More information : NZ 2530 6414: Corner Tower (site of) (NR) (1)
Corner Tower (remains of). Probably never a tower as such, but
merely an L-shaped turret with a covered way through it. (2)
No remains similar to the normal horse-shoe shaped type of tower. The angle turret rests on five corbels, see photograph. (3)
Newcastle upon Tyne town walls, scheduled. (4)
Corner Tower. A Medieval internal turret of the town wall. Grade 1. (5)
NZ 2531 6414: A section of Newcastle upon Tyne's town defences incorporating an L shaped part of the curtain wall and a tower. Situated on the south side of City Road east of Croft Stairs. Corner tower stands to 10 metres high and sits at the angle of the L section of curtain wall comprising 2 conjoined wall turrets to form a right angled structure. Constructed between 1299 and 1307 to facilitate a change of angle in the town defences to include within their circuit the suburb of Pandon, granted to the town in 1298.
A fragment of walling is attached to the south wall of the tower and thought to be the remains of an internal buttress. Attached to the north and east sides of the tower are lengths of curtain wall. The first at the north end of the tower is 10 metres long and 4 metres high. The inner face of this wall is several metres higher than the remainder and thought to be a post medieval addition. The outer eastern face contains a single chamfer course above 2 offset courses. On the outer northern face of the wall near its junction with the north end of the tower are lower parts of a projecting flight of stone steps which once gave access to the wall walk. The second length of curtain wall attached to the east side of the tower is 31 metres long and has stepped foundations to facilitate its steep descent to the former Pandon Burn. This section was constructed in 3 phases indicating a change of plan occurred during its construction involving the addtion of a turret. The easternmost length of curtain wall stands to the full height of its parapet walkway and retains the lower parts of the medieval parapet, the upper parts probably having been added in the 19th century. At the eastern end of this of this section of curtain wall are the remains of a turret with part of an arrow loop still visible in its north face.
An excavation which took place in 1978 found that the tower did not replace an earlier defensive line and also uncovered the remains of the inter-mural lane south of Corner Tower. Scheduled.(6) |