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chase indicate that there was an upper floor and perhaps also a parapet on the roof. Nothing is known for certain about the tower north of the gateway except the information that can be gleaned from cartographic sources, all of which postdate the collapse of the southern tower. Some believe that the
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The Tower of London moat was dug in around 1270 as part of a scheme to extend the Tower, and part of the London Wall was demolished to make room for the expanded Tower and Moat. The postern at the edge of the moat, at the wall's new terminal point was probably built soon after, most likely in the
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period 1297-1308. The southern tower, which was built from Caen stone, partially collapsed in either 1431 or 1440, sliding vertically down three metres into the Tower Moat. The tower remained standing and though functionally impaired remained in use. There was a subsequent degree of re-building.
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The medieval postern gate by the Tower of London, David Whipp, Museum of London
Archaeology Service, Section 2.2 discusses the weak sources. Stow used the date 1440 while the Chronicle of William Gregory is the ultimate source for 1431. The MoLaS guide suggests there may have been more than one
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around 1297-1308, and no reason for there to have been a gateway there before the expansion of the Tower of London. There are a number of circumstantial arguments including arguments based on road alignments, records of parochial disputes and indirect references by
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northern and surviving southern towers existed at the same time, while others think the northern tower was erected subsequently, to compensate for the loss of the southern tower.
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The southern tower included a ground floor and a cellar, thought to have been reached by a ladder. The cellar had a window overlooking the moat. The remains of a stairwell and a
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to indicate that there may have been a gateway further south that was replaced when much of the wall was demolished as part of the expansion of the Tower.
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moat. The size of the gateway indicates that it was suitable for pedestrians and horsemen but not wide enough to accommodate wagons, carts or carriages.
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The foundations of the southern tower, which sunk into the moat, were excavated in 1979 and can be seen in the Tower Hill underpass.
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The
Postern in context - the Postern, coloured red, is at the end of the London Wall, just above the moat on the picture.
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The medieval postern gate by the Tower of London, David Whipp, Museum of London
Archaeology Service, Section 3.3
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The medieval postern gate by the Tower of London, David Whipp, Museum of London
Archaeology Service, Section 2.1
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The medieval postern gate by the Tower of London, David Whipp, Museum of London
Archaeology Service, Section 3.2
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The medieval postern gate by the Tower of London, David Whipp, Museum of London
Archaeology Service, Section 2
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There is no evidence for a gateway on the site earlier than the building erected by
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Parishes, Churches, Wards and Gates in
Eastern London. Jeremy Haslam.
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https://www.colat.org.uk/_assets/doc/london-wall-walk-guide.pdf
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https://www.colat.org.uk/_assets/doc/london-wall-walk-guide.pdf
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The Tower of London, the
Official Illustrated History
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269:Buildings and structures in the City of London
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24:) at the eastern terminal point to the
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47:Foundations of the Tower Hill Postern
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105:London Borough of Tower Hamlets
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136:51.50943°N 0.07595°W
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263:Categories
151:References
124:51°30′34″N
84:portcullis
127:0°04′33″W
78:Structure
58:Edward I
111:Remains
91:Setting
69:History
22:postern
16:The
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