What is recorded here

Durham Tower still stands inside the Newcastle upon Tyne town defences, a blunt stone anchor beside a surviving section of town ditch. The curtain wall and ditch formed a boundary around the town, marking where ordinary street life ended and defended space began. Whether traders, soldiers or children ever walked that line is no longer certain, but the stones still suggest a place shaped by warning, watchfulness and the need to keep others at a distance.

The National Heritage List for England records Newcastle upon Tyne town defences: section of curtain wall including Durham Tower and section of town ditch as a scheduled monument. The saved point comes from the centre supplied by the official record. Listing does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Newcastle upon Tyne town defences, including Durham Tower, were built in the 13th and 14th centuries, primarily by the local authority under the influence of the Crown, to protect the growing medieval town. The defences are important as they represent a significant example of medieval urban fortification in northern England.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.