London Wall

The London Wall is a defensive structure first built by the Romans around the port town of Londinium about AD 200. A large fort stood to the north-west of the town from about 120 to 150, and its northern and western sides were later incorporated into the city-wide wall. The wall enclosed an area of about 330 acres and was up to 20 feet high, with gateways, towers and a deep defensive ditch. It was built from Kentish ragstone brought by barge from quarries near Maidstone. The wall shaped the growth of the City of London for centuries. After the end of Roman rule in about 410 it fell into disrepair but was restored in the late Anglo-Saxon period under Alfred the Great. Repairs continued through the medieval period, and the wall defined the city’s boundaries until the later Middle Ages. From the 18th century large parts were demolished to improve traffic flow, though conservation efforts since the Second World War have preserved surviving sections. Visitors can still see sections of the wall along the modern street named London Wall. The route of the old wall influenced the alignment of roads that pass through former gate sites such as Ludgate, Newgate and Aldgate. The wall’s eastern section had at least 22 towers spaced about 210 feet apart, and parts of the riverside wall survive near the Tower of London. The wall’s legacy remains visible in the layout of the City of London today.