Cow Tower

Out in the city with friend from university days. How much do we change in 30 years? A look insides Cow Tower put our sense of history into perspective :-)

One of the earliest purpose-built artillery blockhouses in England, Cow Tower was built in 1398-9 to control a strategic point in Norwich's city defences. It seems likely that it took its name from surrounding fields, the Cowholme.

Built with widely splayed gun ports, the tower was suitable for the recently developed cannon while the 'arrow loops' could still be used for crossbows and small guns. The tower was built as an addition to the defences already encircling medieval Norwich. The ground floor may have been a communal dining room when the tower was garrisoned, with sleeping quarters on the upper two levels.