'Liberties of the Tower' and Tower Liberties Boundary Markers

Liberties of the Tower plaque.

At various distances from the walls of the Tower of London, there were thirty-one Liberty Markers, of which twenty-two can still be found (I believe). These markers denoted the outer limits of the 'Liberties of the Tower'.

The Tower Liberties area was an administrative and defensive zone set up around the Tower of London, separating it from the City of London.

This 'Liberties of the Tower' area was to be kept free of buildings, so that those in the Tower of London could see any approaching forces, and was set up after 1200.

Marker Number 23, Tower Hill Garden.

The boundary points were placed in an arc around the Tower of London, at a distance of an arrow's flight from its walls.

The Tower of London ran its own courthouse and police force and, in 1687, the people, living within the Liberties, were granted certain special privileges. These included being able to claim any beast that fell from London Bridge and freedom from the jurisdiction of the City of London.

Coal Duty Posts

The next time you're driving, cycling, or walking in the outskirts of Greater London, keep an eye out for a humble, often white, cast-iron post. It might look like just another boundary marker, but these fascinating objects, known variously as Coal Posts or Coal Tax Posts, are silent sentinels of a centuries-old story of taxation, reconstruction, and London's booming growth.

The story of the Coal Posts begins long before they were erected. Since medieval times, the Corporation of the City of London had the authority to levy duties on goods, including coal, brought into the city. But it was a catastrophic event that truly put the coal duty into high gear: the Great Fire of 1666.

To fund the massive rebuilding effort, including iconic structures like St Paul's Cathedral, Acts of Parliament were passed, imposing additional duties on coal entering the Port of London. The revenue stream was vital, and over time, it was used for more than just immediate reconstruction. Funds from the coal and wine duties financed significant public works, such as the building of the Thames Embankment, Holborn Viaduct, and even the purchase of toll bridges to make them free for the public.

For centuries, collecting the tax was relatively straightforward. Coal came into London primarily by sea, docking at riverside wharves, where the tonnage could be easily measured and the duty collected.

However, the 19th century brought rapid change: the explosion of canals and railways. Suddenly, coal was entering London from all directions, bypassing the traditional wharves. The City of London needed a clear way to mark the inland boundary where the duty became payable.