Newcastle town wall, West Spital Tower

HER Number:
1518

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Newcastle town wall, West Spital Tower

Place:
Newcastle

Map Sheet:
NZ26SW

Class:
Defence

Site Type: Broad:
Town Defences

Site Type: Specific:
Town Wall

General Period:
Medieval

Specific Period:
C13

Form of Evidence:
Demolished Building

Description:
Thought to derive its name from the Hospital of the BVM, which stood close by inside the wall. The construction of this stretch of wall, and presumably also the tower, through the grounds of the hospital had begun by 1290. The tower was semi-circular in plan. In 1827 it formed "part of a genteel dwelling-house, and its circular walls may still be seen in a good state of preservation". Demolished sometime between 1844 and 1848, its site is beneath the eastern half of the Central Station.

Easting:
2472

Northing:
6385

Grid Reference:
NZ24726385

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 1518 >> J. Brand, 1789, History of Newcastle, I, 9-10 E. Mackenzie, 1827, View of Newcastle, 108 T.M. Richardson, 1880, Memorials of Old Newcastle, pl. xviii C.H.H. Blair, 1937, The Walls of Newcastle upon Tyne, illustrated by...G.B. Richardson, Archaeologia Aeliana, 4, XIV, 126, pl. xiv.1 S. Holmes, 1896, The Town Walls of Newcastle upon Tyne, Archaeologia Aeliana, 2, XVIII, 12 M.A. Richardson, 1846, Local Historian's Table Book, Historical Division, V, 300