Servats Tower, Bucklesbury

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Queen's Tower of Sernat; Sernes Tower in Bucklesburie; Sewtes; la Tour Servat; Surnetistour; Sylvestre tour; Seruesse; Service;

In the civil parish of City Of London. In the historic county of London, City of (Modern Authority of London, City of, 1974 county of Greater London).

Licence to crenellate issued to Willielmus Servat, civis et mercator in 1305 "quandam turellam ultra portam mansi sui in Civitate praedicta, petra et calce de novo construere et Kernellare".This stood on the north side of Bucklesbury, with the Walbroke as part of its east boundary. Stow called the building 'an ancient and strong tower of stone', it was demolished in late C16. The house, was acquired by Queen Isabella in 1317 and housed the Great Wardrobe until 1333.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ326810

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p439
    Schofield, J., 1994, Medieval London House (Yale University Press) p69, No42
    Harben, H.A., 1918, 'Sernes Tower', A Dictionary of London http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=4544
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p405
    
• Journal Articles
  • Coulson, C., 1994, 'Freedom to Crenellate by Licence - An Historiographical Revision' Nottingham Medieval Studies Vol38 p119-20
    Honeybourne, M.B., 1965, 'The Reconstructed Map of London under Richard II' London Topographical Record Vol22 p67-8
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1301-7) p379
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Stype, John, 1720, A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster Vol1 bk1 p63 http://www.hrionline.ac.uk/strype/TransformServlet?page=book1_063
    Kingsford, C.L. (ed), 1908, A Survey of London, by John Stow: Reprinted from the text of 1603 Vol1 p44-71 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=60021#s6
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Keene, D., 1987, The Walbrook Study: a Summary Report (MS in library of Institute of Historical Research, University of London)