Lendal Tower

Lendal Tower was built in and was originally circular and similar in appearance to North Street Postern Tower (formerly known as the Barker Tower) but has since been remodelled giving it additional strength and height. Along with North Street Postern Tower, on the opposite bank, it was built to control access to the city by way of an iron chain which was stretched across the river to impose the payment of tolls and from medieval times until the construction of Lendal Bridge in 1863 a ferry service crossed the river between the two towers. Lendal Tower is first recorded in the Custody of 1315 as (Tower of St Leonards). In 1569 bulwarks were added to the city defences as protection against…

Lendal Tower was originally a circular building of 28 ft in diameter, with a rounded turret to house a wooden spiral staircase, to which a 17th–century rectangular extension on the south-east of the structure has been added. The tower has crenellated walls which were added in 1846 and a copper roof which has been converted into a roof terrace. The brickwork of the internal structure was used to support the 18th–century engines. A lift was installed as part of the refurbishment in 1932 at which time the Jacobean style decoration and panelling was also added.