Multangular Tower, York

The Multangular Tower is one of York’s most fascinating reminders of the city’s Roman origins. It stands at the western corner of the Roman fortress of Eboracum and gets its modern name from its unusual ten-sided, or “multangular,” shape. The tower is about 19 feet (or 5.8 metres) high and was built in its late Roman form in the early 4th century, when it had three floors and was probably designed to house a catapult.

A 76-foot (or 23-metre) section of 4th-century Roman wall connects the tower to a smaller interval tower. Look closely, and you can see how the Romans presented their fortress to the outside world: the side facing today’s Museum Gardens was carefully finished in stone, while the inner side was left rough because it was originally covered by an earth bank.

The site also has a curious connection with York’s ancient cemeteries. Five Roman stone coffins were incorporated into the tower after being brought here from other parts of York.

After the Romans left Britain, the walls and towers continued to be used and were eventually incorporated into York’s medieval city walls. Their defensive role lasted for centuries; during the English Civil War, the walls were still being used to defend the city. Look carefully along the wall near the tower, and you can even spot a cannonball hole dating from this period.

The Multangular Tower may look modest from the outside, but venture beyond the façade to discover Roman masonry, medieval walls and centuries of reused stone.