Tower of London
Tower of London,Tower Hill, Co. Greater London
The world famous Tower of London is one of the most imposing landmarks of the capital and houses some of the most important symbols of British history; the Crown Jewels. It’s no wonder that the Tower is one of London ’s most popular attractions and a must see for visitors to the city.
The citadel of the Tower was built to command and protect London and throughout its illustrious history, the Tower of London has been a royal palace, a prison, a place of execution, a royal arsenal, a treasury and even a menagerie. Within its walls some of the most fascinating and bloody episodes of British history have been played out. It is here that Henry VIII had two of his wives beheaded, where two Princes, heirs to the throne were murdered and where many Kings and Queens of England had their enemies, even own siblings and close friends, imprisoned and tortured before they were executed. All is revealed by the Yeoman Warders or ‘Beefeaters’, who provide a fascinating, entertaining and humourous guide through 900 years of the Tower’s history.
Thirteen towers make up the citadel of the Tower of London; the oldest and tallest is the White Tower, built in 1097 for William the Conqueror . This magnificent medieval building was intended to be an impressive royal residence but also a stronghold from which to exert Norman rule. Its store of weaponry make a hugely impressive exhibit of suits of armour, antique muskets, pistols, cannons and other weapons including the axe and chopping block used for executions.
However the exhibition that gets the lion’s share of attention is the Crown Jewels located in Jewel House. This collection of fabulously decorative ceremonial objects underline the wealth and pageantry of Britain and can’t fail to impress. The Crown Jewels have been kept at the Tower of London since the 14th Century. Those on display are largely the Coronation Regalia, the items used during the crowning of the monarch dating back to the restoration of 1660. The Crown Jewels incorporate some spectacular priceless gems, including the largest cut diamond in the World the First Star of Africa in the Sceptre with Cross and the Koh-i-Noor diamond in the Imperial State Crown all of which are kept behind equally impressive secure vaults.
Other impressive sights are the austere and beautiful Chapel of St John a splendid example of Norman architecture in which an excess of 1000 bodies were buried of those noble’s who met there untimely demise on the scaffold at Tower Green, the Medieval Palace in St Thomas’ Tower, restored to how it looked during the reign of Edward I circa 1270 and the exhibition in the ‘Bloody Tower’ of the tools and techniques of torture employed there.
The buildings surrounding the Tower of London are an impressive mix of medieval, Tudor and Georgian architecture that outline the development of the building of the citadel and that of British architecture.
The Tower of London with its history, architecture and pageantry, symbolises the pomp of nobility and its place in the rich heritage of Britain.
Tube Station: Tower Hill
