ROMANO-BRITISH LONDON and inscribed stones having been found built into the bases. Fragments of Roman tile often occur, but there are no bonds of tiles such as form the dis- tinctive feature of the City wall. From the vast amount of stone evidently taken from large and important Roman buildings, some archaeologists have been inclined to regard the bastions as built from the ruins of Londinium long subsequent to its abandon- ment by the Romans. Like the City w^all, they underwent much reparation at different times, when later material may have been inserted ; yet in only one of those that have been examined has evidence of anything later than the Roman period been found in the base, and in one case undoubted proofs of Roman origin have been discovered. It is therefore probable that, while some may have been added and others rebuilt in later times, most of the bastions were originally erected by the Romans, but at a period subsequent to the building of the wall. The Gates. — Of the gates known to us by the names which yet cling to their sites, all except Moorgate are of ancient origin. Most of them were several times rebuilt during the latter period of their existence, but there is little evidence regarding their earlier history. Speculation on this question has been abundant, but as the aim of this article is only to draw conclusions based on evidence, it is unnecessary to do more than point out that by a curious irony Newgate, which the theorists generally agreed in regarding as of late origin, is the sole instance where actual remains have been found of a gate built in Roman times. There are less decisive indications pointing to the same period for the origin of some of the other gates, which will be more particularly mentioned in a later part of this article. The Roman Ditch. — Doubtless the evidence of the Roman Ditch was in great part removed by the extensive work of the thirteenth century,^^ but since attention was first directed to the matter, traces of it have been found at several points. Though in some parts inconsiderable, Mr. Fox records that near Aldersgate it was 75 ft. wide."^ The wall was set back about 10 ft. from the edge of the ditch, the intervening platform, or berme, serving to prevent the wall from slipping into the ditch, through the pressure of its weight. An earthen bank was perhaps placed against the inside face of the wall. The mediaeval ditch was cut with its inner slope commencing from the face of the wall, but owing to the soil having risen several feet before this was done, portions of the earlier ditch have been covered up and preserved. Probably more information on this subject will yet be obtained, though unfortunately much of the filling of the later City ditch has been removed witliout obser- vation or record. Descriptions of portions of the Wall recorded. — Starting at the riverside on the east of the City and turning north, the first evidence of the wall is met with adjoining the south-east angle of the White Tower. It is a small fragment, but it is important as being the only example of the outer face showing the chamfered plinth at present visible. It was discovered in 1879 '" during the removal of some storehouses which stood at right angles to the Armoury ; on clearing the ground this piece of wall was found under the foundation of the storehouses and connected with the remains of the " Stow, Sa;w_y, 8. "=" Arch, lii, 609-16. '- Jout-n. Brit. Arch. Assoc, xxxvii, 2S0; xxxviii, 127-32. I " 49 7
