Tower of London- the oldest building in Great Britain and its main fortress. During its almost thousand years of existence, he has experienced a lot and keeps a lot of interesting stories. About what treasures the Tower is rich in and what legends envelop the fortress - read in our material

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The fortress is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Beefeaters are guarding the Tower of London - the guards of the fortress have been called that since the middle of the 15th century, although officially they are called Yeoman guards. The nickname stuck during times of famine, when Londoners were malnourished and the fortress guards received rations of beef meat. Formally, the beefeaters are responsible for protecting the royal regalia, but in fact they simply conduct excursions and are themselves an attraction. Each uniform is valued at 7 thousand pounds, as they include a golden thread.

Photo: attractiontix.co.uk 5

The Tower is still the official residence of the monarch. On its territory there is The Queen's House, in which Elizabeth II could live if she wanted to.

The fortress houses the jewels of the British Empire, the total value of which is estimated at 20 billion pounds. The most expensive stone is the Cullinan, it costs 250 million pounds and is the world's largest cut diamond.

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Every evening, at exactly 9:53 pm, the Key Ceremony takes place in the Tower. The soldiers of the royal guard make their rounds throughout the territory in order to lock the gates. Then the watchman asks the convoy: “Who is coming?” - to which he receives the answer: "Keys." "Whose keys?" "Queen Elizabeth's Keys," the convoy replies. This procedure has been going on for hundreds of years and is the oldest military ceremony in the world.

Six ravens live in the Tower of London, whose names are given in honor of the Scandinavian and Celtic gods, as well as mythical characters: Hugin, Munin, Thor, Branwen, Gwillum and Baldrick. According to legend, when the ravens leave the Tower, the fortress, and with it the entire British monarchy, will collapse. To avoid this, crows regularly clip their wings.

As an impressionable person, the Tower both frightened me and beckoned me with its extraordinary and rich history. I got into it not on my very first visit to London. I have already seen these light brick walls during river walk along the Thames and somehow postponed her trip here. However, the Tower was an obligatory item in my program, and one cloudy morning I still went to the walls of this fortress by metro. But the weather in London is terribly changeable, and what was my surprise when, after leaving the subway half an hour later, my eyes opened up to a view of the castle and a green lawn flooded with sun ...

At the word "Tower" many draw a dark tower, forged bars and groans of prisoners. Well, that's not far from the truth. The Tower of London was indeed a prison for most of its existence. However, not only the dungeon. The gray towers of the castle served the English kings as a home, a mint, an arsenal, and even a menagerie.

From the history of the Royal Fortress

If you look at the Royal Fortress (the second official name of the castle) from the Tower Bridge, then many will have questions: “What is this fortress?”, “Here the kings kept the defense?” or "Is this the most secure place in town?" In fact, now against the backdrop of skyscrapers and just tall buildings surrounding the castle, the Tower looks almost like a toy. However, these cute domes of turrets terrified the townspeople from time immemorial. "To the Tower of him!" - the favorite phrase of Henry VIII, when he once again got rid of a relative, courtier or annoying wife.

The history of the Tower of London begins with a Roman fort located on the north bank of the Thames.

In 1066, King William I erected a square stone building on the site of a wooden building, later called the White Tower. London grew rapidly, and poor quarters began to appear around the Tower, so the royal family moved to Palace of Westminster.

The first prisoner appeared in the fortress in 1190. From that moment on, the fortress became a prison for high-ranking persons for many years. The kings of Scotland, and the kings of France, and members of their families, and priests who fell out of favor, languished here. The Duke of Orleans, nephew of the French king, spent about 25 years in the Tower until he was ransomed for an incredible amount. King Henry VI was strangled here, and the sons of Edward IV, the famous "princes from the tower", disappeared here. In the Tower, in her youth, Elizabeth I spent several terrible weeks in anticipation of her fate.

The last beheading took place in 1747, and since then executions have practically ceased here. However, during the First and Second World Wars, German spies were kept in the tower. The last prisoners in 1952 were the gangster brothers Cray.

However, the Tower of London amazing place. Prisoners were kept here, even when the king lived in the castle. From the 13th century until 1830 there were cages with monkeys, elephants and lions (later the animals were sent to the zoo). Moreover, under Elizabeth I, the menagerie becomes public.

Since ancient times, the Royal Treasury has been located here. Right there, in the Tower, along with members of their family, the famous Yomen Warder, popularly known as beefeaters or "meat-eaters", live. However, the fortress is guarded not only by them, but also by the royal guards, whose changing of the guard can also be observed in the fortress, albeit not as colorful as around.

How to get there

You can get to the Tower by metro, bus or river boat.

• Underground: Art. Tower Hill (District and Circle lines), then 5 minutes on foot, following the signs.
• Bus: routes No. 15, 42, 78, 100, RV1. All city sightseeing buses also stop here.
• Motor ship: sit on river transport you can near Big Ben (Westminster pier) or at Charing Cross station and raft down the Thames to the Tower (Tower Pier pier). Boats going to Greenwich and back also make a stop here.
  • Route trip Westminster - Tower Pier will cost:
    An adult ticket is 11.6 EUR (10 GBP), a child ticket is 5.8 EUR (5 GBP), a reduced ticket (students, people over 60) is 8.12 EUR (7 GBP);
  • Drive Westminster - Tower Pier - Westminster will cost:
    An adult ticket is 16.24 EUR (14 GBP), a child ticket is 8.12 EUR (7 GBP), a reduced ticket is 11.4 EUR (9.8 GBP). (But it’s not a fact that you will again want to swim along the river back).

In my opinion, the metro and the ship - better ways get to this castle.

When you exit the subway, your eyes will see the light gray brick walls of the Tower, surrounded by a green lawn, which was once a defensive moat. Right behind the Tower there will be the River Thames, so no skyscraper will spoil your first impression of this attraction.

Sailing to the fortress on a boat, you will, of course, see the castle from the other side, but the line of your eyes will be below the coast line, so the impressions are also guaranteed.

Opening hours

The royal fortress is open:

• in winter(November 1 - February 28)
  Tuesday - Saturday from 09:00 to 16:30, Sunday, Monday from 10:00 to 16:30;
• Summer(March 1 - October 31)
  Tuesday - Saturday from 09:00 to 17:30, Sunday, Monday from 10:00 to 17:30.

The last opportunity to enter the castle is half an hour before closing. But since on average it takes three hours to visit the Tower, it is better to come here in the morning.

And my advice to you, do not leave the Tower for the day off. In the UK, outings are very popular in schools and colleges, and huddling around on narrow spiral staircases is not very fun.

Cost of visiting

If you buy tickets on the spot, then the ticket offices of the castle are located in the Welcome Center opposite the entrance to the fortress. There is also the largest souvenir shop. In fact, the history of the Tower of London begins already here, because the Welcome Center is located on Tower Hill, where, in fact, all the executions took place.

So tickets:

• Adult- 29 EUR (25 GBP), online - 26.8 EUR (23.10 GBP);
• Preferential- full-time students, disabled people, people over 60 - 22.6 EUR (19.50 GBP), online - 20.4 EUR (17.60 GBP);
• Children from 5 to 15 years old- 14 EUR (12.00 GBP), online - 12.2 EUR (10.50 GBP), children under 5 years old are free, but accompanied by an adult;
• family ticket(1 adult and no more than 3 children) - 52.2 EUR (45 GBP), online - 48 EUR (41.30 GBP).

For groups of more than 15 people there are discounts, see information. With this ticket, you can visit all the internal buildings of the Tower, the exhibitions located in them, the Treasury, the Museum of the Royal Shooters, as well as join the tour of the territory conducted by a real beefeater and the White Tower tour, as well as all historical entertainment.

If you bought London Pass, then the entrance is free for you and without a queue. Usually a separate entrance, marked with a London Pass or Fast track sign.

London Pass- tourist map for 1, 2, 3 or 6 days. On it you can visit more than 60 museums and attractions, for example, Westminster Abbey, Kensington Palace, London Zoo, go to the Globe Theater, take a city tour by bike. If the entrance to the museum is free, then for LP you can get tea or go to a paid exhibition. And also in most places to avoid the queue. The cost of an adult ticket for 6 days is 150 EUR (129 GBP), a child ticket is 103.5 EUR (89 GBP). Often 15% discount on the card. If you are in London for a week, then it is very convenient and profitable. At Windsor, she allowed us to avoid a two-hour queue in the rain and not get wet. Here you can "sew" transport card and wear constantly around the neck. Details .

Audio guide and castle tours

Audio guide in the Tower is available in many languages, including Russian. Its cost: 4.7 EUR (4 GBP) for adults, 3.5 EUR (3 GBP) for children and preferential categories.

If you are studying English language, then it is better to choose an audio guide in English. Firstly, this is a good training on the ground (audio + video), and secondly, unfortunately, as practice shows, an audio tour in Russian very often happens in a shorter program than in the main language of the museum.

However, you can take the Russian version, and strain your ears on Yeoman Warder Tour. The fact is that the famous beefeaters still guard the Tower, look after the crows, and also conduct tours of the territory. Royal fortress.

The yeoman guard is dressed in a blue and red uniform, on holidays - in the famous red, embroidered with gold cords. Believe me, to learn traditions and legends from the mouth of the one who lives in the Tower is worth a lot. Each of them is charismatic and talkative. Even those who simply stand guard in the courtyards of the Tower. Once I accidentally got into a conversation with one beefeater. He was very flattered that I was in his homeland, in Birmingham, and in general a girl from Russia has an idea where it is))). The tour starts from the main entrance every half an hour. Last collection at 14:30 in winter and 15:30 in summer.

White Tower Tour- This is a separate tour of the White Tower and the Church of St. John the Evangelist. Included in the main ticket.

Tower at night

The English are notorious for being scared, so it's no surprise that the Tower has several evening tours. The Tower of London breaks records for the number of cases of ghosts. Castle guards continue to see Anne Boleyn walking with her head under her right hand (exactly how she was buried), wandering navigator Sir Walter Reilly, execution scenes appearing here and there to the night watchmen. However, evening excursions usually short-lived and pass under the reliable gaze of the yeomen.

Ceremony of the Keys- the procedure of closing the Tower for the night, which has more than 700 years. And, although the monarchs no longer live here, the Royal Treasury is still located in the Tower, so closing the castle at night still makes sense. On the night of November 5, 2012 (the night of Guy Fawkes or the failed Gunpowder Plot), a thief stole a box of keys right from under the noses of the guards. No damage was done to the Treasury, but several thousand pounds had to be spent to replace all the locks in the fortress.

Time of the Key Ceremony: 21:30–22:00. At 22:05 you need to leave the Tower. Access to facilities and the right to take photographs during the action itself are not provided. Entrance is free (1 GBP symbolic contribution for administrative expenses), reservations are personal only. The ceremony is very popular: on November 1, 2016, all places were booked until August 2017!!!

night watchers tour- an hour-long activity game around the castle "Night watchers". Secret service world since Elizabeth I, people-watching skills, heightened senses… All of this is available for 23.2 EUR (20 GBP) starting at 18:15 (multiple sessions daily) for people over 16 years of age.

Tower Twilight Tour- Evening exclusive tour of the Tower. It takes place on Sundays from 19:00 to 20:30. Your guide will be a charismatic guard who will lead you through the territory of the Tower and, in the silence of the deserted courtyard, will tell you the most interesting and horror stories about Bloody Tower and Traitor's Gate. It's no secret that this fortress is reputed to be a haunt of ghosts. Perhaps you will meet someone ... Cost: 31.3 EUR (27 GBP), available from 12 years old.

If you are with children

The museum understands that it is problematic to go around the entire fortress in one day with children, so there are annual family tickets (details). There is something for kids to do in the Tower: they can fight in medieval armor, draw a fictional animal or create their own helmet.

If a child is lost

Before entering the Tower, parents should contact the Welcome Center, where they will be given free electronic bracelets for children, on which the parent's phone number is recorded. The Lost will be looked for in a special center near the West Gate. In order to avoid roaring losses, the Tower urges parents to explain to their children that a yeoman is a person who can be trusted and who needs to be approached and asked for help if something happens. Yeomanry can also provide first aid.

Tower as it is

It will take you approximately 3 hours to walk around the entire Tower. In detail, of course, a little more. It is worth remembering that this is a medieval building, so in some places the courtyards are paved with huge cobblestones, and you will need very comfortable shoes to walk here.

All buildings and routes around the fortress are divided into three degrees of difficulty. Let's say the Treasury, where the conveyor belt takes you past the royal tiaras, is the lightest object. White Tower, where you need to climb to the 4th floor of the exhibition, but there is an elevator - an average level of difficulty. The walls of the fortress are the most complex objects. In front of the entrance, there are signs on the walls with a reminder of the steepness of the steps and a request to assess your strength adequately. For people with handicapped The Tower is not an easy place to visit, but you can still see 50% of the objects.

Children's performances usually take place at the beginning of the path, in the former defensive moat and in the area Waiting Pointt, a gathering place for excursions led by beefeaters and the issuance of audio guides.

My advice: even if you have the most primitive English - follow the guard! They usually tell in their faces, with jokes and jokes. Sometimes even with good English you can not catch some local joke, but it does not matter. The main thing is communication, as well as the opportunity to get into Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula, which is open to the public only during the morning service and one hour in the afternoon, but where you can get along with the yeoman. You will be seated on benches and in the silence of light stone walls they will tell the history of the temple ... And you won’t even realize that this is exactly the church where the night guard saw a procession of ghosts in medieval clothes leaving behind the altar, behind which more than 200 decapitated people were later found buried in Tower.

Just next to the church is Scaffold Site- the place where, according to assumptions, Anne Boleyn laid down her proud head. In general, they were executed outside the fortress, on Tower Hill. The guilty person was cut off his head, which was sent to the stake for public viewing and intimidation. Only seven of those executed managed to avoid public disgrace: two men and five women. Of the five "lucky" three were queens: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Grey. The first two were sent here by the husband of Henry VIII, the latter suffered at the hands of his daughter Mary the Bloody, who fought for the throne. Now at this place there is a monument made of light turquoise glass in the form of a pillow with a dent from the head.

Tower Green- a small lawn and a habitat for ravens. Since ancient times, there has been a legend that as soon as the ravens leave the Tower of London, the British crown will fall. AT this moment there are six birds in the fortress. They are on state pay, like soldiers, they are smart and can even repeat the words spoken by the Ravenmaster. Birds are marked with ribbons of different colors, and in order to prevent escape, they cut their flight wings. However, this does not exclude cases of AWOL: one raven got out into the city, the second bird was caught right in Greenwich.

white tower- the first stone building that appeared on the territory of the Tower and served as a home for the royal family, a prison and a warehouse. Now the tower hosts interactive exhibitions. One of them (Dressed to kill) is about the history of weapons and armor, where you can see what kind of armor Henry the Eighth wore or feel the real weight of the club by lifting it. The tower has four floors, and getting to the very top is, in general, not so easy. To get to the stairs to the exit, you have to go through a long dark corridor. Believe it or not, I was alone in this corridor. And although it was a white day outside, the semi-darkness and a dim lamp at the end of the path made me cringe. Of course, I didn’t see a ghost, but, probably, because I ran all the way to the stairs)))).

Baeuchamp Tower and Bloody Tower- towers in which prisoners were also kept. In the first tower, you can still see wall paintings scratched by prisoners. The Bloody Tower is famous for the fact that two princes, the sons of Edward IV, were kept here. The children were hidden in the Tower by their uncle, Richard III, after whose coronation they disappeared. Later, the skeletons of two boys were found under the stairs of the tower. At one of the tower exhibitions, a poll is still being held: do you believe that the remains found under the stairs belong to the princes? Do you believe that their uncle killed them, or was it unprofitable for him?

Jewel Tower
Symbols of power, a scepter and an orb… a gilded coronation spoon, which is over 800 years old… An imperial crown sparkling with the most ancient diamonds, emeralds and rubies. I have never seen such richness and brilliance of precious stones in any other museum in the world.

Many exhibits still serve their purpose. When I got to the Treasury on Holy Thursday, I did not see the huge gilded dishes from which the kings served alms on this day for centuries. There was a "In use" sign next to it. If you come here on the opening day of Parliament, you will not see the Imperial Crown. She will be on the head of her owner, the queen.

Crown of the Queen Mother with the famous Koh'i'Noor diamond, crown of St. Edward, Queen Victoria's coronation ring - all these things are collected in a long showcase, past both sides of which you can slowly drive on a conveyor belt. However, the look and brilliance of diamonds sometimes affects visitors too strongly, and there are often cases of quarrels from scratch.

Fusileur Museum- the Museum of Riflemen, located in the building where the Streltsy Corps was actually stationed. Here are battle maps, portraits, medals and photographs of officers dating back to the late Victorian era.

Medieval Palace- part ancient palace, where the bedroom of the medieval king was restored, inspired, oddly enough, by the legends of Merlin. Since everything is real, then get ready for the fact that these rooms are very cold and damp, and the look of a fur cape on a royal bed will beckon you to itself))). You can see scenes from the life of the medieval palace daily from 11:00 to 12:30 and from 13:30 to 15:30.

wall walk is a walk along the walls of the Tower, starting from the Medieval Palace. You will climb narrow winding ladders, go to the wall, reach the next tower and again up and down the stone steps. There are signs along the way, reminding you of the difficulty of the route, asking you to evaluate your capabilities. At the beginning of the route, you will come across a torture museum (you don’t have to go down especially sensitive, but with an abundance of medieval surroundings, feelings, I must say, become a little dull). At the end of the path, on the northern wall, there is an exhibition of Royal Beasts (“Royal Beasts”).

Where to eat

If you are visiting the fortress on a sunny day, there are a couple of soda and ice cream stalls at your disposal. If it’s raining and it’s cool, you’ll want to eat doubly.

You can eat at New Armory Cafe. This cafe has the slogan: "Eat like the Tudors." It is arranged on the principle of a dining room, where you pick up your own food. For example: coffee costs 2–3.2 EUR (1.8–2.75 GBP), a cake costs an average of 3.5 EUR (3 GBP). Hot dishes will cost 8–14 EUR (7–12 GBP). However, it is not a fact that “good English food” will be to your taste. My little gray sausages and grated boiled beets without a drop of mayonnaise gave a feeling of satiety and the Middle Ages, but not a sense of satisfaction.

Just behind the Tower wall on the waterfront there is a snack kiosk apostrophe and a restaurant Perkin Reveller(average bill 23–29 EUR (20–25 GBP)).

However, the Tower is located in the City of London area, which is full of cafes like KFC and Nero (analogous to our "Chocolate Girl") and all kinds of restaurants.

souvenir shops

I have already said that the souvenir shops of London palaces are themed. That is, in the Tower you will mainly find the famous Anne Boleyn necklace and tapestry pillows.

• Tower of London- a fairly large gift shop on 2 floors, which is located outside the fortress in the Welcome Center. That is, you do not need a ticket here. Which is convenient, because if you decide to find a medieval souvenir the next day after visiting the Tower, then you are definitely here. The queen's "favorite" teas for 12.76 EUR (11 GBP), medieval toy armor for 23 EUR (20 GBP), tapestry cushions with knights, beautiful ladies and heraldic lions for 46 EUR (40 GBP).
• Beefeater shop located next to the audio guide point and inspired by the Tower guards. Toy yeomen for 17.4 EUR (15 GBP), guidebooks from 5.8 EUR (5 GBP) and other souvenirs at your service.
• Jewel House shop located next to the Royal Treasury. Boleyn pearl necklace for 58 EUR (50 GBP), recently available with any letter of the alphabet, gilded Tudor rose pendant for 29 EUR (25 GBP), Elizabethan coronation earrings (Swarovski crystal) for 46 EUR (40 GBP) - girls there is where to spend an extra hour in the fortress.
• white tower shop more focused on children: toys, books, coloring books, armor and swords - all from 11.6 EUR (10 GBP).
• Ravens shop is located near Tower Green, the habitat of ravens, and, accordingly, is full of souvenirs with them. Toy black birds, pencils with feathers, books about crows from 1.74 EUR (1.5 GBP). Buy a mug with a smart bird as a keepsake for 17.4 EUR (15 GBP) and don't forget the "magic mirrors". These are two screens in which you are reflected as in a real mirror, only in one you will be given a crown, and in the other - knightly armor. It is not very convenient to take a picture of yourself, but it is very funny and a great free souvenir!

Finally

Despite its sinister history, the Tower of London is quite interesting and beautiful place. After walking around the castle, you can go to the green embankment to the pier and have a bite to eat, watching from the bench for a fairly dense traffic along the Thames. If you still have strength, you can climb the Tower Bridge.

Of course, from the height of the bridge, the Tower may seem like a toy fortress, lost among glass skyscrapers and dark red Victorian buildings, but for you, who managed to immerse yourself in the world of medieval London in these few hours, it will never be just a small castle of light bricks.

Throughout its long and colorful history, it has been a witness to murders, a site for wedding ceremonies, an armory, a mint, a museum, and even a menagerie. But, as the Duke said, the Tower will always be remembered as "a symbol of royalty, a fortress of the monarchy and a prison for the enemies of the monarch."

Myths and facts

The Tower of London was founded in 1066 as part of the Norman conquest of England. The White Tower, which gave the name to the entire fortress, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. The castle was used as a prison, although this was not its main purpose. Most of the time, the palace served as a royal residence.

For centuries, the Tower of London has been the center of government of the country. It was a powerful and reliable headquarters in the medieval period. The White Tower housed the armory, the treasury, the menagerie, the royal mint and the state archives. From the Tower began the solemn procession to Westminster Abbey during the coronation of monarchs.

For my thousand years of history The Tower was rebuilt and expanded many times by many kings. Major changes were made during the reigns of King Richard the Lionheart, Henry III and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. The current appearance of the castle received by the end of the XIII century.

There are a lot of attractions in London that attract avid travelers, but one of the main ones is the Tower. The famous Tower of London is located on the north bank of the Thames. It is a fortress - several buildings of different times, around which two rows of wide fortress walls with towers are built.

The thickness of the walls in the Tower is about 4.6 meters, so it is not surprising that no one has ever been able to take it by storm.

During its long history, and the Tower was built more than 900 years ago, a variety of services were located in the fortress. The Tower of London was both a prison, which is a complex and terrifying page in the history of England, and a zoo, and a protective fortress, and a mint, and a repository of monarchs' jewels, and an observatory, and an archive in which important historical and legal papers were stored.

Now one thing remains unchanged: the Tower is a place that attracts an incredible number of tourists.

The emergence of the fortress

It is officially believed that the Tower was founded in 1078, and William the Conqueror started the grandiose construction of this castle to intimidate the population of the conquered lands. But before that, for a long time, Roman fortifications were laid on the site of the modern fortress, which are partially preserved in the castle.

In place of the wooden Roman fortifications, a stone building appeared - the Great Tower, which had the shape of a quadrangle measuring 32 by 36 meters and about 30 meters high.

In the XIII century, by order of the King, the Tower was whitewashed and began to be called the White Tower. Then towers and two rows of powerful fortress walls were erected around the castle. To strengthen the defense around the fortress, a deep moat was dug, which made the Tower of London one of the most impregnable European structures.

The White Tower was the first building on this territory, it was from it that the Tower of London began.

The Tower as a state prison

In London, the ominous glory of the Tower is still preserved, because from the moment of its foundation it became a state prison, where not only prisoners were kept, but executions took place, including open ones, put on public display.

In addition, at certain times the guards used cruel torture of prisoners. Basically, high-ranking officials, aristocrats, priests accused of treason were kept in the prison.

Among the prisoners of the Tower were the kings of Scotland, France and their families, William Penn - one of the founders of the English colony in America, who was imprisoned for religious beliefs, executed in the fortress by Henry VI, Guy Fawkes - a participant in the Gunpowder Plot, who tried to overthrow King James I.

Some executions took place behind closed doors, on the territory of the fortress itself, for example, famous queens were executed like this: Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, who was unable to give birth to his son, his fifth wife Catherine Howard, and Jane Gray, who was queen only 9 days.

Basically, the executions took place in public, on Tower Hilllocated not far from the fortress. A crowd of people, greedy for such spectacles, gathered at the execution. The guilty person was cut off his head and put it on public display as a deterrent and warning. The headless body itself was buried in the cellars of the fortress.

In the 17th century, there were almost no new prisoners in the Tower Prison in London. The last public execution took place in 1747.. Then, only during the First World War, the Tower became the place of imprisonment and execution of German spies. During World War II, prisoners of war were kept in the Tower. The last prisoners in the Tower in 1952 were the Kray twin gangsters.

Tower as a peaceful place

The sinister era in the history of the Tower ended with the coming to power of John Landless, who gave rise to a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. He gave part of the power to parliament, and turned the Tower of London into a zoo. John began to keep lions in the Tower. The menagerie was replenished already under the successor of John Henry III, when he received as a gift polar bear, elephant and leopards.

At first, the animals were kept there only for the amusement of the king and his retinue. Gradually, new exotic animals appeared in the menagerie, and under Elizabeth I, the Tower was opened to visitors precisely as a zoo.

The history of the Tower as a zoo ended in 1830, when it was decided to close it and move the animals to a new zoo built in London in Regent's Park.

The Tower of London was still the main branch of the Mint for almost 500 years, it also produced and stored military equipment and weapons of the king and his army.

Anyone who decides to visit the Tower will be greeted by the palace guards. It has existed since 1475. Representatives of the guards brought the accused into the territory of the fortress through the gate, which is called the "Gate of Traitors".

Modern members of the guard are not so aggressive, but they are still on the alert, because the Tower of London is the repository of the royal family's jewels: the crown of England, a jeweled scepter, other regalia, as well as the largest diamond in the world, Cullinan I, are stored here.

Also, representatives of the guards carry out tours of the fortress, prison, zoo, mint. Since the 15th century, guards have been popularly called “beefeaters” (from the English “beef” - beef), to make it clearer to us, “meat-eaters.” Then the English people were starving, but the guards were always fed and received huge portions of meat. So the monarchs sought to provide themselves with reliable protection.

Anyone who was even a little interested in London, England, the Tower knows that in addition to human guards, there are bird guards in the Tower. One of the symbols of the Tower is a flock of ravens. Here, from ancient times, a legend has arisen that if the ravens suddenly leave the Tower, some kind of misfortune will fall on England.

The British, with their traditions, sacredly keep this legend, believe in it and keep six ravens on the territory of the Tower. To keep the crows from flying away, their wings are clipped. But the local crows would hardly be going to fly away somewhere, because here they are fed veal, and sometimes rabbit meat. The ravens in the Tower have names and pedigrees.

Only the thrifty English keep seven birds just in case, and they built seven bird houses. Although with such care, birds live for more than 200 years. For the proper care and care of birds, there is a separate position - Palace Watcher of Ravens.

In the museum, tourists can see various expositions dedicated to different eras in the history of the Tower. On the infamous Tower Hill, where executions were carried out, there is now a memorial complex with a pillow-shaped monument and a plaque listing the names of the executed monarchs.

Memorial to those executed within the walls of the prison - seven famous prisoners who were beheaded

Also widely known and interesting stories about the ghosts of the Tower. Even some reputable scientists do not deny the appearance of ghosts here. Sometimes it is possible to catch some entities in the camera lens. This fact attracts young people who are thirsty for adventure during Halloween.

A centuries-old tradition of the Tower is the Ceremony of the Keys. For 700 years, this ritual has been performed every day at exactly 21:53. Only once, in 1941, was he detained for half an hour during an attack on the fortress by Nazi bombers.

At this time, the keeper of the keys leaves the tower, and the Guard of the Keys goes to meet him. Guards lock the Main Gate and approach the Bloody Tower. The traditional dialogue sounds, which ends with the words "God save Queen Elizabeth." At night, the keys are at the manager's residence. Anyone can see the key ceremony by writing a letter in advance and receiving an invitation card.

Officially, the Tower is considered a royal residence. At the moment, there are even private apartments in the Tower, in which service personnel live or distinguished guests stay.

In conclusion, it should be said that there are a lot of reasons to visit the Tower. If you are going to London, no matter for what personal business, visiting the Tower is paramount. Such special impressions and atmosphere cannot be obtained anywhere in the world.

Tower of London

Tower, Tower of London(English) the Tower, Tower of London, "Tower") - a fortress erected on the north bank of the River Thames, the historical center of the city of London. One of the oldest historical buildings in Great Britain, which for a long time served as the residence of the English monarchs. Today, the Tower is both a historical monument and a museum included in the list of objects belonging to world heritage UNESCO.

Base

The foundation of the fortress Tower is attributed to the Roman Emperor Claudius. Then it was a wooden fort, built in the southeast corner of the old Roman wall. After the Norman conquest of England, William I began to build defensive castles to intimidate the conquered Anglo-Saxons. One of the largest was the Tower. The wooden fort was replaced by a huge stone building - the Great Tower, which is a quadrangular structure, 32 x 36 meters in size, about 30 meters high. When later the new king of England ordered the building to be whitewashed, it was called the White Tower, or the White Tower. Subsequently, several more towers of various heights and two rows of powerful fortress walls were erected. A deep moat was dug around the fortress, making it one of the most impregnable fortresses in Europe.

state prison

The first prisoner was imprisoned in the Tower in 1100. At that time, the Tower Prison was intended for people of noble birth and high rank. Among the most honorable and high-ranking prisoners of the Tower were the kings of Scotland and France and their families (Jacob I of Scotland, prisoners of the Hundred Years War John II (King of France) and Charles of Orleans), as well as representatives of the aristocracy and priests who fell into disgrace on charges of treason. The walls of the Tower also remember a lot of executions and murders: Henry VI was killed in the Tower, as well as 12-year-old Edward V and his younger brother.

The prisoners were kept in those premises that were not occupied at that time. The terms of the conclusions were very different. Thus, William Penn, founder of the English colony in North America, called Pennsylvania, was planted in the Tower for religious beliefs and spent eight months in the Tower. Charles, Duke of Orleans, nephew of the French king and an outstanding poet, after the defeat in the battle, spent a total of 25 years in the castle walls, until an incredible ransom was paid for him. Courtier Walter Raleigh, navigator, poet and playwright, tried to brighten up 13 dreary years of imprisonment by working on the multi-volume work The History of the World. After his temporary release, he was again imprisoned in the Tower and then executed.

The Tower gained its reputation as a sinister place of torture during the Reformation. Henry VIII, obsessed with the desire to have an heir son, severed all relations with the Roman Catholic Church and began to persecute anyone who refused to recognize him as the head of the Church of England. After Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, failed to bear him a son, the king accused her of betrayal and adultery. As a result, Anna, her brother and four other persons were beheaded in the Tower. The same fate befell Catherine Howard, Henry's fifth wife. Many of the royal family, who posed a threat to the English throne, were escorted to the Tower and then executed.

The young son of Henry, the Protestant Edward VI, who ascended the throne, continued the series of cruel executions begun by his father. When Edward died six years later, the English crown went to Henry's daughter Mary, a devout Catholic. Wasting no time, the new queen ordered the beheading of 16-year-old Lady Jane Gray and her young husband, who turned out to be pawns in a bitter struggle for power. Now it is time for the Protestants to lay down their heads. Elizabeth, Mary's half-sister, spent several anxious weeks within the walls of the Tower. However, when she became queen, she dealt with those who refused to change the Catholic faith and dared to oppose her rule.

Dry moat in front of the Middle Tower.

Although thousands of prisoners were thrown into the Tower, only five women and two men were beheaded on the territory of the fortress, which saved them from the shame of public execution. Three of these women were queens - Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Grey, who only lasted nine days on the throne. Most of the other executions - mostly beheadings - took place on the nearby Tower Hill, where huge crowds of fans of such spectacles flocked. The severed head was put on a stake and put on public display on London Bridge as a warning to others. The headless body was taken to the Tower and buried in the cellars of the chapel. In total, more than 1,500 bodies were buried in these cellars.

In some cases, usually only with official permission, prisoners were tortured into confessing their guilt. In 1605, Fox, Guy Fawkes, who attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and the King during the Gunpowder Plot, was hung up on a tower rack before his execution, forcing him to name his accomplices.

In the 17th century, England and the Tower for some time fell into the hands of Oliver Cromwell and the parliamentarians, but after Charles II was re-erected to the throne, the tower prison was not particularly replenished. In 1747, the last beheading took place on Tower Hill. However, the history of the Tower as a state prison did not end there. During World War I, 11 German spies were imprisoned and shot in the Tower. During the Second World War, prisoners of war were temporarily kept there, among whom Rudolf Hess also spent several days. The last victim executed within the walls of the fortress was Josef Jacobs, accused of espionage and shot in August 1941.

Zoo, mint and royal arsenal

For more than 500 years, the Tower housed the main branch of the royal mint. One of its most tumultuous periods came under the reign of Henry VIII, when coins were minted from silver requisitioned from ruined monasteries. In addition, important state and legal records were kept in the Tower, and weapons and military equipment of the king and the royal army were also manufactured and stored.

Palace guards and royal regalia

From the very foundation of the Tower, its prisoners and buildings were carefully guarded. But specially selected palace guards appeared in 1485. In those days, prisoners were often brought across the river and brought into the Tower through the Traitors' Gate. When the accused was being led from the trial, the observers watched where the prison guard's ax was pointed. The blade aimed at the prisoner foreshadowed another execution.

Palace guards guard the Tower to this day. Today, their duties also include conducting tours for numerous visitors. On especially solemn occasions, they dress in luxurious costumes from the Tudor dynasty: scarlet camisoles trimmed with gold and topped with snow-white plaited collars. On ordinary days, they are dressed in dark blue Victorian uniforms with red trim. English guards are often called beefeaters (from English word"beef" - beef), or meat-eaters. This nickname most likely originated during times of famine, when Londoners were malnourished and the palace guards received regular beef rations. By this, the English crown provided itself with reliable protection.

The palace "ravenmaster", or Ravenmaster, takes care of a flock of black crows. There is a belief that if the birds leave the Tower, misfortune will fall on England, so as a precaution, their wings were clipped.

Keepers of the royal treasury guard the famous jewels of the British Empire. The treasury has been open to visitors since the 17th century. Among the gems that adorn the crowns, orbs and scepters - which are still used by members of the royal family during solemn ceremonies - you can see the world's largest faceted diamond. High Quality, Cullinan I.

Modern look

Today the Tower of London is one of the main attractions of Great Britain. It hasn't changed much since the past. The symbol of the ominous past of the Tower is the place where the scaffold of Tower Hill used to be. Now a small memorial plaque has been erected there in memory of "the tragic fate and sometimes martyrdom of those who, in the name of faith, homeland and ideals, risked their lives and accepted death." At present, the main buildings of the Tower are a museum and an armory, where the treasures of the British crown are kept; officially continues to be considered one of the royal residences. The Tower also has a number of private apartments, which are mainly inhabited by service personnel and distinguished guests.

Links

• Tower of London - Travel Guide - Information about the city of London

Coordinates : 51°30′30.32″ N sh. 0°04′38.01″ W d. /  51.508422° N. sh. 0.077225° W d.(G)51.508422 , -0.077225

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See what the "Tower of London" is in other dictionaries:

Tower- Tower. London. TOWER (Tower) (English tower tower), a castle fortress in London, on the banks of the River Thames. The oldest part of the Tower is the Romanesque “White Tower” (circa 1078 85). Until the 17th century one of the royal residences and at the same time (officially until 1820) ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary