2-982-600 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

King John's Palace at Stepney, 1858. 'The interesting Norman remains represented in the accompanying Engraving have been recently brought to notice by the prospect of their demolition. The building known as King John's Palace...consisted of a front built of red bricks, with remains of white ones set in a lozenge pattern, and had square towers of the same material at each angle. A bold pointed arch sprung from the base of each tower, but seemed of a somewhat later date. A trumpery door of modern construction disfigured this part of the building. There were also indications of Norman windows, as well as rather meagre stringcourses of stone, which ran across the front...The dungeon was entered through a low archway with a massive oaken door, and by a descent of two steps. This chamber, which seems to have received no light from above, was of brick, vaulted, and with walls of apparently immense thickness; it was generally ankle deep in water. An opening was broken some time since into a similar chamber further back, and there is no doubt that there are others leading a good way underground...There seems just now to be a mania for destroying those structures having some historic interest attached to them'. From "Illustrated London News", 1858.