Norwich City Walls and Towers

City walls and towers 00 [ Map ]

The building of the City Walls was commenced in 1294 and finished during the first half of the 14th century. In 1342 Richard Spynk contributed towards their completion. They proved ineffective in repelling the enemy at the time of Litester’s Rising in 1381 and Kett’s Rebellion in 1549, but were more useful in the collection of tolls due to the city, as well as in helping to prevent the spread of infection during the great plagues of the 17th century.

Location: Bishopgate was built above the westernmost arch of Bishop Bridge - the other eleven Gates stood across the street entrances with the City Wall joining on to them, on either side - the river alone formed the defence between the Boom Towers and Pockthorpe, and Heigham Gate and St Martin’s Gate.

City walls and towers 01 [ Carrow Boom Towers (a Windlass for winding the boom or chain was contained in the western tower - this prevented the unauthorised entry of rivercraft and assisted the collection of tolls) ]

City walls and towers 02 [ Carrow Boom Tower (Colman’s factory behind), King Street Gate ]

City walls and towers 03 [ Wilderness Tower Carrow Hill ]

City walls and towers 04 [ Black Tower (also known as the Snuff Tower or the Duke of Buckingham’s Tower) ]

City walls and towers 05 [ Carrow Hill, Ber Street Gate site ]

City walls and towers 06 [ Queen’s Road Tower (from Bull Lane) ]

St Stephen’s Street: Queen’s Road Tower

City walls and towers 07 [ Caley’s East Tower ]

City walls and towers 08 [ Caley’s West Tower (exposed by demolition of attached houses 1969) ]

City walls and towers 09 [ Chapel Field Road (exposed by demolition of attached houses 1969) ]

City walls and towers 10 [ Chapel Field Gardens Tower, Drill Hall Tower (the Volunteer Drill Hall was opened October 1866 - architect the City Surveyor James Benest - builder William Gilbert - it incorporated a fragment of one of the semicircular towers - demolished 1963 - the site of the tower is now marked by semicircle of cobbles in the Chapel Field Road roundabout), Stone sculpture of City Arms (formerly on the west side of St Giles’ Gate - inscribed “Adornata Tempore Maioraltis Henrici Crowe Armigeri 1679” - now in the Castle museum) ]

City walls and towers 11 [ Upper Wellington Lane Tower (small square tower possibly Tudor and unique for the Norwich wall), Grapes Hill wall ]

St Giles’ Street: Upper Wellington Lane Tower

City walls and towers 12 [ Wellington Lane wall (with arrow-slits), Grapes Hill (wall at upper end of hill prior to demolition for inner-link road construction in 1970) ]

City walls and towers 13 [ Wellington Lane wall (formerly Duck Lane), Grapes Hill ]

City walls and towers 14 [ St Benedict’s Gate inside, Outside, Iron hinge pin on south abutment of gate ]

St Benedict’s Street: Gate

City walls and towers 15 [ St Benedict’s Back Lane wall (exposed by clearance of attached war-damaged buildings 1946) ]

City walls and towers 16 [ Barn Road Tower (excavations 1948-53) ]

City walls and towers 17 [ Barn Road wall fragments (apex of arched recess was originally 8-10 feet high but is now only 3 feet above ground level showing the extent to which this marshy ground has been built up), Westwick Street foundations (exposed by drainage scheme trench 1935) ]

City walls and towers 18 [ Oak Street Tower remains (at rear of 167 Oak Street) ]

City walls and towers 19 [ St Augustine’s Gate ]

City walls and towers 20 [ Magdalen Gate ]

City walls and towers 21 [ North-east Corner Tower (Bull Close Road - the only tower to retain its top vaulting) ]

City walls and towers 22 [ Barrack Street (much of the tower on the north bank of the Wensum was destroyed when the river bank was restored) ]

City walls and towers 23 [ Cow Tower (originally used by the Cathedral Priory as a prison and for the collection of river tolls - it was conveyed to the City in 1378 and rebuilt in 1399 as part of the defences - long believed to have been constructed entirely of brick except for the stone foundations - however a survey in 1985-6 showed it to be of flint with brick facing) ]

City walls and towers 24 [ Bishop bridge (a gatehouse stood over the western arch of the bridge until 1791 - excavations revealed the foundations of the gatehouse’s south-west corner turret in 1998) ]

City walls and towers 25 [ Murals depicting St Stephen’s Gate (Coachmakers’ Arms Inn - St Stephen’s Road) and Ber Street Gate (Ber Street Gate Inn - Ber Street) ]

Two panels depicting St Stephen’s and Ber Sreet Gates were executed by Mr J Moray-Smith, sculptor and painter. Standing on a scaffolding he built up the panels bit by bit from buckets of wet concrete. When the moulding and carving were finished, further time was spent in painting the panels and applying a coat of varnish to preserve the colours for years to come. The original pictures used were those drawn by John Ninham in 1792-3. St Stephen’s Gate was demolished in 1793 and Ber Street Gate in 1808.

St Stephen’s Street

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