The Tower of London is one of the top five tourist attractions in the whole of London.
It’s always absolutely flooded with people from all over the world, clutching their maps and their audio commentaries. The whole site is oozing with tales of torture, imprisonment, royal residency and ravens. But it’s sometimes a little bit daunting arriving mid-morning to a place like the Tower and being inundated with a barrage of things to see and do while you’re there. Here is a quick top five that will mean you don’t end up being imprisoned all week yourself.
1. The White Tower
This is the one you’re probably imaging in your head. It’s the square-shaped four-turret structure in the middle of the grounds and is home to the main tower. It was built in 1078 by William the Conqueror and originally kept the Normans safe while they established their rule of England. Over the years it has been a chapel, a royal residency and of course a torture chamber and prison. Nowadays you’ll find artillery such as armour and canons being displayed here and it’s worth checking out the Spanish Armoury for some pretty gory torture weapons.
2. Henry III’s royal residence at the Tower
There have a been a number of English monarchs living within the secure walls of the Tower of the centuries but one who made quite an impact on the look of the site was Henry III (1216 – 1272). He was only a boy when he was made king and his advisors sought to protect him in every way possible, especially from the French. Wakefield Tower and Lanthorn Tower and latterly a more robust moat were built to protect Henry from foreign and more local invasion from some threatening barons.
3. The chapel of St Peter-ad-Vincula (Peter in chains)
This is well worth a look. It’s where a lot of the most famous prisoners executed within the Tower were buried. It dates back to the early 16th Century and was one of Henry VIII’s commissions but the site has been holy since before the Norman invasion. If you’re the type to get spooked easily then watch out because there’s been a number of ghosts wandering around the chapel, one being Anne Boleyn with her head tucked under her arm like a rugby ball.
4. The Crown Jewels
You wont miss these cause it’s where most of the tourists will be heading. Found in the Jewel House and kept under heavy lock and key, the pride and joy of the nation have been here since the coronation of Charles II, due to their theft from Westminster Abbey. As you walk in the building you’ll see armed guards outside and then further inside you’ll know you’ve reached the main attraction when you walk through the two foot metal doors with locks bigger than you’ve ever seen. There’s no time for dawdlers when in here because a little electronic walkway takes you passed the cabinets. There’s more than enough time to take in the wonder of the likes of swords, sceptres and the big one: The Imperial State Crown.
5. Ravens
The Tower wouldn’t be the tower if not for the ravens. Quite literally, as superstition dictates that if they fly away then the whole place will collapse. There are mixed opinions surrounding the raven’s entry at the Tower, but the chance of some flesh for scavenging might have been a factor. Nowadays there are 9 of the beautiful black birds to see bouncing along the grass and on fine display in their aviaries.
Photo of Yeoman, Tower of London, UK, by Natalia Romay
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