The London Wall Walk follows the line of the City Wall from the Tower of London to the Museum of London. The Walk is 1¾ miles (2.8km) long and is marked by twenty-one panels which can be followed in either direction. The City Wall was built by the Romans c AD 200. During the Saxon period it fell into decay. From the 12th to 17th centuries large sections of the Roman Wall and gates were repaired or rebuilt. From the 17th century, as London expanded rapidly in size, the Wall was no longer necessary for defence. During the 18th century demolition of parts of the Wall began, and by the 19th century most of the Wall had disappeared. Only recently have several sections again become visible.

TOWER HILL, CITY WALL
This impressive section of wall still stands to a height of 35 feet (10.6m). The Roman work survives to the level of the sentry walk, 141½ feet (4.4m) high, with medieval stonework above. The Wall was constructed with coursed blocks of ragstone which sandwiched a rubble and mortar core. Layers of flat red tiles were used at intervals to give extra strength and stability. Complete with its battlements the Roman Wall would have been about 20 feet (6.3m) high. Outside the Wall was adefensive ditch.
To the north is the site of one of the towers added to the outside of the Wall in the 4th century. Stones recovered from its foundations in 1852 and 1935 included part of the memorial inscription from the tomb of Julius Classicianus, the Roman Provincial Procurator (financial administrator) in AD 61.
In the medieval period the defences were repaired and heightened. The stonework was more irregular with a sentry walk only 3 feet (0.9m) wide. To the west was the site of the Tower Hill scaffold where many famous prisoners were publicly beheaded, the last in 1747.

[Images]
The materials of which the wall is composed

Dismantling the late Roman tower on the outside of the City Wall in 1852.
19th-century engraving

[Map with a line outlining the route of the wall]

[map showing your location]

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COPYRIGHT THE MUSEUM OF LONDON
PANEL SPONSORED BY TOWER HILL IMPROVEMENT TRUST
TILES PRODUCED BY MAW & CO STOKE-ON-TRENT
DESIGNED BY THE PARTNERS

The Wall was photographed on the same day Click for a larger image Click for a larger image

In the following pictures, the various parts of the sign are enlarged:
Text 1 - Click for a larger image
Text 2 - Click for a larger image
The materials of which the wall is composed - Click for a larger image
Dismantling the late Roman tower 1852 - Click for a larger image
A map showing the route of the London Wall in a line, and a map showing your relative position - Click for a larger image