England - The Tower of London

Tradition has it that as long as the ravens remain atfortress. He contributed a new Great Hall, a kitchen
the Tower of London, which they have occupied sinceblock and additional accommodations. He flooded the
the fortress first stood along the River Thames, themoat with the waters of the River Thames and
kingdom will persevere. Today, the huge black birds,enclosed the Church of St. Peter ad Vincula within the
sporting names like Hardey, Odin, Gwyllum and Cedric,curtain wall. He also established a royal menagerie
wander the inner courtyard of the Tower, their wingsinside the castle which housed an elephant, bears, lions
clipped to ensure their continued residence. As with theand other exotic animals that were presented to him
ravens, the Tower of London also endures, despiteby the crown heads of European nations.Later in the
assaults in the 13th and 14th centuries and more13th century, Edward I transformed the Tower of
recently, aerial bombing raids during the Second WorldLondon into a fine concentric fortress like those he built
War. The fortress's battlements command internationalin North Wales. Edward was a castle builder at heart
attention, for this majestic World Heritage Siteand he undertook the redesign of the castle. First he
embodies the history and spirit of the land itfilled in the moat that Henry III had flooded and
represents.The proper title is "Her Majesty's Royalenclosed the fortress with yet another - albeit lower -
Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London" and ittowered curtain that was fitted with heavily defended
has dutifully served the monarchy since the 11thtwin-towered gatehouses. He also added St. Thomas's
century. That was when William the ConquerorTower, which had a water gate for access to and
ordered the construction of stone keep to commandfrom the River Thames. Now know as Traitor's Gate,
his new kingdom. Planting his castle in the corner of thethis access gained its name from the prisoners who
walls that enclosed the Roman city of Londinium,passed through on their way to confinement and
William I began one of the realm's earliest and possiblyexecution. Among the most famous of these prisoners
finest, stone keeps. Later known as The White Towerunder Henry VIII's reign were Anne Boleyn, Catherine
after the brilliance of its whitewashed walls, theHoward and Sir Thomas More, after whom the tower
Norman keep retains its classical rectangular designwas named.Edward I also built a royal mint inside the
and forms the centrepiece of this great fortress oncastle and added a treasury to house the Crown
the Thames.Altered over time, the 90 foot high towerJewels. Now housed in the Jewel House, the Crown
initially provided accommodation for the king and theJewels remain one of the Tower's biggest attractions.
castle's constable and even housed importantThe Tudor kings expanded the Tower of London's
prisoners in its finer upper chambers, for example therole as a prison and staged scores of political
Duke of Orleans, who resided there in the 15th century.executions on Tower Green and Tower Hill. Today a
Meanwhile, with its 15 foot thick walls, the basementplaque commemorates the 125 prisoners who lost their
was used occasionally to imprison less savourylives there.By the late 17th century, the castle's role as
characters. On the second storey, the Chapel Royala state prison diminished. The Office of Ordnance
of St. John the Evangelist with its smooth unpaintedbegan to occupy the site and with them came
walls, bestows grace and dignity upon this greatmunitions stores, military workshops, a barracks and
keep.Over time, succeeding monarchs surrounded thegun batteries. In the 1840s the Army constructed the
White Tower with towered walls, palatial buildings andNorth Bastion, Waterloo Barracks and other structures
a military depot but the turreted keep has alwaysto counter local civil unrest from the Chartist
remained the castle's most recognizable feature. BothMovement. Beginning in the 1850s, Queen Victoria and
physically and visually, its owners intended the TowerPrince Albert began restoring the castle's medieval
of London to dominate, intimidate and impressappearance.Visit the Tower of London today and you
onlookers. Every angle reinforced the notion that herewill be regaled by the Beefeaters with stories of
stood a royal stronghold with no rival.In the 13thtreason, beheadings, torture and ghostly apparitions.
century, Henry III began an ambitious expansionManaged by the Historic Royal Palaces, the Tower is
program at the site, adding a massive curtain wall thatopen daily throughout the year for an entrance fee.
had nine sturdy towers and doubled the size of the