Tower or Castle on the west of London by Sainte Brides church, vita Arkenwald (The Gatehouse Record)

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: TQ316810
Latitude 51.51210° Longitude -0.10330°

Tower or Castle on the west of London by Sainte Brides church, vita Arkenwald has been described as a probable Palace, and also as a probable Fortified Town House.

There are no visible remains.

Description

An other Tower or Castle, also was there in the West parte of the Cittie, pertayning to the King: For I reade that in the yere 1087. the 20 of William the first, the Cittie of London with the church of S. Paule being burned, Mauritius then Bishop of London afterwarde began the foundation of a new Church, whereunto king William, sayeth mine Author, gaue the choyce stones of this Castle standing neare to the banke of the riuer of Thames, at the west end of the Citie. After this Mauritius, Richard his successor, purchased the streetes about Paules Church, compassing the same with a wall of stone and gates. King Henry the first gaue to this Richard so much of the Moate or wall of the Castle, on the Thames side to the South, as should be needful to make the saide wall of the Churchyearde, and so much more as should suffice to make a way without the wall on the North side, &c. (Stow)

Sources of information, references and further reading

Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record.

Periodical Articles
- Davis, Philip, 2010-11, 'Crenellated town houses in Medieval England' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol. 24 p. 270-91
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. 62-3 online copy
  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.

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