London
Tower of London
hortly after becoming King of England in 1066 William the Conqueror constructed an earth and timber castle in the corner of the old Roman city walls of London. Around this was dug a ditch and a bank was formed with a wooden palisade on top. From this point William could command London and monitor all ship movements up and down the river Thames. About ten years after the Conquest William decided to strengthen the castle. Gundulf the Bishop of Rochester, whose building techniques were admired by William, was brought to London to design and build the new keep. The foundations were laid in 1078 and the structure was completed in the reign of William Rufus in 1097. This is now known as the White Tower after King Henry III whitewashed the exterior. The tower has walls fifteen feet thick at the base, a chapel dedicated to St John the Evangelist taking up two of the upper floors, a 40 foot deep well and more than one crypt. Building work again commenced in around 1189 when the chancellor of the time William Longchamp the Bishop of Ely ordered the enlargement of the bailey that surrounded the tower.
When King Henry III became King he began improving of the area of the castle between the Tower and the river by building the Wakefield and Lanthorn Towers. Henry used the Wakefield Tower, which is the second largest tower of the castle, as he own private residence. Between 1275 and 1285 King Edward I spent large sums of money improving the fortifications. A new moat was dug and a curtain wall was built around it. The land between the Tower and the river was levelled and new apartments were built on the shore. Edward had a complex of gates added which meant it was extremely difficult to attack the castle through the main land entrance.
Westminster Abbey
horney Island is one of several small islands that formed part of the River Thames west of the city of London. Several streams entered the river at that point creating a marshy landscape covered with thickets and wild animals. On that landscape a religious community grew up in the dark ages. Suggestions have been made that there was a Roman temple dedicated to Apollo on the site. This was later replaced by a Christian building. Sebert, a Saxon who died in the early seventh century, may have been the founder of a religious community on the site of Westminster Abbey but this may be just a story. A tomb with the remains of Sebert and his wife Ethelgoda exists in the Abbey today after being moved first by Edward the Confessor and then by King Henry III when rebuilding work was done.
The real story of Westminster Abbey begins with Edward the Confessor. In 1042 Edward returned from exile after the death of Harthacanute. Edward had made a vow of pilgrimage to Rome, but the nobles that were advising him persuaded the King that his position as head of the country was too important to go on such a risky journey. The Pope sent word that Edward was released from the vow if he instead built a church in honour of St. Peter. To this Edward agreed and in 1050 work began on the Thorney Island site. The abbey was dedicated in 1065 just weeks before Edward died. He was buried in his new church in January of 1066. The new church was the site of another important event in 1066 when William the Conqueror was crowned King of England on 25 December.
The body of Edward was moved first in the reign of King Henry II and then again by his grandson King Henry III who began rebuilding the church starting with the Lady Chapel in around 1220. In 1245, in tribute to Edward the Confessor, Henry started much larger and expensive reconstruction work of the whole church. Enough of the new building was ready in 1269 for the church to be consecrated and the coffin of the Confessor to be moved again into its new home.
The abbey has been the main site for the coronation of English Kings and Queens since then and holds the remains of both the nobility and ordinary people. A Lady Chapel was constructed at the east end of the cathedral and, as it holds the remains of King Henry VII, is known as the Henry VII Chapel. The Italian scupltor Torrigiano was given the job of designing and constructing the King's tomb. Also buried here are the monarchs Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots.
Timeline
Another army of Danes landed in London and were joined by those at Reading. The army defeated Alfred at Wilton and so the king decided to pay the Danes some money to keep the peace. [1]
Swein Fork-Beard and his son Canute sailed from Denmark to attack England. Again London defended itself and the Vikings moved elsewhere, taking Wessex, Mercia and Northumbria.
London was the last part of the country to accept Swein as the new king of England. Swein and his Viking army had already taken control of the Danelaw and the rest of the country accepted him as their new ruler. Swein's rule of the country would only last a few months.
Canute advanced on London for a fight with Aethelred but Aethelred died in the same month. London accepted Edmund Ironside as their ruler. Canute would have to defeat Edmund if he was to become King of England. [2]
Robert Champart was consecrated bishop of London. He was highly respected by King Edward and Robert's influence over the king was a source of tension between the Normans and Anglo-Saxons in the country.
King Harold had to march south from Stamford Bridge to counter the threat of invasion from William the Conqueror.
Gundulf began work on the White Tower, the Tower of London. [3]
Hugh de Payens may have been granted the land for the first Temple Church in London at this time. Consisting of an orchard, a cemetery, a round church. The position was possibly at the end of Chancery Lane. The temple was moved in 1161. [4]
Matilda and her supporters entered London for her coronation. Her supporters included David I, king of the Scots. Geoffrey de Mandeville who controlled the Tower of London, abandoned his king as he saw Matilda had the upper hand. He joined her side and offered her the Tower of London. He did this to ensure he kept the Earldom of Essex which made him one of the most powerful barons of the time.
Being the superintendents of the Masons, the Knights Templars build their Temple in Fleet Street in London. [5]
The Knights Templars moved their London temple to the new site between Fleet Street and the Thames. [6]
Again King Henry's knowledge of law is used in a conflict. This time between Alfonso IX of Castile, and Sancho VI of Navarre. The meeting was held in London. [7]
The post of Lord Mayor of London was introduced in this year. The first holder of the title was Henry FitzAilwin. [8]
The construction of a new stone London Bridge was completed in this year.
Fire broke out on the southern shore of the River Thames and crossed the river starting more fires on the northern shore. Many people were killed. Boats tried to rescue people trapped on London Bridge but the boats became overloaded and many drowned. This appears to be a big a disaster as the fire of 1666. [9]
Promising the Barons safe passage, John met them in London to discuss their demands. John postponed any answer until Easter. [10]
The gates to London were opened by a supporter of the rebellious Barons and the houses of Jews were targeted for ransacking and burning. The rebels called for those Barons still on the side of John to join them. The Tower of London held by John's supporters was too well defended to fall into the hands of the rebels. [10]
King John put down a revolt in East Anglia. The Barons and the French kept hold of London.
A small French army landed in London. Their commander informed the rebel barons that Prince Louis would soon arrive from France.
On the pretence of removing his mother's jewels, Edward (I) entered the Knights Templar's Temple in London and ransacked the treasury, taking the proceeds to the Tower of London.
Simon's son was sent to London to raise money and troops. He diverted back through Winchester which was loyal to the king and then moved through Oxford and Northampton. Edward (I) moved from Worcester to Bridgnorth destroying bridges and means of allowing Simon who was on the Welsh side of the Avon from crossing back. The people of Bristol, friendly to Simon's cause sent ships to Newport to help Simon cross, but they were intercepted and destroyed by Edward. [11]
Edward Balliol arrived in London and asked for men and money for Edward's French war. [12]
The plague reached the shores of England first at Melcombe Regis in Dorset. By winter of the year, the plague had reached London. [13]
The Statute of Staples. A law that fixed 15 towns as staple towns. A staple town was a town that was restricted in what it could sell to foreign merchants. The towns were Bristol, Canterbury, Carmarthen, Chichester, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Exeter, Lincoln, London, Newcastle, Norwich, Waterford, Winchester and York.
This treaty signed by King Edward and King John of France who was still a captive was agreed but later rejected by those back in France. In the treaty Edward agreed to drop his claim to the French thone in return for large amounts of French land. The French rejected the treaty because of the amount of land that would have been lost. King Edward's anger led to his invasion of France later in the year.
Both the Kentish and the Essex rebels move towards London.
The Essex rebels reach Mile End near Aldgate and the Kentish rebels reach Southwark. [14]
After the city of London refused to give King Richard a loan of 1,000 pounds its Charter was removed and given to York. Removal of the Charter was a serious punishment as the king's court would spend money providing much needed jobs.
A great plague took hold in London, killing upwards on 30,000 people.
An outburst of plague occurred sometime between 1405 and 1407 and the pestilence was so great that, according to the St. Albans chronicler, in London thirty thousand men and women were reported to have died in a short space of time. Henry IV is thought to have left London to wait for the plague to die out.
Before this year the exit through the London wall to the Moorfields area was through a small postern gate originally built by the Romans. A postern is a small gateway located in a secluded position where residents of the castle could escape in times of siege to either flee or attack the besiegers. It was decided to build a proper gate at the location.
Severe cold set in and lasted until February the next year. The Thames froze over forcing ships to unload futher down river than usual. Reports of severe cold in Ireland as well. [15]
The rebels under the command of Jack Cade defeated a section of King Henry's army at Sevenoaks and entered London. The rebels ransacked the city and after crossing London Bridge to the south were prevented crossing back to the north by angry Londoners. The rebels were defeated and fled.
The Yorkists marched first to Canterbury where the officers in charge of protecting the town against them joined forces with the rebels. They then moved on and arrived at London on July 2nd. There they were welcomed by the Mayor of London and the Archbishop of Canterbury. [16]
Edward and Warwick were allowed to enter the city of London. The citizens of London had refused to let the Queen enter and so she returned north with the King.
Richard was welcomed into London by the Mayor and a procession led him to Blackfriars. Christmas was spent celebrating. [17]
Possibly 10,000 died from the plague in London this year.
Reports reached London that the Queen was in labour and the birth was imminent. But the rumours turned out to be false and the celebrations that the news resulted in stopped.
The Royal Exchange in London was founded by Sir Thomas Gresham. The exchange and dealing in foreign currency had become very important and this put London at the heart of the process.
The citizens of London welcomed their new King with entertainments.
A severe outbreak of the plague occurred in London and started a trend of yearly outbreaks during the summer months until 1610. [18]
Britain was affected by another outbreak of the plague. A large number of people died in London, possibly 35,000 or more. [18]
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A Medieval Mystery
There appear to be some strange connections between the fourteenth century Old Wardour Castle and ancient stone circle Stonehenge.
1: Location
Old Wardour Castle appears to be aligned to ancient sites in the Stonehenge landscape.
2: Alignment
Stonehenge is aligned to the Summer Solstice. Old Wardour has a very similar alignment.
3: Size
Could the builders of Old Wardour used mesaurements from Stonehenge to layout the geometrical keep?
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