London’s Roman Wall

Remnants of the old Roman wall built around Londinium still exist in tattered remains around the city.

I’d like to think (incorrectly so) that the wall was built to keep out the invading forces of an enraged Celtic Queen Boudica who was so angry with the Romans and their treatment of her daughters that she launched a campaign against them and slaughtered tens of thousands before burning London to the ground.

Of course, this isn’t true, the Roman Wall was built long after Boudica died.

Below is a piece of the Roman Wall just outside the Tower of London. This is thought to be a gatehouse.

Next is a section of the wall along Cooper’s Row. The sign says:

On this site stand a surviving piece of the Roman City Wall. This wall was constructed between AD 190-220 and ran all the way round the city, a distance of 3km (2miles). It was one of the most costly works undertaken in the Roman city of Londinium.

The Roman City wall was 2.7m (9ft) thick at the base and stood over 16m (20ft) in height. This large, defensive boundary was an important influence on the City’s development. The wall fell into decay in Saxon times but continued to be of importance in the Medieval period when it was strengthened and extended by 6.2m in height.

Roman Section of the Wall

This part of the wall was built by the Romans in c.AD200. The remaining Roman parts of the wall stand 4.4m high. This is the height of the sentry walk. You can recognize the Roman parts of the wall by looking for these characteristic red tile courses.

The Roman part of the wall that the sign refers to can be seen behind the glass (look carefully for the line of red tiles). Everything above this comes from Medieval London.