The Roman wall in an underground car park
‘The London street level has risen by at least five metres in some places over the past 1,800 years.’
Only fractions of London’s ancient Roman wall survive.
Built c200AD, it enclosed a semi-circular riverside city, from Tower Hill in the east to Blackfriars in the west, which then measured around half a square mile, or 1.3km2.
Throughout its life, the wall has seen a series of derelictions and repairs, but as London rapidly expanded in the 18th Century, it was no longer necessary for defence, and demolition began. Most of it had disappeared by the mid-19th Century.
What does survive today – or at least, what can be seen – is part Roman, but often largely medieval rebuilding or extension. This is in part because the street level has risen by at least five metres in places over the past 1,800 years, leaving some of the Romans’ original workmanship underground.
It also means that some of the remaining fragments of the wall can now be found in the basements of buildings. Or, in the case of today’s story, in a subterranean car park under a street named London Wall.
That it exists here isn’t necessarily surprising in itself. But it’s the incongruity of it that fascinates and amuses me.
This piece of Roman wall was uncovered in 1957 during roadworks and construction of the car park. When rediscovered, it was 64m long, but in the interests of – well, more parking spaces, I guess – most of it was demolished.
What remains is around 11m of wall, complete with three courses of the signature horizontal red Roman tilework, ‘parked’ in bay 52.