Sallyport Tower

Given the role played by the town defences in one of England's major commercial towns and their contribution towards an understanding of medieval and later urban development, all sections of Newcastle's town defences that exhibit significant archaeological remains are considered to be nationally important. Despite the fact that the standing and buried remains of the medieval town wall on the west side of Tower Street have been incorporated within an early 18th century building, they survive reasonably well to a height of more than 3.5m. The length of curtain wall containing Sallyport or Wall Knoll Tower and a lesser gateway is a rare survival, being one of few remaining locations, particularly on the east side of the circuit, where the curtain wall and its associated structures remain. They will add greatly to our understanding of how the defences of Newcastle upon Tyne were constructed and operated.

The monument is situated in an elevated position on the west side of Tower Street at the junction of Tower Street and Garth Heads. It includes the upstanding and buried remains of part of the town defences of Newcastle upon Tyne. The section of town defences on the west side of Tower Street represents part of the eastern side of the circuit and includes a length of curtain wall, a tower and one of the town's lesser gateways. The curtain wall, tower and gateway are a Listed Building Grade I. Further sections of the town defences to the north and south are the subject of separate schedulings.

Newcastle upon Tyne's town defences were constructed from the mid-13th century to the middle or late 14th century enclosing an area of more than 60ha; the riverside lengths of curtain wall were added during the 15th century. The masonry defences were strengthened by a berm and a ditch, except on the south side where they were bounded by the River Tyne. Gateways were built at the principal points of entry to the town. Internally, a cobbled inter mural lane followed the line of the defences. The defences were refurbished during the medieval period and were reinforced and repaired several times during the post-medieval period.

The length of curtain wall in this section, constructed of large sandstone blocks and, divided into two parts by the tower, stands to a maximum height of 4.5m at its western end. The most westerly fragment, attached to the south west corner of the tower is 1.5m long; this fragment formed the eastern end of a small rectangular chamber located within the thickness of the curtain wall. Access to the chamber was gained through an arched doorway from a spiral staircase located within the south west corner of the tower. Attached to the south eastern corner of the tower the more easterly length of curtain wall is about 5.5m long and 2.1m wide. This length of wall contains a single round- headed entrance passage 2.9m wide known as Sallyport which formed one of the lesser gateways of the town wall circuit.

Projecting forwards from the outer face of the curtain wall there is a tower known as Sallyport or Wall Knoll Tower. The tower is visible as a rectangular structure 8.5m north east to south west by 7.8m and constructed of coursed squared sandstone blocks. Originally of only one storey, the medieval masonry stands to a maximum height of 3.6m. Narrow window loops, now blocked, are contained within the three outer faces of the tower. Within the tower the ground floor chamber is covered by a stone vault and is unusual in having a spiral stair which rises from the south west corner of the chamber to the former wall walk. The tower was leased to the Company of Shipwrights at least as early as 1638 and was modified in 1716 when an upper chamber was added to the top of the tower and a second bay was added to the east.