The Barbican and other London watch towers (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Barbacan; Burhkenning; Barbecanna

In the civil parish of City Of London.
In the historic county of London and Middlesex.
Modern Authority of City and County of the City of London.
1974 county of Greater London.
Medieval County of City of London.

OS Map Grid Reference: TQ32268190
Latitude 51.51986° Longitude -0.09346°

The Barbican and other London watch towers has been described as a certain Urban Defence.

There are no visible remains.

Description

The site of an outer fortification of the City, possibly a watch-tower. Stow said it was pulled down by Henry III in 1267 after the war with the Barons. (PastScape)

Stow also reports other watch towers in the city but not located and all destroyed at the same time.

On the North West side of this City, near unto Redcross Street, there was a Tower, commonly called Barbican, or Burhkenning; for that the same, being placed on an high Ground, and also builded of some good Height, was (in old Time) used as a Watch Tower for the City; from whence a Man might behold and view the whole City towards the South, and also see into Kent, Sussex and Surrey, and likewise every other way, East, North, or West. Some other Burhkennings or Watch Towers there were of old Time, in and about the City, all which were repaired, yea, and others new builded by Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Glocester, in the Reign of King Henry the Third, when the Barons were in Arms, and held the City against the King. But the Barons being reconciled to his Favour, in the Year 1267, he caused all their Burhkennings, Watch Towers, and Bulwarks, made and repaired by the said Earl, to be plucked down, and the Ditches to be filled up, so that nought of them might be seen to remain. And then was this Burhkenning, amongst the rest, overthrown and destroyed; and altho' the Ditch near thereunto, called Houndsditch, was stopped up, yet the Street (of long Time after) was called Houndsditch, and of late Time (more commonly) called Barbican. The Plot or Seat of this Burhkenning, or Watch Tower, King Edward III. in the Year 1336, and the Tenth of his Reign, gave unto Robert Efford, (or Ufford) Earl of Suffolk, by the Name of his Manor of Base Court, in the Parish of S. Giles without Cripplegate, of London, commonly called the Barbican. (Stype)

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 404558.
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record.

Books
- Renn, Derek., 2014, 'The other towers of London' in Hidden histories and records of antiquity; essays on Saxon and medieval London for John Clark, curator emeritus, Museum of London (London and Middlesex Archaeology Society Special Paper 17) p. 32-5
  Weinreb, Ben and Hibbert, Christopher (eds), 1983 (rev edn 1993), The London Encyclopeadia (Macmillian) p. 39-40
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Stype, John, 1720, A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster Vol. 1 p. 63 online copy
  Camden, Wm, 1607, Britannia hypertext critical edition by Dana F. Sutton (2004)
  Kingsford, C.L. (ed), 1908, A Survey of London, by John Stow: Reprinted from the text of 1603 Vol. 1 p. 44-71 online copy

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown. Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.

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