Tower of London

The Tower of London is a Norman stone fortress in London, England. It stands on the bank of the River Thames, in the oldest part of the city.

Tower of London
300px The Tower of London, seen from the River Thames, with a view of the water-gate called "Traitors' Gate"
Location	London Borough of Tower Hamlets London, EC3
Area	Castle: 12 acres (4.9 ha) Tower Liberties: 6 acres (2.4 ha)
Height	27 metres (89 ft)
Built	White Tower: 1078 Inner Ward: 1190s Re-built: 1285 Wharf expansion: 1377–1399
Visitation	2,741,126 (in 2016)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Designated	1988 (12th session)
Reference No.	488
Country	United Kingdom
Region	Europe and North America
Listed Building – Grade I
Listed Building – Grade II

It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

The fortress was built by William the Conqueror, King William I during the Norman occupation of England, starting in 1078. The moat was built by Richard I, using water diverted from the River Thames.

The Tower had many uses. Its main function was to protect Norman rule in the years after the conquest. It was a prison, and a place of execution. Today, the Crown Jewels are kept there. This is the collection of jewels owned by the British state, and sometimes worn by the monarch. There is also a museum of armour.

Only the most important people were executed (by axe) inside the Tower of London. Among the most famous were:

• George, Duke of Clarence (1478)
• Anne Boleyn, Queen of England (1536) wife of King Henry VIII
• Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex (1540)
• Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (1541)
• Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford (1542)
• Catherine Howard, Queen of England (1542), wife of King Henry VIII
• Lady Jane Grey (1554)
• Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1601)

The Tower of London has a collection of ravens, large black birds of the Crow family. They are taken care of by the staff who work there. The ravens' wing feathers are kept short so they cannot fly away. This is because a legend (story) says that if the ravens leave the Tower, the Tower and the Kingdom will fall.

The closest Underground station to the Tower of London is Tower Hill.

Escape attempts

Ranulf Flambard: 1100, successfully escaped.
Gruffudd ap Llywelyn ap Iorwerth: 1244, fell from the tower and died during his escape attempt.

Tower Of London Media

• Mike Gatting on the Tower of London.ogg

  Audio description of the Tower of London by Mike Gatting

• Tower of London EN.png

  Plan of the Tower of London

• Whitetowerlondon.jpg

  The original entrance to the White Tower was at first-floor level.

• Wakefield Tower Chapel - Tower of London.jpg

  St John's Chapel, inside the White Tower

• London Tower (CherryX).jpg

  The south face of the Waterloo Block

• Tower of London White Tower.jpg

  The White Tower dates from the late 11th century.

• Tower of London model close up.jpg

  A model of the Tower of London as it appeared after the extension of the wharf in the late medieval period and the addition of the brick Bulwark at the west end of the castle under Edward IV

• Towrlndn.JPG

  Charles, Duke of Orléans, the nephew of the King of France, was held in the Tower during the Hundred Years' War. This late 15th-century image is the earliest surviving non-schematic picture of the Tower of London. It shows the White Tower, the water-gate, and Old London Bridge in the background.

• The Princes in the Tower by John Everett Millais (1878).png

  Prince Edward V and Richard in the Tower, 1483 by Sir John Everett Millais, 1878

• James Basire - The Procession of King Edward VI from the Tower - B1977.14.11652 - Yale Center for British Art.jpg

  The traditional coronation procession from the Tower (at left) to Westminster for King Edward VI (1547)

Related pages

• List of World Heritage Sites of the United Kingdom

Other websites

• File:Commons-logo.svg Media related to Tower of London at Wikimedia Commons
• Tower of London website