Building record 12000/22 - Chester City Walls - Thimbleby's Tower

Thimbleby's Tower, abutting the outer face of the wall, is part of a drum tower likely dating to the thirteenth century, was formerly known as the Wolf's Tower (in 1555). The structure is semi- octagonal, and the lower parts of the original vaulting of the tower room can still be seen. It has a groined roof and the loopholes were destroyed by the Parliamentary offensive in the siege of Chester during the Civil War (1644 – 1646), as the Gamul family, who had rented it since the early seventeenth century, were asked to pay for repairs in 1651. Since then it has often lain derelict, although in the eighteenth century it was used as a laundry, a tile kiln, and part of a private garden. The tower was repaired in 1879 (1 - 4). The tower currently stands at c 7.5m high (5). Some alterations were done in 1994 and 1995, when the removal of a stone parapet between the wall-walk and the tower was carried out, and the insertion of an oak-framed polycarbonate screen with tile-hung gable above occurred. Please see the linked listed building record for additional structural detail (9). During works carried out by Newstead in 1908, the north-east face of Thimbleby’s Tower was seen to be resting directly on the rubble of the Roman wall (8).

<1> Simpson, F., 1910, The Walls of Chester, /70 (Book). SCH3255.

<2> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Ormerod G 1882 1/355-6 (Book). SCH1389.

<3> Pevsner N & Hubbard E, 1971, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, /156 (Book). SCH3078.

<4> Harris, B.E., 1979, Bartholomew City Guides - Chester, /142 (Book). SCH394.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ46NW26.12/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

<6> 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Sport, Revised List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, City of Chester Intra Mural 1998/ 137 (Unpublished Report).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.

<7> Donald Insall Associates, Chester City Walls Conservation Management Plan, R3251 (Client Report). SCH6603.

<8> Chester Archaeology, 1996, Chester 12 St John Street 1996 Excavation, R2165 (Client Report). SCH4050.

<9> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 470158 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

<10> Lewis C.P & Thacker A.T. (eds), 2005, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume Vii, The City of Chester - The City of Chester, Culture, Buildings, Institutions, p225 (Book). SCH6522.