The So-Called Gundulf's Tower at Rochester Cathedral. A Reconsideration of its History, Date and Function

Abstract

Since the early eighteenth century, on the basis of no particular evidence, the tower standing uncomfortably close to the north choir aisle at Rochester has been attributed to Bishop Gundulf, the builder of the first Romanesque cathedral church begunc.1080. Recently, it has been suggested that the tower dates to the mid-twelfth century and was erected as a bell tower. This paper assembles the documented history of the tower, speculates about its original form, and presents comparative material. Early post-Conquest towers of a possible defensive function and the few known examples of free-standing bell towers in twelfth-century England are considered in an attempt to establish a date and function for the tower. On the basis of this evidence, it may be suggested that an early post-Conquest – and pre-Gundulf – date is more likely than one in the mid-twelfth century, and that it was more probably erected for defensive purposes rather than as a bell tower.