My Visit to the Tower of London

THE TOWER OF LONDON

The Tower of London, officially Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London , is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.

Foundation and early history

• It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078.
• The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 1097 King William II ordered a wall to be built around the Tower of London; it was probably built from stone.

The White Tower

• The White Tower is a central tower, the old keep, at the Tower of London. It was built by William the Conqueror during the early 1080s, and subsequently extended. The White Tower was the castle's strongest point militarily, provided accommodation for the king and his representatives, and housed a chapel.

The main entrance to the Tower of London. Today the castle is a popular tourist attraction.

Yeoman Warders

Yeoman Warders  have been guarding the Tower of London since Tudor times. Nicknamed 'Beefeaters', the Yeoman Body of 32 men and women are all drawn from the Armed Forces.

St Edward's Crown is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of the crown have been traditionally used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th century.

Crown Jewels

• The tradition of housing the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London probably dates from the reign of Henry III (1216–1272). The Jewel House was built specifically to house the royal regalia, including jewels, plate, and symbols of royalty such as the crown, sceptre, and sword.

The Ravens of the Tower of London are a group of at least six captive ravens resident at the Tower of London. Their presence is traditionally believed to protect the Crown and the Tower; a superstition holds that "if the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it." Some historians, including the Tower's official historian, believe the "Tower's raven mythology is likely to be a Victorian flight of fantasy". The earliest known reference to captive ravens at the Tower is an illustration from 1883.

Tower Bridge 

Tower Bridge  was built between 1886 and 1894, designed by  Horace Jones

• It crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and is one of five London bridges
• The bridge is 800 feet (240 m) in length and consists of two 213-foot (65 m) bridge towers connected at the upper level by two horizontal walkways, and a central pair of bascules that can open to allow shipping. 

The Tower of London has become established as one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country.

• It has been a tourist attraction since at least the Elizabethan period.

• Its most popular attractions were the Royal Menagerie and displays of armour.
• The Crown Jewels  also garner much interest, and have been on public display since 1669. The Tower steadily gained popularity with tourists through the 19th century, despite the opposition of the Duke of Wellington to visitors.
• By the end of the century, over 500,000 were visiting the castle every year