Tower of London
( Prison, Fortress, Royal Palace and Home of Crown Jewels )

Founded by William the Conqueror in 1066-7 and enlarged and modified by successive sovereigns, today the Tower of London is one of the world's most famous and spectacular fortresses. In its time it has been a royal palace, a fortress, a prison, an armoury, a treasury and an astronomical observatory.

As a result there is a lot to see, the major draws are the Crown Jewels and the history associated with the Tower's role as a prison for major figures in history, prior to for many a public hanging. The Beefeaters (guards) dressed in distinctive uniform and Ravens provide classic photo opportunities, the Beefeaters also perform tours.

Once in the Tower of London you can take advantage of a one hour guided tour by a costumed Beefeater. These run normally every half-hour throughout the day from soon after opening to mid/late afternoon.

The Tower's greatest attraction the Crown Jewels are housed in the White Tower. You will normally have to wait in long lines to catch glimpses of the jewels. You will see some of the world's most precious jewels set into swords, robes, and of course crowns. The Imperial State Crown is still used today by the Queen of England for ceremonial occasions.

Many of the rest of the main attractions are associated with the Tower's history with legendary figures imprisoned and/or executed here. The Tower Green at the heart of the Tower has the scaffolding where some private executions and hangings took place. Three of them were queens of England: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, wives of Henry VIII, and Lady Jane Grey - condemned on the orders of her cousin Mary I.
The gate exiting out directly to the river is known as 'Traitors' Gate' because of the number of prisoners accused of treason who are supposed to have passed through it.
The Bloody Tower was where some of the Tower's most famous prisoners were housed. It may have been the last lodging of the 'Princes in the Tower' before their mysterious disappearance in the 15th century, and is today furnished to look as it might have done during Sir Walter Ralegh's 13-year imprisonment here.
The Beauchamp Tower was especially suitable for prisoners of high rank. In Mary I's reign (1553-8), John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, and his sons were held here; in Elizabeth I's reign (1558-1603), Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel, died within its walls and here Lord Cobham spent the last 14 years of his life in the reign of James I (1603-25).

St Thomas's Tower, the Wakefield Tower and the Lanthorn Tower lay at the heart of the medieval royal lodgings at the Tower of London. Today they are known collectively as the 'Medieval Palace' and contain exhibitions and reconstructed interiors that give a sense of life in royal residential rooms in the 13th and 14th centuries.