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Tower of London
The Tower of London is one of Britain's premier historic sites, drawing some 2.5 million tourists and Londoners per year. Fortunately, the nearly 1,000-year-old castle has plenty of room for crowds, with 18 acres (7.3 hectares) of towers, walls, and green space overlooking the banks of the River Thames.
An eight-year, £20 million restoration and
improvement project has made this UNESCO World Heritage Site even more
attractive, accessible, and convenient for visitors.
The Tower of London is
operated by
Historic Royal Palaces, a Royal Charter
Body that also manages
Hampton Court Palace,
Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, and the
Banqueting House in Whitehall.
The
Tower of London's history can be traced back to 1067, when William the Conqueror
ordered a wooden fortress built along the Thames to keep Londoners from
rebelling against their Norman occupiers.
Ten years later, work began on the
White Tower, a stone keep
built atop ruins of Roman fortifications.
This stronghold--which William named
the "Tower of London"--soon grew into a full-scale castle with concentric walls,
a moat, and other buildings such as the
Garden Tower or
Bloody Tower (where the Little Princes are said to
have been murdered in 1485), Beauchamp Tower
(famous for its carvings and inscriptions of medieval prisoners), and
Queen's House, where
Elizabeth I was imprisoned on orders of her half-sister, Queen Mary, for several
months in 1554). The Tower is perhaps best known as a prison, a role that it
served from the beginning of the 11th Century until the early years of World War
II. It has also housed the Royal Mint, a menagerie, an armory, and the Crown
Jewels. Since World War II, the Tower of London has been open to the public as
an historic site and a tourist attraction.
The Tower of London was the celebrity prison of medieval and
Tudor times, attracting a better class of inmate than your common-garden
dungeon or gaol. The Tower's first prisoner (and escapee) was
Bishop Ranulf
Flambard, who received Concierge Floor treatment in the White Tower after
being imprisoned by Henry I in 1100. The bishop subsequently hosted a party his
guards, then slithered down a rope and escaped in a waiting boat while they were
drunk. Sir Walter Raleigh inhabited the Garden Tower (a.k.a. the
Garden Tower) for 13 years with his wife and children as companions. Raleigh,
who is said to have taught Queen Elizabeth I how to smoke, raised grew tobacco
on Tower Green when he wasn't occupied with writing The History of the World. Guy Fawkes, whose role in the Gunpowder Plot is still
commemorated with bonfires and fireworks, was interrogated in the tower before
being hung, drawn, and quartered at Westminster. Lord Nithsdale earned "famous prisoner" status as the
Tower's first and only cross-dressing escapee. On the eve of his scheduled
execution, his wife and two servants brought him a disguise of women's clothing.
(See our short piece on Lord Nithsdale's
escape.) The Tower continued to be used as a prison during two World
Wars, and the presence of German soldiers and spies in the Tower may well have
protected it from bombing. The most famous German prisoner was
Rudolf Hess,
the Deputy Führer of the Third Reich, who
spent five days in Queen's House after flying from Germany to Scotland in May,
1941. Contrary to popular belief, only a small number of executions
have taken place within the Tower of London. Most condemned prisoners were taken
to Tower Hill or other places in London for beheading or to be hung, drawn, and
quartered. Six beheadings have occurred on Tower Green.
Anne Boleyn,
the second wife of Henry VIII, was executed by a French swordsman in 1536;
Catherine Howard, Henry's fifth wife, lay her head on the block in 1542.
Lady Jane Grey, who reigned as Queen for only nine days in 1553, died by the
axe in 1554 for "usurping the throne of England." Less famous victims were Margaret Plantagenet Pole, the 68-year-old Countess of Salisbury, who
refused to go quietly and required several blows of the axe to die in 1541. The
last prisoner to beheaded at the Tower was Robert Devereux, Earl of
Essex, who was arrested after plotting against Queen Elizabeth I in 1601.
A
somewhat larger number of prisoners have been executed by shooting: three
Black Watch Mutineers in 1743, 11
German spies in World War I,
and--on August 15, 1941--Josef Jakobs, a German who parachuted into
England and later was shot while seated in a chair (see photo at right) because
he'd injured his leg in the jump.
The World War I and II executions took place
in the Tower's East Casemates Rifle Range.
Thirty-six
Yeoman Warders guard the Tower of London with the help of a British Army unit.
They report to the Yeoman Gaoler and the Chief Yeoman Warder (the two gentlemen
on the right side of the group photo above).
In addition to keeping an eye on
the Tower, the Yeoman Warders lead free tours and answer questions for visitors.
Sample Q&A: Tourist: "Where was Ann Boleyn beheaded?" The Yeoman Warders also have ceremonial duties, including the
nightly Ceremony of the Keys (see below)
and attending such events as royal coronations and the Lord Mayor's Show in the
City of London. Natasha Woollard of the Tower's press office and John Keohane,
the Yeoman Gaoler during my visit, were kind enough to supply a number of facts about the Yeoman
Warders: A so-called Beefeater's official title is: "Yeoman Warder of Her
Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London and Member of the
Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary." The erroneous nickname "Beefeater" probably dates back to
the time when Yeoman Warders were given a daily ration of meat. (Records show, that in 1813, the
daily ration for the 30 men on duty was a remarkable 24 pounds of beef, 18 pounds of
mutton, and 16 pounds of veal.) To apply for a position as a Yeoman Warder, you must have 19
years' of service with good conduct as a senior non-commissioned officer from
the Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines, or Royal Navy. (Only a small number of
applicants are accepted.) New Yeoman Warders are sworn in on Tower Green, where they take
an oath of allegiance that dates back to 1337. After the ceremony, the new
recruits' health is toasted by the Chief Yeoman Warder from a ceremonial
punchbowl. (The punchbowl was a gift from Yeoman Warder Wilkins, who was found
to be earning a living as an innkeeper in Southwark when he should have been on
duty.) The Yeoman Warders and their families are required to live
at the Tower. (You'll see their neatly tended rowhouses facing Tower Green.)
In addition, they must own homes elsewhere in England so they'll have a
place to go when they retire. The Yeoman Warders have two uniforms: The ceremonial uniform is worn for state occasions;
e.g., when the monarch visits the Tower or for any state occasion that the
Body attends. This uniform is predominantly red and goldwith red stockings,
a white ruff, and black patent shoes. For everyday wear, the Yeoman Warders wear a blue undress
uniform that comes in summer and winter weights. (See photos above.)
Finally, the first woman
Yeoman Warder (a former Army accountant
named Moira Cameron) began working in uniform at the Tower of London on September 3,
2007.
The easiest way to get your bearings (along with an
understanding of the Tower and its history) is to join a Yeoman Warder tour,
which is certain to be both informative and entertaining. After that, you can
wander about the Tower's grounds on your own, allowing time for such attractions
as: The White Tower, which dates back to the time of William
the Conqueror and is the oldest of the Tower's buildings. An ancient chapel is
on the ground floor; head upstairs to see displays from the Royal Armouries and
special exhibitions. The Medieval Palace, which includes St. Thomas's Tower,
the Wakefield Tower, and the Lanthorn Tower. The reconstructed interiors will
give you a sense of what the palace was like in the 13th and 14th Centuries.
Traitors'
Gate (photo at right), the Tower's water entrance from the 13th through the
18th Centuries. Many prisoners arrived here by boat from the Thames. Tower Green and the Scaffold Site (see photo at top
of page), where seven famous prisoners--including three Queens of England--were
executed by axe or sword. Chapel Royal of St. Peter et Vincula, which
faces Tower Green, has
Sunday services
that are open to the public. Bloody Tower, a former gatehouse that has been occupied
by such famous prisoners as the Little Princes (Edward IV's sons) and Sir Walter
Raleigh. The latter's apartment is furnished as it might have appeared during
his 13-year stay.
Beauchamp
Tower, where you'll find prisoners' inscriptions (photo at right) and
displays of archaeological discoveries at the Tower of London. The Crown Jewels and the
Tower Ravens, which are
described elsewhere in this article. (See navigation table below.) The Wall Walk, which runs along the Tower's eastern inner
curtain wall that was built early in the 13th Century.
Keith Hanson is Chief Exhibitor of the
Crown Jewels, having been
appointed to that post in 2000 after serving as a Yeoman Warder. Hanson, who
lives at the Tower with his wife Angela, is the latest in a long line of
Englishman who have watched over the royal Regalia since the Crown Jewels were
first displayed to the public at the Tower of London in 1661 (and possibly
earlier).
The
Jewel House is located in
Waterloo Block. (See inset photo.) When you enter,
you'll walk past displays of Royal maces, swords, and other ceremonial items
until you reach the chamber where the Coronation Regalia are on display.
There,
you'll step onto a moving walkway that slowly takes you past well-lit display
cases that hold the Imperial State Crown, Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown
(see photo above), the Imperial Crown of India, and other precious items. The
jewels are dazzling (literally as well as figuratively) in the otherwise
darkened room. Once you've stepped off the moving walkway, you can return to
the head of the display cases and repeat the process on the other side, or you
can climb a few steps to a viewing platform that offers a different perspective
on the collection. Next, continue to the next room where you can see Queen
Elizabeth II's Coronation Robe and other gear. (Film footage of the Queen's
coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953 is shown continuously on high-definition TV
screens.) Some of the items to look for during your visit include: The Cullinan I diamond, also known as the First Star
of Africa, is the largest top-quality cut diamond in the world. It
weighs slightly more than 530 carats and is mounted on the Sceptre. (The
Cullinan I was one of nine large diamonds and 96 small brilliants cut over a
period of eight months from the Cullinan diamond, which weighed 3,106 carats
uncut.) The Cullinan II, the world's second-largest
top-quality cut diamond, weighs 317 carats and is on the front of the
Imperial State Crown. The Koh-I-Noor ("Mountain of Light")
diamond,
weighs 105.6 carats and is mounted on the Queen Mother's Crown. Many legends are
associated with the diamond, which was surrendered by the Maharajah of
Lahore to the Queen of England when the British Empire annexed the Punjab in
1849. Here are more facts about the Crown Jewels, compliments of the Tower's press
office and the Chief Exhibitor: The silver gilt spoon is the oldest piece in the
collection. It was probably made for Henry II or Richard I and is the only
piece of royal goldsmith's work to survive from the 12th Century. William IV's coronation crown was so heavy, at 7 pounds,
that the new king developed a tootache and needed to have the offending
tooth removed. So far, there has been only one attempt to steal the Crown
Jewels, by Colonel Blood in 1671. He failed, and--if you're lucky--you'll
see a re-enactment of his attempt, or a story by costumed interpreters,
during your visit to the Tower. The Crown Jewels are cleaned regularly by a master jeweler
who works in a special room on the premises after visiting hours. The Imperial State Crown, which was created in 1937 for the
coronation of George VI, is set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11
emeralds, 5 rubies, and 273 pearls. When the Imperial State Crown is removed from its display
case for a coronation or the yearly opening of Parliament, it is replaced by a small
sign that simply reads "IN USE."
Nobody knows when ravens first came to the Tower of London, but
they've been associated with the Tower for centuries. Legend dictates that, if
the ravens ever leave, the Tower will fall and the Kingdom will fall, so Charles
II decreed that there must always be at least six ravens at the Tower. That
tradition has been honored for more than 300 years.
If you're an aficionado of raven trivia, take a moment to
memorize these facts and figures about the Tower's avian mascots: Seven ravens currently live at the Tower. Three are females;
four are males. The two newest birds, Bran and Branwen, joined the team in
August, 2003. To keep the birds from flying away, the Raven Master clips
their lifting feathers. The procedure doesn't hurt them in any way; it
simply unbalances their flight so they won't stray from the Tower. Ravens have escaped occasionally. Grog was last seen outside
an East End pub called the Rose and Punchbowl in 198 after living at the
tower for 21 years (seven years longer than Sir Walter Raleigh). Occasionally, birds are dismissed for bad behavior. George
was exiled to the Welsh Mountain Zoo in 1986 after developing an unhealthy
taste for TV antennas, while two other ravens were banished in 1996 for
"conduct unbecoming Tower residents." Ravens are well fed: Each bird's daily ration includes 6
ounces of meat and bird-formula biscuits soaked in blood. Once a week the
birds enjoy an egg, and they're occasionally given a rabbit (the fur is good
for them). The ravens also enjoy scraps from the Tower's mess kitchen. Ravens can live to a ripe old age. The oldest raven to live
at the Tower was Jim Crow, who died at the age of 44. The oldest raven
curently living at the Tower is Hardey, who is 26 years old. Since 1987, the Tower has undertaken an ambitious and
successful breeding program. Charlie and Rhys paired up and produced a total
of 17 chicks. (The information above was supplied by the Tower's press office,
whose staff are on good terms with their feathered colleagues.)
For more 700 years, the Gentleman Porter or (in more recent
times) the Chief Yeoman Warder has has locked the Tower's heavy wooden gates
each night with a set of heavy keys.
Originally, the Tower was locked from dusk
till dawn. In 1826, when the Duke of Wellington became Constable of the Tower,
he ordered the start time changed to 9:53 p.m. so the garrison could enjoy some
time on the town. That time still stands, with the seven-minute ceremony being
complete (and the wooden gates locked for the night) at 10:00 p.m. The Yeoman Warders take great pride in the fact that the
Ceremony of the Keys continued without interruption even when several German
bombs fell on the Tower in World War II. (After a direct hit in September, 1941,
the ceremony was delayed by half an hour but went ahead after the dust and smoke
had settled.) It's worth noting that the Ceremony of the Key isn't just for
show: As the Tower's press office points out, "The importance of securing this
fortress for the night is still very relevant, because although the monarch no
longer resides at this royal Palace, her crown jewels do!" Anyone can witness the Ceremony of the Keys, which normally is
open to the public every night of the year. However, tickets--which are free--must be obtained in advance by
booking online. (The ceremony is extremely popular, so we recommend booking
months ahead.) On the night of the ceremony, you'll be admitted to the Tower at
9:30 p.m. precisely and escorted to a spot near the Bloody Tower. A Yeoman
Warder will tell you how to behave (no talking, no photos), and at 9:53 p.m. the
Chief Yeoman Warder will approach with the Keys of the Tower in one hand and a
brass lantern in the other. He'll collect his escort from the military guards
and proceed to the entrance to secure the main gates. During the ceremony, the Yeoman Warder will reply to a
guard's challenge, and the Ceremony of the Keys will later conclude with a
bugle call (see photo at top of page). At 10:05 p.m, you and your fellow
visitors will be escorted to the after-hours gate used by the Tower's Yeoman
Warders and military guards. Tip: If you're visiting the Tower on the same day that
you attend the Ceremony of the Keys, you'll have several hours to kill between
the Tower's closing time and the ceremony.
The Tower of London keeps visitors (and Londoners) coming back
with seasonal events, historic reenactments, and special exhibitions. Gun salutes are perennial crowd-pleasers; these take
place at least half a dozen times a year on such occasions as the Queen's
official birthday (62 guns) and the State Opening of Parliament (41 guns).
Re-enactments and narrations by costumed performers take
place throughout the year. In the photo at right, for example, an actor portrays
Colonel Thomas Blood, an Irish scoundrel who nearly got away with the Crown
Jewels after cozying up to the Keeper's daughter in 1671. State parades take place on Easter, Whitsun, and the
Sunday before Christmas. Yeoman Warders escort the Governor from the Queen's
House to a service in the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula and back again.
(Anyone can watch the parade, but if you'd like to attend the service, you'll
need to phone the
chaplain well in advance to obtain written permission.) A ceremony named the Constable's Dues occurs whenever a
large Royal Navy ship visits the port of London (normally about a year). The
ship honors an ancient tradition by delivering a barrel of rum to the Tower's
Constable. On Ascension Day every three years, local children whack
theTower's boundary markers with willow tands in a ceremony known as the
Beating of the Bounds. (This is in honor of 14th Century boys who were
thrashed whenever they encroached on the Tower's grounds.) Special exhibitions and tours occur regularly at the
Tower; these range from "ghost tours" to royal murder mysteries to medieval
Christmas celebrations.
Opening hours and tickets. The Tower of London is open
year-round. Opening days and hours vary according to the season and government
public-health guidelines. See "Web information" below to check current times and ticket prices. Transportation. The Tower of
London is easy to reach by Underground, bus, or boat. The closest tube station
is Tower Hill, which is served by the Circle and District lines.
Food
and drink. The New Armouries restaurant serves drinks, sandwiches,
pastries, and hot meals, including a traditional English cream tea in the
afternoon. The Wharf Kiosk outside the tower has drinks, snacks, and ice cream. Shops. Half a dozen shops offer
everything from Yeoman Warder-themed souvenirs to armor replicas and Crown
Jewels-inspired jewelry. Web information. The
Tower of London
section of the Historic Royal Palaces Web
site is your official guide to the Tower. Another useful resource is
Camelot Village: The
Tower of London.
Most photos copyright © HRP. Used by permission. |
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