The Tower of London
For over 9
The Tower of London
For over 900 years the Tower of London has dominated the City of London and is still one of the capital's most prominent landmarks and a world-famous visitor attraction. Throughout its long history, the Tower has served as a royal palace and fortress, prison and place of execution, an arsenal, royal mint, menagerie and jewel house. Today, London's great royal fortress is home to some of the most potent symbols of British history: the Yeoman Warders, Ravens and Crown Jewels.
Around 1078, William the Conqueror began work on a great stone palace with walls 15 feet thick, known since the medieval period as the White Tower. It now houses a collection of historic royal arms and armour belonging to the Royal Armouries, including the magnificent armour of Henry VIII. Under subsequent monarchs the Tower's defences were extended to create the fortress that you see today.
The Yeoman Warders, often called Beefeaters, are descended from the ancient band of warders who, from early in the Tower's history, had the responsibility for guarding the gates and royal prisoners. Modern Yeoman Warders are still Extraordinary Members of the Queen's Bodyguard and are all former warrant officers from Her Majesty's Forces with an honourable service record of at least 22 years. Today they combine their traditional ceremonial role with that of tourist guide.
The Tower of London has been home to the world-famous British Crown Jewels since the beginning of the 14th century. Still used by the Queen and her family today, the Crown Jewels on display in the Jewel House are largely those items used at the coronation of a sovereign and are collectively known as the Coronation Regalia. Much of the collection dates from the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, when Charles II ascended the throne.
The Chief Yeoman Warder pictured with his ceremonial cane
The Tower is also the place where Guy Fawkes and his fellow gunpowder plotters were incarcerated after the discovery of their treacherous plan, and it is the Tower's part in the Gunpowder Plot story that is being commemorated in its new exhibition Gunpowder Treason in this 400th anniversary year. Using unique audio-visual footage, the exhibition presents the arrest, imprisonment, torture and death of Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plotters. It also explore what might have happened if the plot had been successful, and makes clear the continuing historical importance of the Gunpowder Plot, with regards to modern political events, religious terrorism and conspiracy investigations.
The title of the exhibition explains the Tower's dual role in the audacious Gunpowder Plot * in 1605 as the stronghold of the monarch it would still have been the home of gunpowder and on display in the exhibition is the actual receipt that was signed when the 36 barrels found under the House of Lords were sent to the Tower on 6 November 1605. The Treason part of the exhibition of course covers the fate of the Gunpowder Plotters, who were deemed traitors for threatening the stability of the State and the king's throne. As the crime of treason was so heinous the Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London would have been the best place for them to be kept under lock and key * and of course for vital information about the plot and their supporters to be forcibly extracted from them. The signature of Guido Fawkes on the confession exists today in the National Archives, the difference in the legibility of his handwriting before and after torture telling reams about the suffering he had endured on the Tower's infamous Rack.
Gunpowder Treason is part of the 'Gunpowder Plot 400' – a partnership promoting the 400th anniversary, bringing together all organisations and venues with a Guy Fawkes connection. And on the actual 400th anniversary, the Tower is holding a special costumed event – Guy Fawkes Succeeds! * and visitors can join in the chaotic activities that might have happened if Guy Fawkes and his fellow plotters had succeeded.
Graffiti left in the Tower of London by Ambrose Rockwoode, one of the original plotters
Pictures from History.uk.com archive or used courtesy of HM Tower of London
The Tower of London from the River Thames
You can also find out more about the people behind the scenes at the Tower of London with a major new series Tales from the Palaces on BBC FOUR this autumn. Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that cares for, conserves and presents to the public five of the greatest palaces built including the Tower of London, invited BBC cameras to follow the work of its world-leading conservation teams over 12 months and the resulting series will show a dedicated bunch from all walks of life.
The series offers a VIP pass to the inside story at the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Palace, Kensington Palace and the Banqueting House, Whitehall. Narrated by Robert Lindsay, it explores the fundamental daily challenges facing Historic Royal Palaces in a very competitive market as the charity, which receives no funding from the Government or HM The Queen, works to attract visitors to fund crucial conservation and interpretation projects. But visitors cause wear and tear on these unique buildings which must be constantly, and often expensively, addressed.
Tales from the Palaces explores how these hard decisions are made and who makes them – follow the ups and downs of projects that do get the go-ahead. Highlights include:
* an award-winning investigation into the management of dust
* recreating real cookery recipes from the past with today's leading chef and proprietor of the World's Best Restaurant, Heston Blumenthal
* a top-secret bid for a royal outfit at Sotheby's auction house
* world-wide frenzy for information on the first recording of a ghost on CCTV
* the exciting, first-ever investigation into what lurks at the bottom of the well in William the Conqueror's White Tower, which finally reveals the year in which this ancient London landmark and global icon was built.
So you've visited the Tower of London, you've explored Gunpowder Treason and you've watched the Tales from the Palaces series * is there anything else to know about the Tower? Here are 10 facts that might surprise you:
1. Approximately 2.2 million people visit the Tower every year
2. All the Beefeaters and their families live within the Tower of London – perhaps one of the most exclusive addresses in London.
3. Despite its rather grisly reputation, only seven people were beheaded within the Tower walls over its 1000 year history
4. The Bloody Tower was originally called the Garden Tower. The alleged murder of the Little Princes, still a mystery today, spurred the name change.
5. Before it moved to Regents Park in the 1834, the Royal Menagerie, now known as London Zoo, was housed at the Tower of London. The menagerie began in 1235 when Emperor Frederick II presented Henry III with three leopards.
6. According to tradition there is buried treasure at the Tower of London. Sir John Barkstead, Lieutenant of the Tower under Cromwell is said to have hidden £20,000 in gold coins somewhere in the Tower. The diarist Samuel Pepys took part in several searches for the gold, as have a number of enthusiastic Governors, but to this day it remains hidden.
7. Between November 6 1914 and April 11 1916, eleven men of various nationalities were held at the Tower, accused of espionage, tried in camera and executed by firing squad.
8. The last man to be held and executed at the Tower of London was Josef Jakobs, a sergeant of the German Army. He was captured after injuring his ankle parachuting into England. He was accused of espionage, tried in camera, and then executed by firing squad at the Tower on August 15 1941. The chair in which he sat to face the firing squad is still preserved in the Royal Armouries' artefacts store.
9. After his capture in Scotland, Rudolph Hess, the Deputy Fuhrer of Germany was held in the Tower from 17 to 21 May 1941.
10. Among the last people to be held as prisoners at the Tower of London were the Kray twins, the notorious East End gangsters. They were doing their National Service with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers which is based at the Tower in the 1950s, and went AWOL. They were captured not far away and were held in twin cells either side of the Waterloo Block clock for one night.
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