The Lines of Communication were

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

fortifications commissioned by Parliament (see the Order for intrenching and fortifying the City of London, 7 March 1643) and built around London between 1642 and 1643 to protect the capital from attack by the Royalist armies of

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

.Spitalfields Public Art 2007-08
http://www.spitalfields.co.uk/, Retrieved 2008-11-23 See the section "1. Craft:Pegg" It acted to supplement the inner defences provided by Roman and medieval wall in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

which underwent repairs and maintenance at this time. In 1642 some basic fortifications were built, in the form of street barricades and small earthworks. In 1643 a major construction effort was made, to provide a comprehensive ring of fortifications around the city. Much of the work was done by volunteer labour, organized by the

trained band Trained Bands were companies of part-time militia in England and Wales. Organised by county, they were supposed to drill on a regular basis, although this was rarely the case in practice. The regular army was formed from the Trained Bands in the ev ...

s and the livery companies. Up to 20,000 people are thought to be involved, and the works were completed in under two months. The fortifications failed their only test when the New Model Army entered London in 1647, and they were levelled by Parliament the same year.

The Works

Vertue's 1738 plan of the London Lines of Communication

These works principally consisted of a strong earthen rampart reinforced with a series of 23 fortifications of various types surrounding the whole City, and its liberties (including Southwark), at a distance of one and a half to two miles from the city centre. From

George Vertue George Vertue (1684 – 24 July 1756) was an English engraver and antiquary, whose notebooks on British art of the first half of the 18th century are a valuable source for the period. Life Vertue was born in 1684 in St Martin-in-the-Fields, ...

's print it may be seen that the line begun below the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

, at the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

, and went northward towards the windmill in

Whitechapel Road Whitechapel Road is a major arterial road in Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. It is named after a small chapel of ease dedicated to St Mary and connects Whitechapel High Street to the west with Mile End Road to the east. ...

; then inclining to the north-west, it crossed the Hackney and

Kingsland Road Kingsland Road is the name given to an East London stretch of the A10 road within the London Borough of Hackney in England. The A10 was originally a Roman Road better known as Ermine Street or sometimes the Old North Road. The name ''Kingsland ...

s, near Shoreditch, and turning to the south-west, crossed the end of St. John Street,

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and W ...

Lane, Bloomsbury, and Oxford Road (now

New Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and as ...

), near St. Giles Pound (junction with St Giles High Street). Then proceeding westward to

Hyde Park Corner Hyde Park Corner is between Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair in London, England. It primarily refers to its major road junction at the southeastern corner of Hyde Park, that was designed by Decimus Burton. Six streets converge at the j ...

, and Constitution Hill, it inclined towards Chelsea Turnpike, Tothill Fields, and the Thames. Again commencing near

Vauxhall Vauxhall ( ) is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for ...

, it ran north-eastward to St. George's Fields, then making an angle to the east, crossed the

Borough Road Borough Road is in Southwark, London SE1. It runs east–west between St George's Circus and Borough High Street. History and location The route was created as part of the planning and road improvements associated with the completion of W ...

at the end of Blackman Street (southern section of

Borough High Street Borough High Street is a road in Southwark, London, running south-west from London Bridge, forming part of the A3 route which runs from London to Portsmouth, on the south coast of England. Overview Borough High Street continues southwest ...

, proceeded to the end of Kent Street (now Tabard Street) on the Deptford Road (now

Old Kent Road Old Kent Road is a major thoroughfare in South East London, England, passing through the London Borough of Southwark. It was originally part of an ancient trackway that was paved by the Romans and used by the Anglo-Saxons who named it Wæceli ...

), then inclining to the north-east, joined the Thames nearly opposite to the point where it began. The major fortifications were anti-clockwise from the north-east bank of the Thames:See Vertues map at fortified places.com
/ref> East *1) Bulwark, & half.bulwark : Gravel Lane *2)

Hornwork A hornwork is an element of the Italian bastion system of fortification. Its face is flanked with a pair of demi-bastions. It is distinguished from a crownwork, because crownworks contain full bastions at their centers. They are both outwork ...

*3)

Redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

& 2 flanks : Brick Lane *4) Redoubt & 4 flanks :

Hackney Road Hackney Road is a London arterial route running from Shoreditch Church in London Borough of Hackney to Cambridge Heath in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The route runs along the northern edge of Bethnal Green and southern edge of Hoxto ...

*5) Redoubt & 4 flanks :

North *6)

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

& Breastwork : Mountmill *7 Battery & Breastwork : St John Street *8) Small Redoubt : Islington Road (Outlier) *9) Large

Fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

& 4 half Bulwarks : Upper Pond, New River (Outlier) *10) Battery & Breastwork : Hill near Black Mary's Hole West *11) 2 Battery & Breastwork : Bedford House *12) Redoubt & 2 flanks : St Giles Road *13) Small Fort : Tiburn Road *14) Large Fort & 4 half Bulwarks :

Wardour Street Wardour Street () is a street in Soho, City of Westminster, London. It is a one-way street that runs north from Leicester Square, through Chinatown, across Shaftesbury Avenue to Oxford Street. Throughout the 20th century the street became a ...

*15) Small Bulwark : Olivers Mount *16) Large fort & 4 Bulwarks :

*17) Small Bulwark & Battery : Constitution Hill *18) Court of Guards : Chelsea Turnpike *19) Battery & Breastwork : Tothill Field South of the Thames *20) Quadrant Fort & 4 half Bulwarks :

*21) Fort & 4 half Bulwarks : St George Field *22) Large Fort & 4 Bulwarks : Blackman Street *23) Redoubt & 4 flanks : Kent Street

The Works

Notes

References

Further reading