Guide To The Tower Of London

The Tower of London is one of Britains most visitedThis water gate at the foot of St Thomas Tower
tourist attractions and its crammed with so many sitesgave access to the River Thames. Its so called
of historical interest that it can take all day to getbecause of the number of prisoners accused of
around it and make the most of it. Heres a guide to thetreason who are thought to have been brought into
most popular parts of the Tower.the Tower via this entrance.
White TowerMedieval Palace
This is the original part of the fortress, built at theThis ancient part of the Tower was built by two
behest of William the Conqueror in 1078 to protect themedieval Kings, Henry III and his son Edward I, who
Norman rulers from the inhabitants of the city. Its aresided and held court here. The Palace has been
magnificent white stone keep, which would havereconstructed as a 13th century royal residence,
looked incredible when first built as the Norman stylecomplete with sounds, smells and light. The vaulted
was completely unknown in London at the time. Its righthalls and elaborate bedchambers are beautifully laid
at the heart of the complex, surrounded by towers,out as they would have been during the reigns of
walls and a moat. From the mid 16th century it was thethese monarchs.
main arsenal in the fortress and today it houses aBeauchamp Tower
fascinating museum of arms and weapons the RoyalAnother of the Towers prison blocks, the Beauchamp
Armouries.Tower was used mainly to hold well known and
Crown Jewelshigh-ranking figures. There are some fascinating old
Royal treasures have been kept at the Tower sinceinscriptions adoring its walls, which were engraved by
the 1300s, and have been opened to the public as thethe various captives held here over the centuries.
Crown Jewels collection since the 18th century. TheYeoman Warders
17th century crown and regalia used for QueenThis regiment of Tower guardians, also commonly
Elizabeth IIs coronation in 1953 are on display, as areknown as Beefeaters, was established over 500
other sceptres, orbs, crowns, swords, jewels andyears ago. The guards distinctive uniforms consist of a
robes.long navy blue tunic with red piping and the Queens
Bloody Towerinsignia, a matching cape and a box shaped hat with
This building certainly lives up to its gruesome name. Itsdecorative rosette. They are all retired army officers
where most of the Towers prisoners were held. Theof high rank, but their duties today are mainly
two boy princes were thought to have been kept hereceremonial and theyre a popular tourist attraction.
until their mysterious disappearance when its popularlyThey provide informative guided tours of the Tower
believed their uncle, King Richard III, had them killed.several times a day. Some of their traditional rituals
Other famous prisoners include Sir Walter Raleigh,include the 700-year-old Ceremony of the Keys, the
who was incarcerated here for 13 years on suspicionnightly locking up and securing of the fortress, which
of plotting against King James I. Today one of thehas never been missed over all these centuries.
rooms in the Bloody Tower has been turned into aRavens
recreation of Raleighs study.No visit to the Tower would be complete without
Scaffold Site and Tower Greenseeing some of the famous ravens who live there.
If Bloody Tower is infamous for the incarceration ofAccording to an old legend, the Royal Astronomer to
prisoners, Tower Green is even more notorious as theKing Charles II complained that the large black birds
site of their execution. Its a large open space in thewere obscuring the views from his observatory and
middle of the complex, with the Chapel Royal of Strequested that they be killed. However, its said that the
Peter Ad Vincula at its north end. Most prisoners metKing was told by someone that the Tower would fall
their end on a scaffold erected on Tower Hill on theand the Kingdom would be destroyed if the ravens
Green, although some were given private executions inever left, upon which he insisted that a few remain. To
the Tower itself. Many of the executed werethis day they wander around the Tower grounds, with
important or illustrious figures, and were subsequentlytheir wings clipped to ensure that no catastrophe can
laid to rest in the Chapel. Three queens are among thebefall the Tower. There are currently six ravens, which
incumbents here, all of whom lost their heads on theare housed in the Wakefield Tower and looked after
Green Lady Jane Grey and two of Henry VIIIs wives,by their own Yeoman Warder who holds the title of
Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.Ravenmaster.
Traitors Gate