London for permission to enter its boundaries and then receives the Sword of State from the official, which is returned to her/him at the end of the visit. The ceremony dates back to 1588 when Queen Elizabeth I went to St Paul's Cathedral to give thanks for the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

The Temple Bar arch (1672) was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The structure, like the Monument in the City's south-eastern corner, symbolised London's rebirth in the wake of the Great Fire of 1666.

With time, the arch became a barrier to the free flow of traffic. In 1878 it was dismantled and stored in a builder's yard. Eleven years later its stones were bought by the brewer Sir Henry Meux, who had them re-erected on his country estate at Theobalds, near Cheshunt in Hertfordshire. In 2004 the Bar was re-assembled upon a site to the north of the entrance of St Paul's Cathedral.

Former Location: Strand, WC2R 1DA (red, brown)

Location: St Paul's Churchyard, EC4M 8AD (purple, red)

Website: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/attractions-museums-entertainment/temple-bar

David Backhouse 2024