Double Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Double Tower |
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| General information | |
| Type | Fortified tower |
| Town or city | Waterford |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 52°15′22.56″N 7°6′44.9″W / 52.2562667°N 7.112472°W |
| Construction started | 15th century |
| Completed | 16th century |
| Height | 10.5 m |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Stone |
The Double Tower is an old stone tower in Waterford, Ireland. It was once part of the city's strong walls. These walls protected Waterford a long time ago. The tower was built between the late 1400s and early 1500s.
Waterford originally had 17 towers along its city walls. Today, only six of these towers are still standing. Besides the Double Tower, you can also see Reginald's Tower, Beach Tower, Semi-Lunar Tower, French Tower, and Watch Tower (Waterford). The Double Tower is found on Castle Street. It stands between the French Tower and the Watch Tower. These three towers and parts of the old city wall are still in good condition.
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What Makes the Double Tower Special?
The Double Tower likely got its name because it has two main rooms inside. One room holds a secret passage. This passage led to a nearby priory (a type of monastery) called the Benedictine Priory of St. John. The other, larger room used to have stairs. These stairs went up to the tower's higher floors and its battlements. Battlements are the protective walls with openings on top of a castle or tower.
The Benedictine Priory of St. John was owned by a priory in England. This priory, along with the people of Waterford, helped pay for the towers and walls in this part of the city.
How Big is the Double Tower?
The Double Tower is shaped like a long rectangle. It is about 7 meters (23 feet) long and 4.5 meters (15 feet) wide. It stands about 10.5 meters (34 feet) tall. It looks a bit like a small tower house. A tower house is a type of fortified building. However, this tower was not mainly built for people to live in. Its main job was to defend the city.
The city wall connects to the outside of the tower at both ends. This suggests that the tower was built first. It was probably a standalone building before the walls were added.
The Tower During a Siege
In 1649, during the Cromwellian siege, the Double Tower faced a big challenge. It was hit by cannon fire. The tower was not originally designed to withstand such powerful attacks. To make it stronger, the lower part of the tower was filled with earth. This helped it absorb the impact of the cannonballs.
The City Wall Around the Tower
Parts of the protective wall, called the parapet, are still visible near the tower. These parts are on the southeast side of the tower. On the northwest side, you can still see the original stepped crenellations. Crenellations are the tooth-shaped parts of a battlement. They rise up to meet the tower. This design is rare to see on the Waterford city wall today.
You can also see the remains of an old wall walk inside the wall. This walk ran between the Double Tower and the Watch Tower. Soldiers would have used it to move along the wall. However, the battlement on top of the wall to the northwest of the Double Tower is no longer there.
The Double Tower was built as a separate structure. It was built on top of what was left of an older gateway. The two sections of the city wall that connect to it were built later. It's thought that the wall section going downhill from the French Tower was built first. Then, the wall running southeast towards the Watch Tower was added. All three towers can be easily seen from Castle Street.
