Monument record 12000/19 - Chester City Walls - Drum Tower

The Drum Tower is located just north of the Eastgate (CHER 12000/20), below the Frodsham St. Steps (CHER 12000/18/1). It was discovered in 1928 (ECH2370) during levelling operations by the then City Engineer, Mr Charles Greenwood. PH Lawson suggested that the tower was probably built between 1285 and 1295 (1). The city wall on the south side of the tower has been built up from the level of the upper courses of the Roman work, while the portion within the area of the tower itself rested upon the rubble base at a much higher level, showing that this portion of the existing city wall was built after the demolition of the tower. The tower is shown on Braun's map of Chester dating to 1581 (1). The tower has been revealed and the upper courses have been preserved in situ, and the walls are up to 0.5m high (2).

<1> Newstead, R (Prof.), 1948, Records of Archaeological Finds VI, Newstead R 1946 36/53-56 (Article in Journal). SCH5761.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ46NW26.15/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

<3> Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Revised List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, City of Chester Intra Mural 1998/ 137 (Unpublished Report). SCH4570.

<4> Donald Insall Associates, Chester City Walls Conservation Management Plan (Client Report). SCH6603.

<5> Grosvenor Museum, 1988, Grosvenor Museum Excavation section: Current Activities & Upcoming Sites (Unpublished Report). SCH6282.

<6> Morris, Rupert H (Rev.), 1894, Chester in the Plantagenet & Tudor Reigns (Book). SCH946.