Note.—Certain new buildings have also lately been erected by the War Office, including a new Main Guard, which is a permanent eyesore to the Tower; this ugly building was completed in the year 1900, and stands on the site of the old Main Guard.

DESCRIPTION

  1. Kentish rag & flint with shell mortar splendid quality this work is NORMAN
  2. These foundations are from 5 to 6 feet below Dungeon floor & are composed of Kentish Rag chalk and a small quantity of Flints. The mortar is a kind of Clunck & not so good as No 1
  3. Similar to No 2 & within 6 inches of surface 6 feet in depth. Chalk & Kentish rag chalk predominating rufus very inferior
  4. This wall consists of Kentish rag Gatton stone fragments of Roman brick & Tile & shell mortar.
  5. Similar to No 2 one of the walls of Coldharbour Tower & is now incorporated in the New Main Guard. The bottom is level with No 2
  6. Under the S.W. angle of the batter of the White Tower is the Oubliette & into which the subway enters
  7. A fine specimen of Norman masonry. In 1899 it was 56 feet deep & contained 42 feet of water it is lined sith Gatton stone Ashler
  8. An aperture discovered in 1899 leading into the subway & was probably broken through in the 16th century. Through this aperture a large number of stone, iron & lead cannon balls were lodged in the subway believed to be relics of Flamanks or Wyatts rebellion. The arch was made good in 1899

Plan showing Recent Discoveries at the Tower.

APPENDIX IV

RECENT DISCOVERIES AT THE TOWER

Since the time when the late Prince Consort interested himself in the restoration and preservation of the Tower, the Commissioners of Works and Public Buildings have cleared away, from time to time, all useless and modern portions which obscured certain parts of the ancient fabric. This work was actually begun in the lifetime of the Prince Consort, under the superintendence of Mr Salvin, who still continues to be consulted on all the more important restorations. The works are now under the superintendence of Mr John Taylor, the Surveyor to the Commissioners, who is aided by Major-General Milman, Major of the Tower and the resident military commander, all designs being submitted to the Sovereign before being carried into execution. The various restorations, especially those of the Beauchamp Tower and St Peter’s Chapel, have been described in the body of this work.

During the year, a range of buildings which stood against the east side of the White Tower, and believed to have been built in the fourteenth or fifteenth century, were pulled down, and it was found that the outer walls were of the period generally assigned to the building, but that the inner or west wall was of brick. This building, which extended on the south side from the south-east turret of the White Tower to what was formerly the Wardrobe Tower, and thence in a north-westerly direction with a return wall to the north-east turret of the White Tower,—had been so altered and patched that it no longer possessed any architectural or antiquarian interest, and was entirely removed, except those portions of the south walls and the ruins of the Wardrobe Tower, which form the north wall of the Tower Armoury, erected in 1826.

Whilst this work of demolishing was being carried out, an interesting discovery was made, Roman tiles and mortar being found, worked up into the materials of which these walls were built. At the south-east corner, and adjoining the remains of the Wardrobe Tower, a portion of Roman wall was disclosed, having three courses of bonded tiles showing above the surface of the débris. This piece of wall is in a direct westerly line with the old city wall, shown in a plan of the Tower made in 1597, the demolished buildings likewise appearing on this plan, which can be seen in the office of the Commissioners of Works. Two inferences are possible from the discovery of this Roman work; either it is part of the old city wall or the remains of a Roman building, and if it is satisfactorily proved to be Roman, it will practically settle the contested point as to whether there was ever a Roman fortress on the site of the White Tower or not. Holinshed, in the third Book of his history of England, quoting both Leyland and Fabyan, says, that Belins, who began to reign conjointly with Brennus as King of Britain, which was “about the seventh year of Artaxerxes, the seventh king of the Persians, builded a haven with a gate within the city of Troinovant, now called London. This gate was long after called Belins gate, and at length, by corruption of language, Billingsgate. He builded also a castle westward from this gate (as some have written) which was long time likewise called Belins Castell, and is the same which we now call the Tower of London.” It was pointed out in the first volume of this work that Fitzstephen declared the White Tower to have been built by Julius Cæsar, and that the mortar used in the building was “tempered with the blood of beasts,” but the Roman habit of mixing powdered tiles with their mortar, may have given rise to this theory. Stowe, in his survey of London about 1076, says, that William the Conqueror caused the present White Tower to be erected at the south-east angle of the city wall, which would be the actual spot where the fragment of the recently discovered Roman wall now stands.