What is This Tower?

What is This Tower?. . You are looking at an interval tower. These were introduced at points along the city walls after York's timber defences were replaced by stone ones, We believe this tower (Tower 2) was originally built in the mid 14th century., Archbishop Melton, and not the city authorities, controlled this area near Baile Hill. Edward ordered the archbishop to improve the walls here after an inspection of York's defences in 1327. The archbishop had the timber and earth was replaced in stone between 1327 and 1340., Archaeological investigations were undertaken during conservation work here in 2001. They showed that the tower's stonework is not bonded into the stonework of the wall. That suggests the tower was added some years after the stone wall was built., The archaeologists found five remaining courses (rows) of large magnesian limestone blocks from the medieval stone wall. These sat on top of a foundation of smaller, rough-faced pieces of magnesian limestone., How has the tower changed? , The city walls stopped being used as a defensive structure by the 1800s. Parts of the walls began to be used as a walking route or promenade. This tower was adapted to suit this new leisure and tourist use., A new walkway was built inside the city walls here to create the promenade The tower was filled in and a new parapet added to it, it is made up of seven courses (rows) of magnesian limestone. They are much smaller, and the wall is thinner, than the medieval section below., The City Corporation (city council) wanted to demolish the city walls in the early 1800s. Some people agreed that the walls hampered progress and were a health hazard. Others joined a public campaign to save the walls and gave money. Major restoration of the city walls began in 1829, creating the public walk we know today.