Newcastle town wall, Riverside Tower

HER Number:
1509

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Newcastle town wall, 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:
An early 15th century addition at the point where the town wall reached the Tyne, and of one build with the short stretch of wall along the river's edge (HER REF. 1508) The tower was rectangular in plan, measured 6.54 metres N-S x 6 metres E-W externally, and had S, E and W walls up to 1.10 metres thick, a N wall only 0.74 metres. After the Civil War, in the late 17th and 18th century, it was the meeting place first of the Housecarpenters Company (to 1713), and then of the Company of Sailmakers. Only part of it remained in 1789, and the north and east walls had probably disappeared by 1835. Its south wall was rebuilt to incorporate part of a timber landing stage and survived until 1867. As far as is known it survives as excavated, beneath the Copthorne Hotel. SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENT

Easting:
2491

Northing:
6359

Grid Reference:
NZ24916359

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 1509 >> R. Fraser, 1993, Excavation adjacent to Close Gate, Newcastle, 1988-89 Excavation report,R. Fraser, 1989, Closegate 1 -Museum of Antiquities R. Fraser, 1989, Town Wall -Historic Environment Record N. & S. Buck, 1745, The South-East Prospect of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle Library Local Studies- L942.8 J. Brand, 1789, History of Newcastle, I, 7 M.A. Richardson, 1846, Local Historian's Table Book, Historical Division, V, 280, 349 Northumberland Records Office, 1835 - ZCK 1/1/6