Londinium has not quite disappeared
London’s ancient defences are not conspicuous, although their position is still recognisable on the map in the names of streets such as London Wall and Houndsditch. You can walk around the City for a long time without noticing them, and then unexpectedly chance upon a high wall of rough stonework.
The first Roman trading post on the site that is now the City of London was not protected by a wall. This made it easier for the tribal queen Boudicca to burn Londinium to the ground in AD 60. The three-mile-long, six-metre-high Roman wall was probably not constructed until around the year 200. 85,000 tons of stone were transported from Kent for the purpose. Six city gates were the starting points for roads that led to all parts of the province of Britannia. Through periods of decay and rebuilding, most of the wall that encircled the Roman settlement stood for over 1500 years. In the Middle Ages a further gate was built. Towers, parapets and walkways were added, but the basis of the defences was still the Roman wall. The gates were rebuilt again and again, then demolished in 1760 in order to widen the roads.
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Address Tower Hill, EC3N 4AB | Public Transport Tower Hill (Circle, District Line) | Tip Excellent exhibitions in the Museum of London bring Roman Londinium back to life (London Wall, daily 10am–6pm).
In the south-east corner of the fortified area, where William the Conqueror built the Tower, an imposing stretch of the old wall still stands. The Roman stonework stands to a height of 4.40 metres here. The two metres at the top date from the Middle Ages. Originally, the rubble core of the wall was clad with smooth-faced masonry, interspersed with layers of red tiles for stability, but the good-looking stones of the outer shell were plundered and re-used elsewhere over the centuries, leaving the wall with its present rough appearance. In this spot by the Tower, a little garden with a statue of Emperor Trajan lends dignity to the remains. More stretches of wall, including bastions and a moat, can be seen in the Barbican and near the Museum of London.
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