Tower of London

The Tower of London is a historic castle located on the northern bank of the River Thames in London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The heritage of the official title of this place is Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London. This palace is one of the British most popular attractions and it is protected by UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It’s been established during Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror in 1066. The Tower of London served many roles in its history such as a treasury, an armoury, the Royal Mint, public record office, menagerie and the home of the Crown Jewels of England. However, the peak of the castle use was between the 16^th and 17^th century, when it had been used as a prison. Among many prisoners held there, one of them was Elizabeth I before her coronation. Worth mentioning are also, Elizabeth Throckmorton and Sir Walter Raleigh.

 

Iconic London spot

The Tower of London has been a tourist site since the Elizabethan period. In fact, there are foreign visitor notes about the displays of armour or the Royal Menagerie. The Tower gained so much popularity in 19^th century that in 1851 a ticket office was established, due to the fact that, half million tourists were coming to visit the castle each year. Until today, tourists are still admiring the world famous powerful symbols of British Monarchy – The Crown Jewels.

The collections of more than 23k unparalleled gemstones that are still used in royal ceremonies such as the State Opening of Parliament. To this day, the jewels allure visitors from across the globe. Another attraction definitely worth mentioning are the White Tower Tours. During them tourists have an opportunity to explore the oldest medieval building at the Tower of London and take a closer in-depth look at the astonishing architecture of the Chapel of St John. Visitors can also listen to the tales how Simon Sudbury became the first who “lost his head” on the Tower Hill. Next tour, which is worth mentioning is definitely the iconic and very entertaining Yeoman Warder guided tours. The ‘beefeaters’ are great story tellers and will surely intrigue you with tales of torture, executions and imprisonment.

 

The most interesting facts according to Connect-Click:

• The “Beefeaters” is a nickname for Royal Bodyguards who were permitted to eat as much beef as they could from the king’s table.
• The Tower is supposedly haunted by many ghosts such as Anne Boleyn, Henry VI, Margaret Pole and Jane Grey and of course Princess in the Tower.

Directions:
Nearest Underground station: Tower Hill: District and Circle Lines (5 mins walk) extremely busy during rush hours

Nearest Overground stations: Fenchurch Street (5 mins walk) or London Bridge (15 mins).

Bus routes: 15, 42, 78, 100, RV1
*The Tower is also a checkpoint in all major sightseeing bus tours

Nearest river access point: Tower Pier.

Address: St Katharine’s & Wapping, London EC3N 4AB

 Tickets and prices:
Adult (16+ years old): £21.50
Child (5-15 years old): £9.70

Opening Times:
Adult (16+ years old): £21.50
Child (5-15 years old): £9.70