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TOWER OF LONDON
Mind Your Head and the Family Jewels
“If
you can keep your head about you 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. And now the Historic
Royal Palaces, the independent charity organization that looks after
the landmark
castle
property and four other unoccupied palaces has installed a display to
commemorate ten famous historic figures executed at the Tower of London. William,
Lord Hastings, Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey are
among the ten who befell the headsman’s ax (or sword) memorialized by
a clear glass pillow resting on two polished discs, designed by artist,
Brian
Catling, intended to remember all the
people executed within the walls of the Tower, with particular reference
the more famous beheaded and
three soldiers known to have died on Tower Green. November 5th is Guy
Fawkes Day in Great Britain, and the pro-Catholic anarchist who tired
to blow up Parliament (now commemorated with his own Halloween mask,
comic book and movie "V for Vendetta") 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).
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" of castles in Wales (see Caernarfon
Castle).
The tower’s medieval chambers have a replica of Edward I’s bed, 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.
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 walk through
vault, where you too can visit them for the price of admission. The
White Tower houses the Royal Armories collection of armor and weaponry.
In 2010,
a new permanent exhibit "Fit for a King - 500 Years of
Armor" opened
to display the best of the collection., including Henry VIII’s
suit of armor with his family jewels protected by their own impressive
armored
casing.
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. Executions last took place at the Tower in
the 1700’s, 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.
The
Tower of London is open all year, daily except for December 24-26
and New Years Day.
Admission for adults is £16, Students and Seniors £13, and children £9.50.
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". Consider getting
a London
Pass for visiting attractions
in London, its single price for 50 attractions can be a real
deal if visiting many sights, and it lets you cut the line
with priority
entrance. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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best hotel and vacation deals in London on
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Web Info
Historic
Royal Palaces Org
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See Also:
LONDON SIGHTSEEING PASS FOR A ROYAL 2011
LONDON
THRILLER – HITCHCOCK SLEPT HERE
THE SHERLOCK HOLMES
PUB RESTAURANT
"LONDON
EYE" GREAT WHEEL ON THE THAMES
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