TOWER OF LONDON
London’s great riverside fortress is usually remembered as a place of imprisonment, but it has a much more varied past. Originally a moated fort, the White Tower was built for William I (the Conqueror) and begun around 1078. Enlarged by later monarchs—including Henry VIII, who famously sent two of his wives to their deaths on Tower Green—it became home to the city arsenal, the Crown Jewels, a menagerie, and the Royal Mint.
The Tower of London
NEED TO KNOW
Tower Hill EC3 • www.hrp.org.uk • Open Mar–Oct: 9am–5:30pm Tue–Sat, 10am–5:30pm Sun–Mon; Nov–Feb: 9am–4:30pm Tue–Sat, 10am–5:30pm Sun–Mon (last adm: 30 min before closing); closed Dec 24–26 • Adm adults $33; children 5–15 $15.50 (under 5 free); family (1 adult, 3 children) $58.50, (2 adults, 3 children) $83
- You can buy cheaper advance tickets online.
Plan of the Tower
1. Yeoman Warders
The Tower’s 37 Yeoman Warders now include a female Warder. Former noncommissioned military officers with Long Service and Good Conduct Medals, they wear uniforms dating from Tudor times.
Yeoman Warders
2. The Bloody Tower
The displays here explore the dark history of the Bloody Tower, where murderous deeds, including the alleged killing of the little princes took place.
3. The White Tower
The heart of the fortress is a sturdy keep, 90 ft (30 m) tall with walls 15 ft (5 m) thick. Constructed under William I, it was completed in 1097 and is the Tower’s oldest surviving building. In 1240 it was whitewashed inside and out, hence its name.
4. Imperial State Crown
This is the most dazzling of a dozen crowns in the Jewel House. It contains 2,868 diamonds, and the sapphire at its top is from the reign of Edward the Confessor (r. 1042–66). The crown was made for the coronation of George VI in 1937.
5. Chapel of St. John the Evangelist
The finest Norman place of worship in London, which remains much as it was when it was built, is on the upper floor of the White Tower. In 1399, in preparation for Henry IV’s coronation procession, 40 noble knights held vigil here. They then took a purifying bath in an adjoining room and Henry made them the first Knights of the Order of the Bath. It is still used as a royal chapel today.
Chapel of St. John the Evangelist
6. Ravens
The saying goes that when ravens leave the Tower the building and the monarchy will fall. There are seven ravens in residence, looked after by the Ravenmaster.
7. Traitors’ Gate
The oak and iron water gate in the outer wall was used to bring many prisoners to the Tower, and became known as Traitors’ Gate.
Traitors’ Gate
8. Beauchamp Tower
The walls here are engraved with graffiti made by real prisoners of the Tower, including Lady Jane Grey. The tower takes its name from Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, who was imprisoned here between 1397 and 1399 by Richard II.
9. The Line of Kings
Drawn from the Royal Armouries’ collection, this exhibition showcases the arms and armor of centuries of monarchs, displayed on and alongside sculpted horses.
10. Tower Green
The place of execution for nobility, including Lady Jane Grey (1554) and two of Henry VIII’s wives—Anne Boleyn (1536) and Katherine Howard (1542).
TOWER HISTORY
William I’s White Tower was intended to defend London against attacks—and to be a visible sign to the native Anglo-Saxon population of the conquering Normans’ power. Henry III (r. 1216–72) built the inner wall with its 13 towers and brought the Crown Jewels here. The city arsenal was kept here, and under Henry VIII (r. 1509–47) the Royal Armouries were improved. James I (r. 1603–25) was the last monarch to stay in residence. All coinage in Great Britain was minted in the Tower’s Outer Ward until 1810, when the Royal Mint was established on Tower Hill.
