77-603: Aldgate ( / ˈ ɔː l ɡ eɪ t / ) was a gate in the former defensive wall around the City of London . The gate gave its name to Aldgate High Street , the first stretch of the A11 road , that takes that name as it passes through the ancient, extramural Portsoken Ward of the City of London. There is an ancient Aldgate Ward inside the line of the former gate and wall, and a similarly ancient Portsoken Ward that lies just outside of it. However
154-526: A Jewish family in Aldgate. He was author of The Art of Boxing and became an English boxing champion from 1792 to 1795. From 1700 distances into Essex and Middlesex were measured from Aldgate Pump. The original pump was taken down in 1876, and a "faux" pump and drinking fountain was erected several yards to the west of the original; it was supplied by water from the New River . In ancient deeds, Alegate Well
231-476: A Saxon named "Ealh," or reference to foreigners ("el") or oil ("ele") or "awl". Gillian Bebbington, writing in 1972, suggests Alegate, Aelgate ("public gate") or Aeldgate ("Old Gate") as equally viable alternatives, while Weinreb and Hibbert, writing in 1983, revert to Stow's theory that the name means "Old Gate". It is thought that a gate at Aldgate spanned the road to Colchester in the Roman period, when London Wall
308-502: A drainage grating is still in place. As a well, it was mentioned during the reign of King John in the early 13th century. A structure is shown on Braun and Hogenburg's map of 1574, and shown as St Michael’s Well on the Agas map of 1633. John Stow recalled the execution of the Bailiff of Romford on a gibbet 'near the well within Aldgate'. This execution seems to have been carried out on
385-403: A fort, now called Cripplegate fort after the city gate ( Cripplegate ) that was subsequently built on its northern wall later on, in 120–150 The fort was later incorporated into a city-wide defence in the late 2nd or early 3rd century AD, though the reason for such a large and expensive fortification is unknown. The fort's north and west walls were thickened and doubled in height to form part of
462-603: A large garrison, that stood to its north-western side. The fort, now referred to as the Cripplegate Fort , was later incorporated into a comprehensive city-wide defence, with its strengthened northern and western sides becoming part of the Wall which was built around 200. The incorporation of the fort's walls gave the walled area its distinctive shape in the north-west part of the city. The end of Roman rule in Britain , around 410, led to
539-509: A part of this former feature. This seems to have been re-cut in 1213, with the restored ditch being V-cut to a depth of 6 feet and a width of between 9 and 15 feet. The re-cut of the ditch may have diverted some of the waters of the Walbrook which would otherwise have flowed through the city, and the wall itself does appear to have acted like a dam, partially obstructing the Walbrook and leading to
616-618: A replica statue of the Emperor Trajan standing in front of it. There is a further surviving section preserved in the basement of the One America Square building. There are further remains in the basement of the Old Bailey . The layout of the Roman and medieval walls have had a profound effect on the development of London, even down to the present day. The walls constrained the growth of
693-557: Is also used in two phrases which seem to hark back to the epidemic: Charles Dickens refers to the pump in The Uncommercial Traveller , published in 1860: "My day's no-business beckoning me to the East End of London. I had turned my face to that point of the metropolitan compass…and had got past Aldgate Pump." Aldgate Pump was also the name of a song, written by G. W. Hunt for the lion comique Arthur Lloyd in 1869. In
770-482: Is an historic former water pump located at the junction where Aldgate High Street meets Fenchurch Street and Leadenhall Street in the City of London . The pump is considered to be the symbolic start point of the East End of London . The pump is also notable for its long and sometimes dark history, along with its significant cultural references. Aldgate Pump is a Grade II listed structure . The metal wolf head on
847-539: Is commemorated, although now only loosely followed, by the road also named London Wall. The modern road starts in the west with the Rotunda junction at Aldersgate, then runs east past Moorgate , from which point it runs parallel to the line of the City Wall, and eventually becomes Wormwood Street before it reaches Bishopsgate . This alignment, however, is the result of rebuilding between 1957 and 1976. Before this, London Wall
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#1732845433671924-419: Is mentioned, adjoining the City wall, and this may have been the source (of water) for the original pump. A section of the remains of Holy Trinity Priory can be seen through a window in a nearby office block, on the north side. In the 1970s, the historic street pattern in central Aldgate was altered to form one large traffic gyratory at the junction which included Whitechapel High Street and Commercial Road. This
1001-456: Is now bounded by White Kennet Street in the north and Crutched Friars in the south, taking in Leadenhall and Fenchurch Streets . It therefore now includes a small area outside the line of the former walls. The Augustinians priory of Holy Trinity Aldgate was founded by Matilda , the wife of King Henry I , in 1108, on ground just inside the gate. Within Aldgate ward, a short distance to
1078-470: Is prominently marked by a course of paving on the western side of the square. Notable sculptures in Aldgate are the bronze abstract "Ridirich" (1980) by Keith McCarter in the Square between Little Somerset Street and the bus garage on Aldgate High Street; "Sanctuary" (1985) outside the church of St Botolph without Aldgate made of fibreglass by Naomi Blake ; "Column" (1995) cast in bronze by Richard Perry marking
1155-526: Is the closest Docklands Light Railway station. Listed clockwise from the West London Wall The London Wall is a defensive wall first built by the Romans around the strategically important port town of Londinium in c. AD 200, as well as the name of a modern street in the City of London , England. Roman London was, from around 120–150, protected by a large fort, with
1232-632: The Battle of Crecganford ( Crayford , Kent) at the hands of Hengist and Horsa , leaders of the Saxon invaders, in 457. This suggests that London's walls retained some military value, although the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was written many centuries after the Battle of Crayford took place, if it took place at all. From c. 500, an Anglo-Saxon settlement known as Lundenwic developed in the same area slightly to
1309-507: The Court of Aldermen and Commoners (the City equivalent of a councillor ) to the Court of Common Council of the City of London Corporation . Only electors who are Freemen of the City are eligible to stand. The Wards of London appear to have taken shape in the 11th century, before the Norman Conquest. Their administrative, judicial and military purpose made them equivalent to Hundreds in
1386-779: The Devil's Highway to Silchester and Bath, and Watling Street to St Albans and the west midlands. These roads leading over the River Fleet . Fleet Street and the Strand The bastions, towers built against the face of the city wall, are scattered irregularly across its perimeter. Not bonded to the city wall itself, they are considered to be added after the construction of the wall and even later after by post-Roman builders. 21 bastions are currently known about (more may be undiscovered). They can be grouped into: List entry number: 1357518 Scheduled Monument Aldgate Pump Aldgate Pump
1463-554: The Romanesque style by King William the Conqueror and his successors, was on its completion one of the longest churches in Europe . Winchester had previously been the capital of Anglo-Saxon England, but from this time on, London was the main forum for foreign traders and the base for defence in time of war. In the view of Frank Stenton : "It had the resources, and it was rapidly developing
1540-620: The Second Great Fire of London . Bomb damage revealed a section of wall at Noble Street, near the Museum of London . In 1957, a 64-metre section of the wall was uncovered during works on the London Wall road; the section was then destroyed to accommodate the road changes and to make way for a new car park. An 11-metre section has been preserved. In 1984, the Museum of London set up a Wall Walk from
1617-899: The Swiss Re Building) now occupies the site, and the Baltic Exchange is located at 38 St Mary Axe. The ward today is dominated by the insurance industry, with several brokers and underwriters based there; prominent buildings include the Lloyd's Register building, 30 St Mary Axe, the Willis Building and the London Metal Exchange . Three churches are located in Aldgate ward: St. Botolph's , St Katharine Cree (1631) and St Andrew Undershaft (1532) – administered from St. Helen's in Lime Street ward . The Bevis Marks Synagogue (1699),
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#17328454336711694-531: The Whitechapel area of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets . The stretch of Whitechapel High Street extending as far as Gardiners Corner , and including Aldgate East tube station is also occasionally referred to as part of Aldgate. The church of St Botolph's Aldgate stands just outside the position of the former gate, and was in place by 1115, though some traditions suggest an earlier origin. In about 1420
1771-484: The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was founded in Aldgate, but it later moved to nearby Whitechapel . The foundry continued to supply bells to churches in the city, including the rebuilt church of St Botolph without Aldgate in 1744. During the late 16th-century, an immigrant from Antwerp named Jacob Jansen (d. 1593) established a pottery producing English Delftware at Aldgate. A Jewish community developed in
1848-670: The oldest in the United Kingdom , is also located in the ward, on Bevis Marks . John Cass 's school, where a plaque records the former course of London Wall, is sited on the north side of Aldgate (the street). The nearest London Underground station is Aldgate on the Circle and Metropolitan lines ; nearby Aldgate East is served today by the District and Hammersmith & City lines . Nearby mainline railway stations are located at Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street , and Tower Gateway
1925-419: The 16th century, John Stow derived the name from "Old Gate" (Aeld Gate). However, Henry Harben, writing in 1918, contended that this was wrong and that documents show that the "d" is missing in documents written before 1486–87. Alternative meanings include "Ale Gate" in connection with a putative ale-house or "All Gate" meaning the gate was free to all. Other possibilities canvassed by Harben include reference to
2002-602: The 180s. This may be linked to the political crisis that emerged in the late 2nd century when the governor of Britain Clodius Albinus was consolidating his power after claiming the right of succession as Roman emperor . After a struggle with his rival Septimius Severus , Albinus was defeated in 197 at the Battle of Lugdunum (near Lyon , France). The economic stimulus provided by the wall and Septimius's subsequent campaigns in Scotland improved Londinium's financial prosperity in
2079-508: The 18th century onward, the expansion of the City of London saw large parts of the wall demolished, including its city gates, to improve traffic flow. Since the Second World War , conservation efforts have helped to preserve surviving sections of the city wall as scheduled monuments . The long presence of the walls has had a profound and continuing effect on the character of the City of London, and surrounding areas. The walls constrained
2156-481: The Roman period. The end of Roman rule in Britain in c. 410 resulted in the wall slowly falling into disrepair, though the survival of Romano-British culture in the area is indicated by the settlement in the nearby St Martin-in-the-Fields area of Westminster , which persisted until around 450. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle notes that the Romano-British retreated back to London after their bloody defeat at
2233-588: The Scandinavians would establish Danelaw . In the same year, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recorded that London was "refounded" by Alfred. Archaeological research shows that this involved abandonment of Lundenwic and a revival of life and trade within the old Roman walls. This was part Alfred's policy of building an in-depth defence of the Kingdom of Wessex against the Vikings as well as creating an offensive strategy against
2310-485: The Thames, both commercial and otherwise, so it may have reflected a diminished level of activity within the city. It is not clear how long the riverside wall survived, but there are references to a part of it near the dock of Queenhithe , in two charters of 889 and 898. There is currently no evidence of post-Roman restoration, so surviving sections are not likely to have been part, or an important part, of defences much after
2387-455: The Thames. They did this in stages between 1284 and 1320, extending the walled area as far as the River Fleet so that it enclosed their precinct. The westward extension is likely to have improved the defensibility of Ludgate. In the medieval period the developed area of the city was largely confined to the City Wall, but there was extramural development, especially in the large western ward of Farringdon Without . The wall provided security but
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2464-468: The Tower of London to the museum, using 23 tiled panels. A number of these have been destroyed in subsequent years. At Noble Street, the panels were replaced by etched glass panels. These were intended as a prototype for new panels along the entire walk, but no further replacements have been made. One of the largest and most readily accessed fragments of the wall stands just outside Tower Hill tube station , with
2541-611: The Vikings who controlled Mercia . The burh of Southwark was also created on the south bank of the River Thames during this time. The city walls of London were repaired as the city slowly grew until about 950 when urban activity increased dramatically. A large Viking army that attacked the London burgh was defeated in 994. By the 11th century, London was beyond all comparison the largest town in England. Old St Paul's Cathedral , rebuilt in
2618-495: The area after Oliver Cromwell invited the Jews to return to England. They established London's oldest synagogue at Bevis Marks in 1698, In 1773 Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatley , the first book by an African American was published in Aldgate after her owners could not find a publisher in Boston , Massachusetts. Daniel Mendoza was born in 1764 to
2695-530: The attackers. While he was a customs official, from 1374 until 1386 - including the period of the Great Rising, Geoffrey Chaucer occupied apartments above the gate, where he wrote some of his poems. London's aldermen had first conceived of renting unneeded space over the City gates earlier in the century. Although keenly sought after due to their location, the rooms "were built for military occupancy and remained rough-hewn [and] nonprivate". Chaucer likely occupied
2772-455: The church of St Botolph without Aldgate , was opened on 15 June 2018 by the Lord Mayor of the City of London. The cafe on the square, Portsoken Pavilion (named after the extramural Portsoken ward), was designed by Make, architects of the award-winning Visitor Information Centre at St Paul's Cathedral . The alignment of the former London Wall , and with it the start of the East End of London,
2849-538: The city's jurisdiction was marked by "city bars", toll gates which were situated just beyond the old walled area; Holborn Bar , Temple Bar , West Smithfield Bar , and Whitechapel Bar. These were the important entrances to the city and their control was vital in maintaining the city's special privileges over certain trades. During the Great Fire of London in September 1666, almost all of the medieval City of London inside
2926-408: The city, and the location of the limited number of gates and the route of the roads through them shaped development within the walls, and in a much more fundamental way, beyond them. With a few exceptions, the parts of the modern road network heading into the former walled area are the same as those which passed through the former medieval gates. Part of the route originally taken by the northern wall
3003-454: The countryside. The primary purpose of Wards like Aldgate, which included a gate, appears to be the defence of the gate, as gates were the weakest points in any fortification. The historic City ward is bounded on the east by the line of the former London Wall , effectively parallel with Houndsditch , which separates it from the Portsoken ward. Since major boundary changes in 2013, the ward
3080-467: The dignity and the political self-consciousness appropriate to a national capital." The size and importance of London led to the redevelopment of the city's defences. During the early medieval period – following the Norman Conquest of England – the walls underwent substantial work that included crenellations , additional gates and further towers and bastions. Aside from the seven City Wall gates and
3157-475: The dubious basis that he was involved in Kett's Rebellion of 1549. Served by one of London's many underground streams, the water was praised for being "bright, sparkling, and cool, and of an agreeable taste". These qualities were later found to be derived from decaying organic matter from adjoining graveyards, and the leaching of calcium from the bones of the dead in many new cemeteries in north London through which
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3234-448: The early 3rd century. The wall's gateways coincided with their alignment to the British network of Roman roads . The original gates, clockwise from Ludgate in the west to Aldgate in the east, were: Ludgate , Newgate , Cripplegate , Bishopsgate and Aldgate . Aldersgate , between Newgate and Cripplegate, was added around 350. Moorgate , initially just a postern i.e. a secondary gate,
3311-469: The end of Fish Street Hill. The constructions advancing around 115 feet (35 m) into the River Thames took place between the late 1st and mid-3rd centuries, highlighting that between these periods no wall stood against the river. After Londinium was raided on several occasions by Saxon pirates in the late 3rd century, construction of an additional riverside wall, built in phases, began in 280 and
3388-480: The entrance to Petticoat Lane Market at the southern end of Middlesex Street; and six hurtling bronze horses (2015) by Hamish Mackie in the piazza at Goodman's Fields. In 2013 in Minories, Aldgate – on the last day of excavations – archaeologists found a 1,900-year-old Roman sculpture from the late 1st or early 2nd century AD in what was Roman London's "Eastern Cemetery". "The Minories Eagle", hailed by experts as one of
3465-424: The former eastern walls and gates of the City are taken as the usual start point of the East End, but the pump lies just inside the site of the former Aldgate . The pump is a suitable symbolic start point for several reasons: East of Aldgate Pump is a term used to apply to the East End or East London as a whole, as in the old slur "East of Aldgate Pump, people cared for nothing but drink, vice and crime". It
3542-465: The four bars, there are the 13 water-gates on the Thames where goods were unloaded from ships. These include Billingsgate and Bridge Gate. Additionally there were pedestrian-only gates such as the Tower Hill Postern at Tower Hill . A further medieval defensive feature was the restoration of the defensive ditch immediately adjacent to the outside of the wall. The street name Houndsditch recalls
3619-427: The gates on London Bridge ). Some wards – Aldersgate , Bishopsgate and Cripplegate – cover an area that was both within and outside the wall; although not split into separate wards, often the part (or " division ") within the Wall is denoted (on maps, in documents, etc.) as being "within" and the part outside the Wall as being "without". Archaically infra (within) and extra (without) were also used and
3696-405: The growth of the city, and the location of the limited number of gates and the route of the roads through them shaped development within the walls, and more fundamentally, beyond them. With few exceptions, the modern roads heading into the former walled area are the same as those which passed through the former medieval gates. It has origins as an initial mound wall and ditch from c. AD 100 and
3773-479: The hooks remaineth yet. Also there hath been two portcullisses; the one of them remaineth, the other wanteth, but the place of letting down is manifest". The gate was removed in 1761 in order to improve traffic flow. The historical and cultural significance of the gate led local antiquarian Ebenezer Mussell to buy the gates stones (or some of them) and also the reliefs. The materials were used to extend his home at Bethnal Green. The reliefs were prominently displayed and
3850-587: The house renamed Aldgate House . The house was in turn cleared to make way for development between 1807 and 1811. The site, on what is now known as Victoria Park Square has since been redeveloped again, and is now the site of the 'Church of our Lady of the Assumption'. The originally Roman A11 Road, once known as the Great Essex Road , is known as Aldgate High Street as it passes through the Portsoken Ward, and
3927-503: The marshy conditions at the open space of Moorfields , just north of the wall. As London continued to grow throughout the medieval period, urban development grew beyond the city walls. This expansion led to the suffix words "Without" and "Within" which denote whether an area of the City – and usually applied to the wards – fell outside or within the London Wall, though only Farringdon and (formerly) Bridge were split into separate wards this way (Bridge Without falling beyond
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#17328454336714004-467: The new city wall. The incorporation of the fort's walls gave the walled area its distinctive shape in the north-west part of the city. It continued to be developed until at least the end of the 4th century, making it among the last major building projects undertaken by the Romans before the Roman departure from Britain in 410. Reasons for its construction may have been connected to the invasion of northern Britain by Picts who overran Hadrian's Wall in
4081-584: The north of the gate, Jews settled from 1181, until their expulsion in 1290 by King Edward I . The area became known as Old Jewry. Jews were welcomed back by Oliver Cromwell , and once again they settled in the area, founding London's oldest synagogue at Bevis Marks in 1698. On 10 April 1992 the Provisional IRA detonated a bomb close to the Baltic Exchange , severely damaging the historic building and neighbouring structures. 30 St Mary Axe (formerly
4158-408: The outer wall was 6 ft 7 in (2 m) deep and up to 16 ft (5 m) wide. There were at least 22 towers spaced about 210 ft (64 m) apart on the eastern section of the wall. Excavation work has traced a significant development of 980 feet (300 m) of timber-framed waterfronts to the east and west of the modern site of London Bridge, with a piece of wooden bridge found at
4235-575: The pump's spout is supposed to signify the last wolf shot in the City of London. Historic photographs show that the pump was surmounted by an ornate wrought iron lantern. During the 20th century this was removed, but was recreated by the Bottega Prata workshop in Bologna, Italy, during its restoration by the Heritage of London Trust, unveiled in September 2019. The pump can no longer be used to draw water, but
4312-551: The rarest and finest artefacts ever unearthed in Britain would have stood in a niche in a mausoleum above the tomb of a very powerful and wealthy man. Carved in Cotswold oolitic stone and rich in iconography it shows an exquisitely carved and outstandingly preserved eagle with a serpent in its beak. It was exhibited at the Museum of London in October 2013. Aldgate is one of 25 wards in the City of London , each electing an Alderman to
4389-506: The second historic gate, Aldgate – Gate 2. These would have led onto the Roman road network toward Essex and East Anglia via Stratford and Colchester . In present times the roads Leadenhall Street and Fenchurch Street lead into Aldgate High Street, where the gate's foundations are buried roughly where the Jewry Street intersects. Following the wall north, it runs between what is now The Aldgate School and Aldgate Square. From Aldgate,
4466-495: The single tower on the south end of the gate. A 1585 sketch of Aldgate's north tower reveals an interior room of approximately 16 by 14 foot (4.9 by 4.3 m); its southern sibling probably had similar dimensions. The space would have been "cramped, cold, rudimentary in its sanitary arrangements, and (perhaps most seriously in the case of a writer) ill lit, even at midday". In his Survey of London (1598), John Stow wrote that Aldgate "hath had two pair of gates, though now but one;
4543-466: The stream ran from Hampstead. On its relocation in 1876, the New River Company changed the supplies to mains water. Fenchurch Street railway station was built in 1841 upon the site of Aldgate Pump Court. As the City of London developed, it is thought to have been taken down and moved a short distance to the west, to its current location in 1876, as a result of road widening. The line of
4620-510: The surrounding landscape, revealed numerous parts of the London Wall. At 00:15 on 28 August 1940, during the pre-wave of bombing before the Blitz, buildings and parts of the wall were destroyed between Fore Street and St. Alphage's churchyard gardens around Cripplegate . This revealed parts of the wall unseen for over 300 years as the rubble of buildings destroyed around it were removed. On 29 December 1940, heavy bombing led to conditions known as
4697-518: The terms "intramural" and "extramural" are also used to describe being within or outside the walled part of the city. The suffix is applied to some churches and parishes near the city gateways, such as St Audoen within Newgate and St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate . Edward I gave the Dominican Friars (or Black Friars) permission to demolish and re-route the section of City wall between Ludgate and
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#17328454336714774-471: The use of Aldgate as a place name typically applies to this extramural area around Aldgate High Street. The High Street is around 290 metres (950 feet) long. Due to the road geography, and its historic interest, the Aldgate Pump , a few metres inside the position of the former gate is also usually included. Immediately east of Aldgate High Street the road becomes known as Whitechapel High Street as it enters
4851-477: The use of the Aldgate and Portsoken Wards as everyday place names is very limited. Consequently, the use of Aldgate as a place name is informal, and typically applies to the Portsoken Ward, especially the central area around Aldgate High Street. Aldgate High Street is 2.3 miles (3.7 km) east of Charing Cross . The etymology of the name "Aldgate" is uncertain. It is first recorded in 1052 as Æst geat ("east gate") but had become Alegate by 1108. Writing in
4928-464: The wall falling into disrepair. It was restored in the late Anglo-Saxon period, a process generally thought to have begun under Alfred the Great after 886. Repairs and enhancements continued throughout the medieval period. The wall largely defined the boundaries of the City of London until the later Middle Ages , when population rises and the development of towns around the city blurred the perimeter. From
5005-574: The wall partially obstructing the flow of the Walbrook . Moorgate remained ill-connected with no direct approach road from the south until 1846, some time after the wall had been demolished. London Wall, the modern road following this section of the wall, now crosses this gate's foundations. Leading north from here are routes into Finsbury. Route to the London Charterhouse , Clerkenwell and Islington . With direct access to more local routes. High Holborn and Oxford Street , with access via
5082-517: The wall then ran North-West toward Gate 3, Bishopsgate. The road through this would have led onto the Roman road network toward leading to Lincoln and York . The current road, the A10 going north, now goes over the foundations of this gate. From Bishopsgate going along the northern section of wall leads to Gate 4; Moorgate. Until 1415 this was a small postern leading into the marshy Moorfields area of Finsbury . The wet conditions were probably caused by
5159-514: The wall was destroyed, but the wall and gates survived. The seven gates to the City of London, with many repairs and rebuilding over the years, stood until they were all demolished between 1760 and 1767. Work to demolish the walls continued into the 19th century; however, large sections of the wall were incorporated into other structures. The Blitz during the Second World War, through the sheer scale of bombing and destruction of buildings and
5236-557: The west of the abandoned Roman city, in the vicinity of the Strand . In 886 the King of Wessex , Alfred the Great , formally agreed to the terms of the Danish warlord , Guthrum , concerning the area of political and geographical control that had been acquired by the incursion of the Vikings. Within the eastern and northern part of England, with its boundary roughly stretching from London to Chester ,
5313-401: Was "fortified with porticullises and chained" in 1377 due to concerns about potential attacks by the French. Aldgate's defensive functions are known to have been tested twice. Firstly during the Great Rising in the summer of 1381 when thousands of insurgents from the surrounding region, assisted by sympathisers within and without, entered the City through Aldgate, unopposed. The second breach
5390-404: Was a constraint to accessibility and growth. The extent of the city's jurisdiction has changed little from 1000 to the modern day; but the extramural parts were long home to only a few people. A notable late change to the boundary appears to be that Stow's Survey of London suggests that the part of Moorfields next to the wall was still, in 1603, outside the city's jurisdiction. The boundary of
5467-499: Was built later still, in the medieval period. The length and size of the wall made it one of the biggest construction projects in Roman Britain. It had gateways, towers and defensive ditches, and was built from Kentish ragstone , which was brought by barge from quarries near Maidstone . It was 2 miles (3.2 km) long, enclosing an area of about 330 acres (130 ha). It was 8 to 10 ft (2.5 to 3 m) wide and up to 20 ft (6 m) high. The ditch or fossa in front of
5544-402: Was constructed. The gateway – which probably had two circular towers – stood at the corner of the modern Duke's Place, on the east side of the city, with a busy thoroughfare passing through it. The gate was rebuilt between 1108 and 1147, again in 1215, and reconstructed completely between 1607 and 1609 "in a more classical and less functional style". Like London's other gates, Aldgate
5621-497: Was demolished to expand the fortification of the Tower. This followed on with a junction at the Tower of London's moat to the Tower Hill Postern , Gate 1, a medieval fortified entrance. The foundation to this entrance can still be seen today within the Tower Hill pedestrian subway. Other large sections of the wall can also be seen further ahead within the Tower Hill gardens. The wall from Tower Hill then runs east of Walbrook toward
5698-542: Was during the Siege of London , in the spring of 1471, when troops led by the Bastard of Fauconberg forced the gate, but were penned in and defeated in the small open space inside the gate. It has been argued that Aldgate's defenders deliberately allowed the vanguard of Fauconberg's men to through the gate in order that the portcullis could be lowered behind them; allowing the defenders to trap and defeat in detail that proportion of
5775-627: Was followed by office development on the traffic island at the centre, and a network of underground subways was constructed to provide pedestrian access beneath the one-way system and to provide a link to the London Underground stations. This led to parts of Aldgate being protected in the Whitechapel High Street Conservation Area and there are numerous listed buildings. Aldgate Square, a new public square sited between two heritage listed buildings, The Aldgate School and
5852-490: Was narrower, and ran behind the line of the City Wall for its entire length, from Wormwood Street to Wood Street. The western section is now St Alphage Garden. The eastern section of the wall starts in what is now the Tower of London . Within the grounds of the Tower remains of the eastern most wall can still be seen along with a line in the paths heading North within the Tower grounds to outline where it used to run before most of it
5929-554: Was repaired c. 390. The existence of this riverside section was long doubted due to a lack of evidence, but excavations at the Tower of London in 1977 showed that the section of the inner curtain wall between the Lanthorne and Wakefield Towers, to the south of the White Tower , was originally the eastern part of the Roman riverside wall that was built or rebuilt in the late 4th century. The riverside wall may have limited access to
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