The Tower of London is one of the top attractions in the UK. This is not just a magnificent architectural monument, but a symbol that occupies a significant place in the history of the English monarchy.

Location

The Tower of London is located on the banks of the River Thames. This is one of ancient buildings England. During its long history, the Tower managed to visit a palace, a fortress, a prison, an observatory, a zoo, a mint, an arsenal, a repository of the English crown jewels, as well as a place attractive for tourists coming from all over the world.

Construction

The Tower of London was built in several stages. History ascribes the foundation of this building to the king, who immediately after the conquest of English lands began to build defensive castles in order to frighten local residents. As part of this large-scale event, in 1078, the Tower was erected on the site of the old wooden fort. It was a large quadrangular fortress measuring 32x36 m, 30 m high. After the death of William I, the next king of England ordered the building to be painted white, after which the building was nicknamed the "White Tower". King Richard the Lionheart built other towers of different heights and powerful fortress walls, encircling the monumental structure in two rows. A deep ditch was dug around the Tower, making it one of the most impregnable defensive structures in Europe.

Famous prisoners

The Tower of London received its first prisoner in 1100. It was Bishop Ralph Flambard, who, by the way, at one time took an active part in the construction of the fortress. The life of the prelate under the castle was very pleasant - he occupied magnificent apartments, used a separate office, ate delicious drinks and dishes. However, the prisoner escaped from the Tower at the first opportunity, using the rope that was handed to him in a jug of wine. The next prisoner, Griffin, Duke of Wales, was imprisoned in the fortress after 150 years and died (crashed) while trying to escape. After that, blue-blooded persons regularly became prisoners in the Tower. It was visited by the kings of France and Scotland (John II, Charles of Orleans and James I of Scotland), as well as priests and aristocrats of various degrees and titles. The famous fortress became a place of bloody murders and executions. Here, young princes were destroyed - twelve-year-old Edward V and his brother Richard, King Henry VI was killed.

Prisoners were accommodated in free rooms, the terms of restriction of freedom could be any. Founder of Pennsylvania North America, Penn William, was in the Tower for religious beliefs and spent eight months there. The Duke of Orleans, Charles, was imprisoned in the fortress for a long 25 years and left after paying a huge ransom for him. Reilly Walter - a courtier, scientist and navigator - fell into a privileged prison three times and spent a total of thirteen years in it. He grew tobacco in the fortress garden and brightened up the painful loneliness by writing the multi-volume History of the World.

Matrimonial plans and religious controversy

The Tower of London became a sinister place of torture after the accession to the throne of Henry VIII, whose keen desire for a rightful heir made him one of the greatest villains in the history of England. Henry severed relations with the Greco-Roman Church, which refused to recognize his divorce from his first wife, beheaded the second - Anne Boleyn, who failed to give birth to his son, got rid of the fifth - Howard Catherine, who also did not meet all his requests. Under this king, many dignitaries laid down their heads in the Tower.

The next king of England, became a worthy successor to his father and did not skimp on death sentences. The daughter of Henry VIII - Mary - was a zealous Catholic and fiercely fought for the purity of the faith, which also could not do without bloody sacrifices. In addition, the cruel person, once on the throne, immediately beheaded her main rival in the struggle for the throne - the sixteen-year-old. Many Protestants died during the reign of Mary, but the next Queen of England - Elizabeth - evened the score and brutally cracked down on the Catholics who had previously vexed her. The history of the Tower of London is replete with cruel reprisals against high-ranking persons who fell into disgrace for religious beliefs.

Executions and torture

Several thousand prisoners visited the Tower. However, only two men and five women were honored to be beheaded on the territory of the famous fortress. Three of these dignitaries were queens: Jane Gray (lasted nine days on the throne), Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn. Less high-born prisoners were executed nearby, on Tower Hill, where numerous lovers of bloody massacres gathered. The body of the executed criminal was to be buried in the fortress. Tower Castle in London keeps the remains of 1,500 prisoners in its cellars.

Torture of prisoners in the Tower was carried out only with the permission of official authorities. So, Guy Fawkes, a criminal who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament, in 1605 ended up on the tower rack. This forced him to name the instigators of the Gunpowder Plot before his execution.

Tower - a place of imprisonment in recent history

After the Tower of London ascended the English throne, there were almost no prisoners replenished. The last execution on Tower Hill took place in 1747, but famous tower was a place of confinement and modern times. During the First World War, eleven German spies were imprisoned and then shot here. During World War II, prisoners of war were kept in the fortress, including Rudolf Hess. The last person executed on the territory of the fortress was Yakov Josef, accused of espionage and shot in 1941. The last prisoners of the Tower were in 1952 the Kray gangster brothers.

Other use of the tower

Enjoyed success as a menagerie inhabited by exotic animals. The tradition was founded in the 17th century by Henry III, who received several animals as a gift and arranged for them a residence in the famous fortress. During the reign of Elizabeth I, the zoo was opened to visitors. Only in 1830 the menagerie in the Tower was abolished.

For about 500 years, a branch of the Royal Mint operated in the fortress. In addition, significant legal and government papers were stored in the Tower, as well as the military equipment of the royal army and the king himself.

Protection of the fortress and treasures of the British Empire

A special guard in the Tower appeared in 1485. The palace guards of the fortress were nicknamed beefeaters (from the English "beef", which means "beef") for the fact that even in the most difficult years for the country, the diet of the brave guards of the Tower included a substantial portion of meat. Thus, the English monarchy provided itself with reliable defenders.

In the Tower there is a palace “ravenmaster” (raven keeper), whose duties include caring for a flock of ravens that live on the territory of the fortress. An ancient legend says: if these black birds leave the Tower, then the UK will suffer misfortune. To keep crows from flying away, their wings are clipped.

The fortress houses the treasures of the British Empire. They are guarded by special caretakers. Visitors have been able to admire the royal jewels since the 17th century. Among the famous pieces of jewelry is the world's largest cut diamond, Cullian I.

Tower Bridge

Another glorious landmark of England is the famous Tower Bridge in London. It got its name because of its proximity to the famous fortress. The drawbridge across the Thames was built between 1886 and 1894. Its length is 244 meters. The structure is located between two towers, the height of which is 65 meters. The central span has a length of 61 meters, it is divided into two wings, which, if necessary, can be raised at an angle of 83 °. Each wing weighs about one thousand tons, however, thanks to special counterweights, it takes about one minute to open. Initially, the span was powered by a water hydraulic system. In 1974, the bridge opening mechanism was equipped with an electric drive.

Pedestrians can cross the bridge even in a raised state - for this, linking towers are provided in the middle part of the structure at a height of 44 m of the gallery. You can climb into them by the stairs located inside the towers. In 1982, the galleries began to perform the function observation deck and the museum. in London is no less popular than the famous fortress itself.

There are a lot of attractions in London that attract avid travelers, but one of the main ones is the Tower. Famous Tower of London 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 managed 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 - Great Tower, which had the shape of a quadrangle measuring 32 by 36 meters and a height of about 30 meters.

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 state prison, where not only prisoners were kept, but executions took place, including open ones, put on public display.

Besides, in 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 of Henry VI, Guy Fawkes - a member of 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's head was cut off and put 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 a polar bear, an elephant and leopards as a gift.

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.

Tower is officially considered 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.

The Tower Fortress was founded at the beginning of the 11th century, during the conquest of the English lands by William I. It was a powerful defensive structure built in the form of a high four-story tower, inspiring awe and fear in the townspeople. Later, the Tower became famous as a prison for imprisoning high-ranking persons and as an ominous place for public executions.

In addition, throughout its history it served as the palace of the monarchs and the Mint, there was an archive and an observatory, military equipment was stored and there was a menagerie.

The Tower Fortress consists of several buildings of different times, around which two rows of wide fortress walls with towers are built. This is one of the oldest buildings in Great Britain, which occupies a special place in its history and is included in the list of the main attractions of London.

How to get to Tower Fortress

The Tower of London is located in East London, on the north bank of the River Thames.

• Fortress Address - HM Tower of London, EC3N
• The nearest metro station is Tower Hill.

Tower Museum opening hours 2019

• March 1st to October 31st
  • Tuesday to Saturday - from 9:00 to 17:30
  • Sunday and Monday - from 10:00 to 17:30
• November 1st to February 28th
  • Tuesday to Saturday - from 9:00 to 16:30
  • Sunday and Monday - from 10:00 to 16:30
• Entrance closes half an hour before closing
• Days off - from 24 to 26 December and 1 January
• To view all the expositions, you should take at least 3 hours. AT summer period and especially during the days school holidays(from July 15 to September 3) the influx of visitors is especially great. To avoid queues, you need to arrive as early as possible, it is better to open the box office. It is strongly recommended to pay for tickets on the official website to avoid the queue at the box office.

The price of tickets to the Tower Fortress in 2019

When buying a ticket, you will be asked to make a donation to the Historic Royal Palaces charity. If you do not want to make a donation, then when buying on the site, do not check the "Your donation helps" box. When buying at the box office, you must say “No donation” or “Without donation”. Below is the ticket price without donation

• Cost when buying on the site
  • Adult - £24.70
  • For children from 5 to 15 years old accompanied by adults - 11.70 pounds
  • For students and persons over 60 - 19.30 pounds
  • Family ticket for one adult and up to three children under 15 - £44.40
  • Family ticket for two adults and up to three children under 15 - £62.90
• Cost at checkout
  • Adult - £27.20
  • For children under 5 years - free of charge
  • Children from 5 to 15 years old accompanied by adults - 12.90 pounds
  • For students and persons over 60 - 21.30 pounds
  • Family ticket for one adult and up to three children under 15 - £48.90
  • Family ticket for two adults and up to three children under 15 - £69.20

Construction history

The Tower Fortress was built in several stages. It is officially believed that it was founded by King William I - the Conqueror, who immediately after taking the English lands began to build defensive castles here. In 1078, on the site of a wooden Roman fort, on his orders, the Tower was erected - a huge quadrangular fortress 32 by 36 meters in size and about 30 meters high.

Later, the darkened walls of the building were whitewashed and the fortress was called the White Tower.

Under King Richard the Lionheart, several more towers and two rows of fortress walls were built, and a deep ditch was dug around, over which a drawbridge was thrown. So the fortress became one of the most impregnable structures in Europe.

The most recent buildings of the citadel date back to 1377.

When the castle lost its defensive significance, the drawbridge was rebuilt into a stone one, and in 1843 the moat around the fortress was filled up and a lawn was laid out in its place.

Prisoners of the tower fortress

For the first time the fortress began to be used as a prison in 1100. The first prisoner was Bishop Ralph Flambard, who occupied spacious apartments here and ate all kinds of food. However, after he was given a rope in a jar of wine, he managed to escape from his place of imprisonment.

After 150 years, the next prisoner was Griffin, Duke of Wales, who crashed while trying to escape from the castle.

High-ranking officials became prisoners: the kings of France and Scotland, priests and aristocrats, young princes - Edward V and his brother Richard. Most of the prisoners were accused of treason or imprisoned for their religious beliefs.

During the Second World War, there were spies and dangerous criminals, the most famous of which is Rudolf Hess, a friend and deputy of Adolf Hitler, who flew to England in the midst of the so-called air war with Germany. Introducing himself as the Führer's personal envoy, he proposed to the British government to make peace with Germany. In response to this proposal, Churchill ordered that Hess be placed in the Tower. For this act, the Minister of Propaganda of the Third Reich, Goebbels, called Hess "a madman living in captivity of illusions."

The last prisoners were gangster twin brothers Ronald and Reginald Cray, who were in prison until 1952.

Executions at the Tower Fortress

The Tower is known for its brutal executions. Several thousand people were imprisoned here, and 5 people were executed on the territory of the fortress: two men and three female queens: sixteen-year-old Lady Jane Gray, who was on the throne for nine days, Anna Boleyn - the second wife and Catherine Howard - the fifth wife of King Henry VIII .

The main part of the prisoners was executed publicly on a hill located next to the fortress, where a crowd of people greedy for spectacles gathered. The basements of the fortress, where the remains of 1500 prisoners are buried, became the burial place of all the executed.

The last execution took place in 1747.

During the First World War, German spies were kept in the castle and then shot.

After visiting the museum, you can go to Tower Hill, where the executions took place. Now a memorial complex has been built there in memory of the decapitated victims.

Zoo in the Tower

At the end of the 12th century, John Landless came to power in England, giving part of his powers to parliament and laying the foundation for a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Instead of prisoners, he settled lions in the fortress and the sinister era of the Tower ended.

Soon other animals appeared in the castle for the amusement of the king and his retinue: polar bear and elephant, leopards and exotic beasts. Under Elizabeth I, the castle became a real zoo, which was open to visitors.

In 1830, all the animals were moved from the Tower to the rebuilt new zoo in Regent's Park.

In memory of that time, tourists will be able to see wire sculptures of animals.

Tower Museum

Currently, the castle houses the Memorial museum complex, where weapons, a collection of jewelry and other historical values ​​are presented.

Among the exhibits are crossbows, hunting and tournament spears, knightly armor and medieval weapons.

Treasures of the British Empire are guarded by special caretakers. You will see 12 royal crowns, 11 of which are gold and one is platinum, a scepter adorned with precious stones, the famous, the largest in the world, processed Cullian I diamond, as well as other regalia.

But the most unusual attraction is the ravens, which should not be confused with ordinary ravens.

Ravens of Tower Fortress

There is a legend in England that if the Ravens are not here, then the monarchy in the country will collapse. The British remember this legend and believe in it.

Therefore, a special royal service has been organized in the citadel, which takes care of the birds: experienced officers maintain their numbers and monitor their condition. Officially, the position of such an employee is called the Palace Crow Overseer.

Each raven has a name and pedigree. Moreover, both the officers themselves and the birds are on allowance and military registration of the Royal Air Force.

To prevent the birds from flying away, their wings are clipped. But crows are unlikely to fly away somewhere - from such a life where they feed on veal, and sometimes rabbit meat, they are unlikely to want to fly to another place.

Guardsmen in London

One of the colorful spectacles that many tourists rush to admire is the royal guards. The tradition of guarding royal palaces dates back to 1660 and is still maintained by Londoners.

After waiting for the changing of the guard, you will be able to watch how the royal guards are being divorced.

You can see this theatrical beautiful action for free, the main thing is to know the time of the changing of the guard and take the most comfortable spot for observation.

If you pass from the fortress over the Tower Bridge to St. Catherine's Dock, you will see many beautiful yachts along the way, as well as the legendary WWII cruiser Belfast moored. It is now a popular floating naval museum.

The Tower Fortress gave its name to the one built much later and located nearby

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress (Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress) , better known as the Tower of London (historical name - Tower), is historical monument located in the center of London, in England, on the north bank of the Thames. It is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and is separated from the eastern part of the City of London by the undeveloped area of ​​Tower Hill.

The Tower of London is often confused with the White Tower, a square fortress built by William the Conqueror in 1078. However, the Tower as a whole is a complex consisting of several structures located within two concentric rings formed by protective walls and a moat.

Initially, the tower served as a fortress, royal residence and prison (especially for noble prisoners and members of the royal family, such as the "Princes in the Tower" (Princes Edward and Richard) and the future Queen Elizabeth I).

This last function of hers led to the phrase "sent to the Tower" (meaning "imprisoned"). In addition, at different times it housed an armory, the treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, the British State Archives, an observatory, and executions and torture were also carried out. Since 1303, the Tower of London has housed the British Crown Jewels.

Video tour of the Tower of London - Tower of London

Construction history

white tower

In the center of the Tower of London stands the Norman White Tower, built in 1078 by William the Conqueror (reigned 1066-87) in the southeastern part of the city walls adjacent to the Thames. This huge tower protected the Normans from the inhabitants of the City of London, as well as London itself from outside invaders. The architect of the tower, on the orders of Wilhelm, was Gandalf, Bishop of Rochester. Excellent Cayenne stone, brought from France, was used to form the corners of the building and decorate the doors and windows, while most of the building was built from Kentish basalt. According to legend, the mortar used in the construction of the structure was diluted with the blood of animals. Another legend attributes the construction of the Tower not to William, but to the Romans. William Shakespeare in his play "Richard III" claims that it was built by Julius Caesar.

The height of the White Tower is 27 m, and the thickness of its walls is 4.5 m at the base and 3.3 m at the top. Four turrets rise above the battlements; three of them are square, and the one in the northeast is round with a spiral staircase. Under Charles II, it housed the royal observatory for some time. South of the Tower protective structure limited to the courtyard of the castle.

In the 1190s, King Richard the Lionheart (reigned 1189-99) added curtain walls to the White Tower, dug a moat around it, and filled it with water from the Thames. Erected earlier in the east, the Roman city ​​wall Richard used as part of the fence. Part of the wall he built, later included in the defensive wall of Henry III, is still preserved in the area between the Bloody Tower (Bloody Tower) and the Belfry (Bell Tower), also appeared during his reign. In 1240, Henry III ordered the building to be whitewashed, which is how it got its name.

Courtyard (Inmost Ward)

In the early 13th century, Henry III (reigned 1216-72) placed the main royal residence in the Tower and built luxurious buildings within the Castle Courtyard south of the White Tower. The now ruined Coldharbour Gate led to this Courtyard on the northwest and was bounded by a wall fortified on the southwest by the Wakefield Tower, on the southeast by the Lanthorn Tower, and on the northeast - now destroyed by the Wardrobe Tower. The well-appointed Wakefield Tower and Lantern Tower were integral parts of this new royal palace, and adjoined the now destroyed Great Hall located between them. The tower remained a royal residence until the time of Oliver Cromwell, when some of the old luxury buildings were destroyed.

Inland territory

The White Tower and the Courtyard are in the Inner Territory, protected by a massive curtain wall built by Henry III in 1238. Despite the protests of the citizens of London and even supernatural predictions (according to the chronicler Matthew Paris), it was decided to expand the city wall to the east.

Thirteen towers are built into the wall:

Wakefield Tower is the largest tower in the curtain wall.
Lantern Tower
Salt Tower
Broad Arrow Tower
Constable Tower
Martin Tower
Brick Tower
Bowyer Tower
Silicon Tower (Flint Tower)
Deveraux Tower
Beauchamp Tower
Belfry (Bell Tower) - the most old tower in an enclosure built in the 1190s as part of the fortifications of Richard I and later incorporated into the fortifications of Henry III. It is named after the bell located in it, in which the evening curfew was beaten for more than 500 years.
Bloody Tower (or Garden Tower), named after the legend of the princes killed in it.

Outer Ward

From 1275 to 1285, Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) built an outer curtain that completely connected the inner wall, resulting in a circular double defensive structure. He filled the old ditch with water and dug a new ditch around the new outer wall. The place between the walls is called the Outer Territory. There are five towers in the wall, located on the side of the river:

Byward Tower
St Thomas's Tower, built in 1275-1279 by Edward I as an additional royal residence.
Cradle Tower
Well Tower
Develin Tower
On the outer side of the northern wall are three semicircular bastions: Copper Mountain (Brass Mount), North Bastion (North Bastion) and Mount Legg (Legge's Mount).

The water passage to the Tower is often called the Traitor's Gate, since it is believed that prisoners accused of treason, such as Queen Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas More, were transported through them. Henry III's Gate at the Tower of Blood Behind the Traitor's Gate in the pool was an engine that was used to pump water into a cistern located on the roof of the White Tower. The device was adapted to run gun-carrying mechanisms and was dismantled in the 1860s.Above the large archway of the Traitors' Gate is a Tudor Timber Frame, built in 1532 and reconstructed in the 19th century.

West entrance and moat

The now dry moat that surrounds the entire structure is crossed from south to west by a stone bridge leading to Byward Tower from the Middle Tower, the gate that previously served as the outer fortification, which was called the Lion Tower.

Today, the Tower is predominantly a tourist attraction. In addition to the buildings themselves, its exposition includes the British Crown Jewels, a fine collection of weapons from the Royal Armories and the remains of a Roman fortress wall.

Yeomanry gatekeepers (beefeaters) of the Tower act as guides and provide security, while they themselves are a tourist attraction. Every evening when the Tower closes for the night, the gatekeepers participate in the Key Handover Ceremony.

Everyone who comes to London wants to plunge into the atmosphere ancient city to feel its spirit. It is best for these purposes to visit castles, which are countless in London. After all, these ancient buildings are witnesses of the life of the state from the first days of its existence. The ancient castles of the capital and its environs are very large and impressive. Trying to tell about everyone at once is impossible - it's like retelling thousands of years of British history.

The most popular and visited castles in London

You can talk about the beauty and splendor of each of these castles for hours.

This London castle ranks first in popularity among all architectural and historical buildings in all of Europe. At the mention of the Tower, the image of Great Britain immediately arises.

The castle is located on picturesque coast river Thames. Initially, it was built as a fortress and the center of government of the country, but during its existence it had to act as a museum, a zoo, a mint, and an arsenal. There was a time when the castle served as a prison for the nobility. Three queens were executed here, and it is believed that their ghosts can still be found in the castle today.

During its long and colorful history, the Tower has changed many times. Today, walking through its luxurious halls, tourists can see particles different eras millennium. The White Tower is the oldest building of the complex, it houses the collections of the armory and the treasures of the British Empire. Each visitor can see the Chapel of St. John, within the walls of which eminent prisoners prayed before the execution, and pass through the gates of the "traitors".

Tower Castle is located a few minutes from the Tower Hill subway station. You can also get here by bus from Fenchurch Street or London Bridge stations (No. 15, 100, 42) or by river trams that depart every 20 minutes from the piers: Westminster, Charing Cross and Greenwich.

It is the main home of the British royal family. The first stone buildings were built in 1170 by Henry II. Later, an extensive reconstruction was made, imitating Palace of Versailles in France. A huge number of shady alleys have been laid. In the 19th century ancient castle was rebuilt into a delightful Gothic palace.

Most tourists come to the indescribable delight of walking through the Great Windsor Park with beautiful sculptures. The park is a forest where the royal hunt once took place. As in Buckingham Palace, here you can see the changing of the solemn guard. The majestic halls of the castle showcase unique ceiling decorations and chic antique furniture. The walls are decorated with valuable paintings by famous painters.

The fortress is located 30 km west of London. You can get here by train (departure from Waterloo and Paddington stations) or by buses from Heathrow Airport (No. 77) or from Buckingham Palace (№700).

Leeds Castle is one of the top three famous castles in London, although it is located an hour's drive from its center. This is the most romantic fortress, it served as a home for most of the queens of Great Britain. Geographically, the castle is located in Kent. Outwardly, it resembles a stone fortress surrounded by many giant "living" labyrinths. The history of Leeds begins in the 11th century.

On the this moment The castle is owned by a private individual. Modern entertainment has appeared in it, which allows you to unobtrusively examine everything without overloading yourself with information. Today, guests of the castle can play golf here, hunt falcons. But most of all, tourists are attracted by the opportunity to walk around the Leeds park on segways - electric scooters.

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