Great Tower Street

Great Tower Street

East from No. 40 Eastcheap to Tower Dock, Tower Hill. In Tower Ward (P.O. Directory).

Widened from Little Tower Street, 1881–4, under the Met. and Dist. Ry. Co. (City Lines and Extensions) Act, 1882, to 60 ft. wide (Lond. Street Imp. 1855–97, p. 124).

Earliest mention: Strype, ed. 1720.

Former name: "Tower Street" (q.v.).

No. 48 is called the Czar's Head, and Barrow, in his life of Peter the Great, p. 83, says he used to resort to a tavern in Gt. Tower Street to smoke and drink, and that the landlord had the Czar of Muscovy's Head painted and put up for his sign.

The new street from 46 Mark Lane to Trinity Square, formed 1889–1906, was first called Great Tower Street, but afterwards Byward Street (q.v.).

Roman patera found at the top of Beer Lane, a little below All Hallows Barking church, in a bed of fine gravel 10 ft. below the surface, c. 1790 (Arch. XII. 413).

Remains of Roman buildings have also been found throughout the street.