Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.
The Tower of London was constructed in 1066 immediately after the Norman Invasion led by William the Conqueror, with the White Tower being built in 1078. It was then expanded under Kings Richard I, Edward III and Edward I.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Tower features the Crown Jewels, the White Tower, Traitor's Gate, an exhibition about torture, the Scaffold site, the Yeoman Warders (commonly known as Beefeaters), the Ravens, Coins and Kings, Royal Beasts and a walk around the walls.
In 2014 the Tower hosted the Tower of London Remembers - commemorating the start of the First World War with a sea of poppies surrounding it which drew record crowds.
At busy times, queues are likely to form within the Tower. If visiting during school holidays or in the summer, please allow more time to fully explore the Tower.
Did you know? Along with Colchester Castle, the Tower of London is believed to be the two towers after which JRR Tolkein named his second book of the Middle Earth Trilogy.
Did you know? From 1210 until 1832 the Tower of London had a zoo, which included polar bears, elephants and grizzly bears. At one stage, the price of admittance was a cat or dog to throw to the lions.
Did you know? The Duke of Wellington, at the end of his career, was made Constable of the Tower and it was he who relocated the animals to Regent's Park to form London Zoo as he was both a soldier who felt the Tower should be for military purposes and a founder member of the Zoological Society.
Did you know? Nazi Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess was briefly held captive in the tower after his flight to Scotland to make peace with Britain in May 1941.