Tower Hill Postern Gate

Our journey begins at the extreme South East side of the old city wall, directly
adjacent to the Tower of London. The remains are actually of a medieval gatehouse
which would have been built into the side of the Tower of Londons moat. Although
there is limited archaeological evidence to show that the gatehouse was built on the
site of a much older Roman gate, most historians are agreed that this was probably
the case.
What we do know is that the medieval gatehouse had a most troubled history. Built
with sub-standard foundations, and due to its proximity to the Towers moat, the
gate was not of sound construction and subsequently started to crumble and
partially collapse in 1440. Perhaps the best description of this event is by John Stow
in his A Survey of London 1603:
But the Southside of this gate being then by undermining at the foundation loosed,
and greately weakned, at length, to wit, after 200. yeares and odde the same fell
downe in the yeare 1440.
Stow goes on to write a rather damming indictment of those who rebuilt the
gatehouse:
Such was their negligence then, and hath bred some trouble to their successors,
since they suffered a weake and wooden building to be there made, inhabited by
persons of lewde life
It was no doubt due to these lewde life squatters that by the 18th century the
gatehouse had crumbled and disappeared into the ground. It was to remain hidden
until excavations in 1979.
2.
Located in the garden to the east of the Tower Hill underpass (heading towards the DLR station) stands
one of the highest remaining fragments of the old city wall. What is interesting about this section of the
wall is that the Roman sections are clearly visible towards the base of the wall, up to about 4 metres high.
The rest of the stonework is of medieval origins, and stands today at a height of around 10 metres.
In its heyday this section of the Roman Wall would have stood at around 6 metres high, with this eastern
section including a high density of bastions. On the other side of the wall would have been a deep ditch
providing additional defensive measures. This ditch would have both enhanced the height of the wall from
the exterior, whilst also turning the ground into a water laden bog.
During the medieval period this area was the site of Tower Hill scaffold, where dangerous criminals,
pirates and political dissidents were publicly beheaded. Among the people beheaded just to the West of
the old Roman wall were Sir Thomas More, Guilford Dudley (the husband of Lady Jane Grey) and Lord
Lovat (the last man to be executed in this way in England).

Museum of London Tower

Continuing through the gardens youll notice the much larger remains of another tower. Originally built in
the mid-13th century, this tower was part of a substantial renovation designed to reinforce the defences of
the old Roman Wall. John Stow notes this event in his A Survey of London published in 1598:
In the yeare 1257. Henrie the third caused the walles of this Citie, which was sore decaied and destitute of
towers, to be repaired in more seemely wise then before, at the common charges of the Citie.
Although originally built as a defensive tower, it was not long until the rapidly expanding City of London
began to encroach. By the late medieval period the tower had been repurposed as a house, with arrow

slits becoming windows and arches becoming doors (see the plan below, courtesy of the Museum of
London).
By the 18th century the old city limits of London had been overrun, and buildings were being constructed
against both sides of the old tower, essentially shielding it from view. It remained this way for almost 200
years, until bombing in 1940 revealed the tower once again.

Trade and commerce grew steadily during the Middle Ages, and London grew rapidly
as a result. In 1100 London's population was little more than 15,000. By 1300 it had
grown to roughly 80,000. Trade in London was organised into various guilds, which
effectively controlled the city, and elected the Lord Mayor of London.
The government of the city was by a Lord Mayor and council elected from the ranks
of the merchant guilds. These guilds effectively ran the city and controlled
commerce. Each guild had its own hall and their own coat of arms, but there was
also the Guildhall (1411-40) where representatives of the various guilds met in
common.

Many of the streets in the city were named after the particular trade which practiced
there. For example, Threadneedle Street was the tailor's district, Bread Street had
bakeries, and on Milk Street cows were kept for milking. There was also a very active
livestock market at Smithfield.
The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the premier Livery Company of the City of London and
ranks first in the order of precedence of the Companies. It is the first of the Great Twelve City Livery
Companies.[1] Although of even older origin, the Company was incorporated under a Royal Charter in
1394, the Company's earliest extant Charter. The Company's aim was to act as a trade
association for general merchants, and especially for exporters of wool and importers of velvet, silk
and other luxurious fabrics (mercers). By the 16th century many members of the Company had lost
any connection with the original trade. Today, the Company exists primarily as a charitable institution,
supporting a variety of causes. The Company's motto is Honor Deo, Latin for "Honour to God".
The Worshipful Company of Grocers is one of the 110 Livery Companies of the City of London and
ranks second in order of precedence.
Established in 1345, the Grocers comprise one of London's Great Twelve City Livery Companies.

The guild was known as the Company of Grossers from 1373 until 1376 when it was
renamed the Company of Grocers of London. In 1428, two years after building its
first hall in Old Jewry, the Company was granted a Royal Charter by King Henry VI of
England.[2] One of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, it ranks second in the
Companies order of precedence after the Mercers' Company. It is said that the
Grocers' Company used to be first in the order, until Queen Elizabeth I, as Honorary
Master of the Mercers' Company, found herself in procession, after her coronation
behind the Grocers' camel which was emitting unfortunate smells; as a result, the
Mercers were promoted.

Today, the Grocers' Company exists as a charitable, constitutional and ceremonial

institution which plays a significant role in the election of and supporting the Lord
Mayor and the Sheriffs of the City of London. The Company's motto is "God Grant

Grace".[2] The Company also provides banqueting and conference facilities at

Grocers' Hall situated in Prince's Street, next to the Bank of England.[3][4]
The Grocers' first hall in Old Jewry was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666 and
replaced by a new building within the old walls, paid for largely by its liverymen. This
second hall existed until 1802, when the Company's needs for a more spacious and
satisfactory base meant a third hall was constructed. However, frequent and
extensive repairs were required due to defective foundations in the building, which
was replaced by a fourth hall, completed in 1893 on Prince's Street. The hall
survived the Blitz with only minor damage to its north wing, but was almost
completely destroyed by a fire in 1965, apparently caused by a lightbulb left on in
the grand staircase beneath an oak lintel which smouldered and eventually caught
fire. A fifth and final hall was constructed nearby in 1970, also on Prince's Street,
which remains the Grocers' home today.

The present Master Grocer for 2014-15 is James Roundell[5] and the Company's
Clerk is Brigadier Robert Pridham.[6]
The Worshipful Company of Drapers is one of the 110 livery companies of the City of
London. It has the formal name The Master and Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of
the Guild or Fraternity of the Blessed Mary the Virgin of the Mystery of Drapers of
the City of London. More usually known simply as the Drapers' Company, it is one of
the historic Great Twelve Livery Companies and was founded during the Middle An
informal association of drapers had organized as early as 1180, and the first (Lord)
Mayor of London in 1189, Henry Fitz-Ailwin de Londonestone, was believed to have
been a Draper. The organisation was formally founded in 1361; it received a Royal
Charter three years later.
Ages.
The brotherhood of drapers, a religious fraternity attached to the church of St Mary
Bethlehem in Bishopsgate, was founded in honour of the Virgin Mary by "good
people Drapers of Cornhill and other good men and women" for the amendment of
their lives.[citation needed] The majority of drapers lived in and around Cornhill,
Candlewick Street (now Cannon Street) and Chepe (Cheapside). Possibly it was for
this reason that their allegiance was transferred to St Mary le Bow in Cheapside and
later to St Michael, Cornhill, where the company continues to worship today. Despite
these changes, the drapers retain the Blessed Virgin Mary as their patron saint.

Originally, the organisation was a trade association of wool and cloth merchants. It
has been one of the most powerful companies in London politics. Over one hundred
Lord Mayors have been members of the company; the first, Henry Fitz-Ailwyn, is
thought to have been a draper. During the Plantation of Ulster, the company held
land around Moneymore and Draperstown in County Londonderry.
Today, the company operates as a charitable, ceremonial and educational
institution. This has included providing the site and some of the buildings of Queen
Mary University of London, the library at Bangor University, and the site and the

original nineteenth-century buildings of Bancroft's School. It also administers three

almshouses: Queen Elizabeth College Greenwich, Edmanson's Close Tottenham and
Walter's Close Southwark. It provides the chairman and four other governors of
Bancroft's School, who use the Drapers' coat of arms and motto. It is the co-sponsor
of Drapers' Academy, which uses a similar logo.
The building was destroyed in the Great Fire of London and rebuilt to designs by
Edward Jarman. After another fire in 1772, it was rebuilt again. This time the
architect was John Gorham. Further extensive alterations were made in the 19th
century. The hall survived the Blitz during the Second World War.
The company's archives, works of art, silver and artefacts are in the care of the
archivist. The document collection has items dating to the 13th century, including
charters and coats of arms, charity records and records of the company's
landholdings, including the Londonderry estates. The silver collection includes an
ancient Celtic decorative collar found on the Londonderry estate and pieces of the
company's own silverware from the 16th century onwards. There is also a collection
of paintings, mostly of former members. Researchers may view its collections by
appointment.