The complex of the Tower of London from afar
Where did that song come from? And was it really falling down? Well this post is not about London Bridge, but the song keeps ringing in my brain. This post is about the Tower of London.
Part of the old Roman city wall
I went to visit the Tower on a fine sunny day and I am really glad I did. I spent about 3 hours touring all the buildings and the grounds. It is really fascinating.
The entrance to the Tower
The Tower of London is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite.
A tour is herded through one of the gates!
The castle was used as a prison since at least 1100, although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart,Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. The general layout established by the late 13th century is what you see for the most part today.
Walking along the medieval wall
The peak period of the castle’s use as a prison was the 16th and 17th centuries, when many figures who had fallen into disgrace, such as Elizabeth I before she became queen, were held within its walls. This use has led to the phrase “sent to the Tower”. Despite its enduring reputation as a place of torture and death, popularised by 16th-century religious propagandists and 19th-century writers, only seven people were executed within the Tower before the World Wars of the 20th century. Executions were more commonly held on the notorious Tower Hill to the north of the castle, with 112 occurring there over a 400-year period.
The infamous white tower
In the First and Second World Wars, the Tower was again used as a prison, and witnessed the executions of 12 men for espionage.
The infamous gate
The Tower is protected as a World Heritage Site.
Thanks for the great history lesson. The Tower of London sure is a huge complex. No wonder it took three hours to tour!
I’m just surprised that you weren’t in any of the pictures…….sooo, can I expect a part two?