Hello Tower of London, Good to see you! 😄

November 2018 · 7 min read

The Tower of London has a long and bloody history; It has been both welcome shelter, prison and place of execution of the royal and not so royal. It's housed an arsenal, mint, menagerie and the nation's treasures in its long history. On a recent visit to London it was first on my list of places to go and what an amazing place it is!

The beginnings

London was already established as the most powerful city in the country when the Normans invaded in 1066 and newly-crowned king William the Conqueror was aware of the extreme importance of holding it against possible threats. That meant a stronghold was required and work began on the fortifications, alongside the river (Thames) right away. It was built on the site of a former Roman construction. The Romans called London, Londinum. Image left and below shows the White Tower

Early origins

The White Tower was constructed through a joint-effort of English labourers and Norman masons and was completed around the late 1070's. For protection it incorporated large ditches to the north and west of around 25 feet wide and utilised the old Roman walls of the city to the south and east. (Just for the record I love seeing Roman walls...Something about them, the Roman's conquest of the known world appeals to me.)

In 1189 King Richard the Lionheart was crowned and almost immediately set off on the Crusades leaving the Bishop of Ely in charge (William Longchamp). He set to work doubling the size of the land area around the Tower, built new walled sections and enlarged the defensive ditch which was actually supposed to be flooded by the river (Thames) but never was.

The Tower expands

During the reign of Henry III the Lanthorn and Wakefield towers were constructed on the waterfront and renovations were undertaken in the kitchens and great hall. Fortifications were further developed after Henry III was forced to shelter within the Tower from his rebellious Barons which is when a curtain wall was added doubling the area once again. In addition nine further towers were built with the three strongest, Devereux, Salt and Martin being placed at the corners.A new moat was constructed and this time was successfully flooded.

Below right is some armour as displayed in the armoury. The left image is of King Henry VIII's armour.

The Tower was used as a prison during Henry III's reign with the Welsh Prince (Gruffydd) being held between 1241 to 1244 when he fell to his death whilst attempting an escape.

1272 saw Edward I come to the throne and he secured the Tower as England's largest and most impenetrable fortress adding another curtain wall and additional gateways. Royal lodging were added to St Thomas's Tower and in 1303 the Crown Jewels were relocated from Westminster Abbey to the Tower and the Royal Mint was was also housed within its walls.

Edward III extended the Tower further rebuilding part of the Bloody Tower and creating a vault over the gate-passage. Many people have taken refuge within the Tower including the 14 year old King Richard II in 1381. For two days around 10,000 people rampaged and terrorised London. What better place to take shelter than England's most impregnable fortress? Richard II's reign ended in the White Tower though in the year 1399 when he was declared a tyrant. He renounced his crown.

The Tower played a key role during the Wars of the Roses (1455-1487) and both sides held court there depending on who held it at the time. Edward IV and Henry VI squabbled in this tumultuous period and the Tower saw many deaths during this time including the murder of Henry VI himself in the Wakefield Tower.

The Tudor period

The Tower was not significantly altered during this time. During Henry VIII's reign the Tower saw its use convert to a prison and place of execution. During the The Reformation it saw many political and religious deaths, mainly those who opposed the Reformation. One you may have heard of is Sir Thomas More in 1535. Image right shows people dressed in Tudor-period garb.

Henry VIII was famous for disposing of his wives and his second Anne Boleyn had her head removed within the grounds of of the Tower. Catherine Howard, his fifth wife, was also beheaded there as was Thomas Cromwell a former chief minister of Henry's and a man who had sent many to the block himself. The list of prisoners beheaded in the Tower reads like a who's who of the Tudor period. Anne Boleyn pictured to the below right.

Civil war and the Restoration of the monarchy

The Parliamentarians and Royalists fought a series of battles in 1642-1651 duringThe Civil War which was essentially an argument over the governance of England. The first permanent garrison was installed at the Tower in this time (1643) by Oliver Cromwell and after the Reformation of the monarchy in 1660 the Tower's role as a prison declined and the Crown Jewels were even put on display in the Martin Tower. There was a brash attempt at stealing the Crown Jewels in May 1671 by Thomas Blood. Surprisingly he was pardoned and even given land in Ireland. Go figure huh?

The 17th and 18th century saw the Tower filled with munitions, stores and workshops for the navy and army. The First World War saw the Tower become a prison again when it housed 11 spies and it was also hit several times in the German's bombing raids during World War Two. Nazi Rudolph Hess was held there in 1941 also!

The Tower today

The Tower is an impressive place to visit. It's not necessarily cheap to get tickets but is worth every cent in my opinion! We spent most of the day there reading plaques and wandering walls, ramparts, towers and rooms that have seen some 900 years of history. It's grim at times, how could a place some 900 years old that has seen such turmoil not be? They have people dressed up in period costumes and displays of weapons, machines and tools of torture and of course the Crown jewels together with historical accounts of some of the history the Tower has seen. The day we were there was splendid as you can see by the photos and we meandered about soaking in the history and mood of the place. Image to left shows one of the guards who stand watch over the building that houses the Crown Jewels.

If you are in London and have the chance I would highly recommend a day at the Tower. They have some nice places to eat and the views over the Thames and Tower Bridge are simply stunning.

Below are some more of my images.

Part of a Roman wall shows in the below left image and the right is Tower Bridge which is often confused with London Bridge. (London bridge is not as majestic...Not even close!)

"Got armour" Yes, they do. The armoury is packed with it! Below you can see a pile of breast-plates hanging on the wall and some horse armour to the right.

Below is the Traitors Gate which is where many prisoners were brought into the Tower including royal prisoners. You can see it here from inside (left) and outside (right) of the Tower. Note the steps in the let image...Think of the famous and infamous people who were rowed through those gates and mounted those stone steps.

Below is some graffiti from hundreds of years ago situated in the Beauchamp Tower where many prisoners were held. The right side image is a closer view.It's actually covered with clear perspex so no one can touch it.