Newcastle town wall, curtain east of Riverside Tower

HER Number:
1508

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Newcastle town wall, curtain east of Riverside Tower

Place:
Newcastle

Map Sheet:
NZ26SW

Class:
Defence

Site Type: Broad:
Town Defences

Site Type: Specific:
Town Wall

General Period:
Medieval

Specific Period:
C15

Form of Evidence:
Demolished Building

Description:
Probably the last stretch of the wall to be built was that which ran from the Riverside Tower eastwards for some 37 metres parallel with the River Tyne. Here the wall was 2 metres thick, survived to a height of 3 to 4 metres, and was constructed of coursed sandstone, finely dressed on the south face on which were 2 basal chamfers. The lower part of the wall was clay-, the upper mortar-, bonded. It incorporated a postern or watergate with a culvert 0.5 metres beneath it, and its east end was bonded into a building on the river's edge. This section was added in the 15th century to link the south-west corner of the town wall to the newest building on the recently reclaimed waterfront. It was probably dismantled to ground level in the 17th century.

Easting:
249

Northing:
636

Grid Reference:
NZ249636

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 1508 >> R. Fraser, 1993, Excavation adjacent to Close Gate, Newcastle, 1988-89 R. Fraser, 1993, Excavation on the site of the Mansion House, Newcastle R. Fraser, misc. Closegate 1 and 2 - Museum of Antiquities R. Fraser & J. Nolan, misc. Town Wall -Historic Environment record R. Welford, 1887,The Walls of Newcastle in 1638, Archaeologia Aeliana 2, XII, pl. XIII F. Graham, 1984, Bird's eye view of c. 1590 - Maps of Newcastle F. Graham, 1984, Mathew's map of Newcastle on Speed's 1611 map of Northumberland - Maps of Newcastle