TOWER OF LONDON
Mind Your Head and the Family Jewels
“If you can keep your head while others are losing theirs…” Okay it’s a paraphrase, but around England’s Tower of London, it’s a weighty caution as quite a few villains and heroes have lost their heads to the block on the Tower Green. William, Lord Hastings, Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard (see Headless Howards of Arundel Castle) and Lady Jane Grey (a queen for only 9 days) are among the ten who befell the headsman’s ax (or sword) on the green within the walls of the Tower. November 5th is Guy Fawkes Day in Great Britain, and the pro-Catholic anarchist who tried to blow up Parliament (now commemorated with his own Halloween mask and a common symbol for rebellion) met his end here as well as Roger Mortimer the Lord of Wigmore who very nearly did take over the kingdom from Edward III (see Traitors
Gate to Mortimer's Hole).Two young princes also died at the tower, but not by execution, but rather murder.
The Tower of London came into existence in 1100 when the White Tower for which it was named was completed. In the 13th Century the tower was enlarged by Henry III and the two towered curtain walls which give the castle its current familiar outlines were added by King Edward I, known more for his "Iron Ring" castles in Wales (see Caernarfon
Castle).
The tower’s remaining medieval chambers have a replica of Edward I’s bedroom and the throne, in an exhibition of the sounds and aromas of a royal medieval household. The river wharf was completed in the 1300’s. The Tower of London was last expanded in the 15th century when Henry VI and the young princes were murdered, reputedly in Richard III’s rise to power (see Walking
York’s Walls). The Tower Green saw a lot of business in Tudor England under Henry VIII’s divorce dramas, and it was then, 500 years ago that the Tower of London took in it’s first paying tourists, one of the earliest of tourist traps! The Tower was for a time the site of the Royal Mint, forging gold coin of the realm in medieval times, begun under Edward I.
The
Tower of London has famously been the repository of the Crown Jewels
since the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 under Charles II (see Westminster
Abbey) and the first attempt to steal them was made by Colonel Blood shortly thereafter, and he met a fate appropriate to his name. The Crown Jewels consisting of almost 24,000 individual gems, including the Imperial State Crown which alone has 2,868 diamonds, are now kept in a very large vault display in secret darkness, where you too can visit them for the price of admission. The Jewel House used to be a glass enclosed iron cage, but today to accommodate the traffic, the jewels are viewed on a moving conveyor past the jewel cases behind some rather thick glass.
The White Tower in the center of the complex houses the Royal Armories collection of armor and weaponry, with suits of armor of elaborate design and plan warrior metal fill multiple floors of the tower. The exhibit displays the best of the massive medieval collection, including Henry VIII’s suit of armor with his family jewels protected by their own impressive armored casing, along with the armor of various kings through the middle ages and beyond, some noted for their small size armor as children, and horse armor as well.
The other legend from the days of Charles II was his belief that if the ravens ever left the Tower of London, the kingdom would fall - ever since, the black Ravens of the tower have been kept under close watch, kept in an aviary cage on the grounds - a bit of a cheat. Executions last took place at the Tower in the 1700s, but I advise not to attempt to take any crown baubles home with you lest you be added to the list of names on the memorial. The Yeoman Warders, commonly known as “Beefeaters” present the tales of the tower’s treachery, torture, power plays and glory, including the first ever female Beefeater in a thousand years to guard the Tower.
Visiting the Tower of London
The
Tower of London is open all year, daily except for December 24-26
and New Years Day.
Admission for adults is £22.00 (£20.90 if you buy online), Students and Seniors £18.70, and children £11.00.
The nearest Underground tube stop is Tower Hill on the Circle and District
Lines,
or the Tower of London can be a tour stop along the River Thames included
on a river boat trip (see Thames
Cruises). Sometimes the lines can be quite long.
There's a cafe at the ticket office if you need to wait, and
two cafes inside. Nearby
sights are:
the Tower Bridge (see Tower Bridge Exhibition),
the HMS Belfast ship of the Imperial War Museums, and
rather
incongruously
from old to new, the iconic London "Pickle". © Bargain
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See Also:
LONDON
THRILLER – HITCHCOCK SLEPT HERE
THE SHERLOCK HOLMES
PUB RESTAURANT
"LONDON
EYE" GREAT WHEEL ON THE THAMES
LONDON'S HIGHEST VIEW FROM THE SHARD
