LONDON CALLING: The Tower of London

The Tower of London’s official name is Her Majesty's Royal Palace & Fortress of the Tower of London. It is a listed building and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

View of the southern riverside of The Thames, from beside Tower Millennium Pier:

the round City Hall, the tall Shard.

This must be the tallest street lamp in the UK…

Picture of a ‘Beefeater’ in the window of the souvenir shop.
Vegetarians please abstain.

The Beefeaters is the nickname for the Yeoman Warders (full name The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary). They exist since 1485 and were originally here to look after the prisoners and guard the Crown Jewels. They are now ceremonial guards and conduct guided tours, their status is permanent and they live in The Tower. There are also British Army soldiers of the Tower Guard, on duty at The Tower of London.

The Ticket Office at The Tower of London.

The 2 skyscrapers are ‘The Cheesegrater’ and ‘The Gherkin.’

The building standing between the Ticket Office and ‘The Gherkin’ with a nice eagle statue above a red globe is 15 Trinity Square, the former headquarters of the General Steam Navigation Company Built in 1908 with top storey added in 1931,
it is now the location of pub and restaurant.

The ornate rooftop on the right is 10 Trinity Square (former PLA) – see further down.

The Middle-Tower, the visitor’s entrance to The Tower

and The Shard across the river.

We had a flight to catch that afternoon, so we had to content ourselves with walking around outer walls. The first thing I took a photo of, was this stone tower… This low round structure is inscribed “Constructed AD 1868 London LHPC.” In fact it was built in the 1920s by the London Hydraulic Power Company, to mark the spot of a previous 19^th c. structure which was the north entrance of a tunnel under The Thames! Originally, in 1870, the tunnel called Tower Subway allowed passengers to be transported in a cable-hauled carriage. After that venture went bankrupt, the passageway became a pedestrian toll-tunnel, but in 1894 Tower Bridge opened and there was no charge to use it… so the tunnel closed in 1898. LHPC became the owner and used it for hydraulic power mains and water mains. It is still a short cut for water mains and telecommunication cables.

The four turrets of The White Tower with their weather vanes topped with a golden crown.

The oldest part and initially the sole part of The Tower of London is the White Tower, the keep at the centre of the complex, built by William The Conqueror in 1078 or so. It was used as a royal residence, therefore a chapel was added. I believe it is still the current St John’s chapel and a crypt, within it, was used as a treasury.

The White Tower, clearly white… and towering; with London Bridge up river

- from a 15^th century manuscript.

In the 13^th century, Henry III had the keep whitewashed, which became a tradition. Before that, I think the site was known as The Great Tower.

In the 12^th and 13^th centuries, other buildings had been added, as well as two rings of fortified walls and a moat. By the reign of Edward I in the 13^th century, The Tower’s layout was not too different from the way it is now. There are presently 21 towers on the site.

Walking around The Tower of London from the western side:

< The Moat, Legge’s Mount (low tower furthest to the left), casemates (fortified outer walls with openings for guns), behind is the Outer Ward which is between the two walls of fortification, Devereux Tower (13^th c. repaired 18^th c.) is on the left on the inner wall and named after its famous prisoner Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex (executed under Elizabeth I’s orders), Beauchamp Tower (13^th c.) is the one with the flag on top (Lady Jane Grey was imprisoned in this tower and carved her name in the wall, her husband Guilford Dudley and his 4 brothers were all held here too.)

Mint Street is within The Tower ahead, between the two lines of fortified walls. The stretch of battlement between Beauchamp Tower and Bell Tower is known as Elizabeth’s Walk, since the future Queen Elizabeth I used to walk here during her incarceration (see further down.)

Bell Tower is the 12^th century stone tower with the white wooden turret perched on the parapet. The white structure shelters the Curfew Bell (marked 1651) which used to inform prisoners given the liberty of The Tower that it was time to return to their quarters - today it is sounded at 5:45 pm each day, to warn visitors that the Tower is about to close. The Bell Tower has been the lodgings of famous prisoners (see further down.) The barbican on the right is Byward Tower.

South-west corner of The Tower of London:

the bridge over the moat between Byward Tower and the 13th c. gatehouse called Middle Tower.

Across The Thames: the spherical City Hall and The Shard on the far right.

For a long time, there was a Royal Menagerie at the Tower (1210-1833). Some animals were gifts from other European rulers and included a bear, an elephant and leopards. The animals were moved to Regent’s Park in the 19th c. (now called London Zoo) and the Lion Tower, a barbican used as the keeper’s residence, was later demolished.

Today, the emplacement features some animals sculptures, made by Kendra Haste in galvanised wire, 3 lions - I think there is a polar bear too somewhere else at The Tower; in total, Haste had made a dozen animals for exhibition at The Tower in 2011, some have since been relocated. Haste is a sculptress from London.

Nice full-size siege engine in the moat: this replica of a medieval stone-thrower is called a Perrier.

The Bell Tower, the entrance via Byward Tower, part of the Middle Tower on the right of pic.

^ The Middle Tower (built in the 13^th c. altered in the 18^th c. and refaced in Portland stone).

It used to have two portcullises. It is now used as residence for a Yeoman Warders.

With a stone-carved coat of arms of Great Britain as used between 1714 and 1801 under kings George I, George II and George III, before the Act of Union.

< Now, walking along The Thames: view of the stone bridge between the Middle Tower and Byward Tower. The bridge used to feature a wooden drawbridge in its centre.

>
The Byward Tower was built in the 13^th c. It featured two portcullises and arrow loops. The name may mean that it was “by the warders” i.e. beside the Warder’s Hall. The shape of the towers are original, but the structure was increased in height several times, including in the 18^th or 19^th century. It contains a 14^th c. wall painting, partly ruined by the addition of a fireplace in the middle of it, but considered so special that it is not accessible by the general public.

The Moat and the back of the Middle Tower.

3 skyscrapers from The City of London can be glimpsed: ‘The Walkie-Talkie’ ‘The Cheesegrater’ ‘The Gherkin’

Behind the low outer wall is Water Lane and, attached to the inner wall is Queen’s House, a half-timbered Tudor structure of 1540, facing the other way, maybe named after Anne Boleyn – who ironically stayed here before becoming queen and then again before her execution. Guy Fawkes is said to have confessed to The Gunpowder Plot here in 1608.

Below the tree: St Thomas’s Tower and behind that are (round) Wakefield Tower and (square) Bloody Tower.

Part of Queen’s House can be glimpsed here (pointed roof with decorative strip under the eaves , dormer window and red-brick chimneys).

^ The building near the path is St Thomas’s Tower, built in the 13^th c. to provide extra royal accommodation, with a water-gate entrance designed to allow King Edward I to enter The Tower by boat. The nickname Traitors' Gate came from the large number of prisoners brought to The Tower by that same route, passing under London Bridge where the heads of traitors were displayed on pikes.

Traitors' Gate at St Thomas's Tower.

Other famous prisoners at The Tower:

Richard II was imprisoned at The Tower and later abdicated, here, in 1399, no doubt under duress.

Famously, in the 15th century, the young sons of Edward IV, disappeared here, after being held by their uncle the Duke of Gloucester – who conveniently became the next king, Richard III. What became of “The Princes in the Tower”? In 1674, the bones belonging to two children were discovered after a staircase was demolished.

The use of The Tower as a prison became at its highest in the 16th and 17th centuries.

In 1534, Sir Thomas More was imprisoned in the Bell Tower for refusing to swear allegiance to King Henry VIII as Supreme Head of the Church in England. He was later beheaded on nearby Tower Hill (see further down) – his head was displayed on a pike on London Bridge (see post http://gherkinscall.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/london-bridge-shard.html) and the rest of his body was interred inside The Tower, in the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula (St Peter in Chains, rebuilt in 1520), in the north-west corner of the Inner Ward.

Other “remarkable persons” buried in this chapel: Anne Boleyn and her brother George, Thomas Cromwell, Catherine Howard, John Dudley, Lady Jane Grey and her husband Guilford Dudley – all below a green and red marble memorial pavement, featuring their coats of arms, commissioned by Queen Victoria.

In 1554, Princess Elizabeth (future Queen Elizabeth I) was accused of supporting the Wyatt Rebellion and plotting to overthrow her queen and Catholic sister Mary I. Elizabeth was imprisoned in the Bell Tower, she entered via Traitors Gate, beneath St Thomas’s Tower. Of course, she went on to reign for over 44 years. A few months after her death, Sir Walter Raleigh, accused of plotting against the new king James I, was taken prisoner at The Tower, where he lived for 13 years, in a cell in Bloody Tower, before being pardoned.

Bloody Tower is hidden here behind St Thomas’s Tower.

Birds’ eye view from St Thomas’s Tower...

In 17th and 18th centuries, the White Tower’s facing was replaced with Portland stone, an idea of architect Inigo Jones and most of its windows were enlarged.

“Castrum Royale Londinense vulgo the Tower” (“Royal Castle London commonly named The Tower”)
- etching on paper by Wenceslaus Hollar c. 1647.

The round tower behind St Thomas’s Tower is Wakefield Tower.

The White Tower, original Norman keep, on the right.

Here, behind a double-line of fortified wall is the Innermost Ward,

with the site of a part of the ancient Roman City Wall (see further down.)

Henry III’s Watergate, today’s visitors’ exit.

‘The Walkie-Talkie’ playing hide-and-seek at The Tower of London.

Far left: Wakefield Tower. The wider round tower near the tree is Lanthorn Tower.

On right: Cradle Tower (14^th c.)

Very pleasant paved Tower Wharf at the foot of Tower Bridge. Parts of the south side of The Tower of London fitting in the frame: St Thomas’s Tower - Henry III’s Watergate – Lanthorn Tower - Cradle Tower.

Cradle Tower and the East Drawbridge entrance.

> South-east corner of The Tower of London: the two towers are Well Tower and Develin Tower (at the corner). The 2 mortars are from the Royal Armouries: (on left) iron 13-inch Mortar and Bed, mid-18^th century, Spanish or French, for use at sea or as coastal defence,

(on right) iron 18-inch Mortar, dated 1684, Italian or English-made. from Corfu.

Cannons outside The Tower of London. Not yet mentioned: Salt Tower (round tower on right).

To continue our walk around The Tower of London, we had to walk under the northern end of Tower Bridge and go up a very busy road. The cannons from the Royal Armouries: (on right) iron 12 pounder gun, 1800, British, formely used as a bollard on Tower Hill.

[Post with our photos of Tower Bridge under construction]

Parts of the south and east sides of the Tower of London as seen from the approach to Tower Bridge.

Some of the skyscrapers from The City of London financial district: ‘The Cheesegrater’ ‘The Gherkin’ ‘The Heron Tower’.

The Shard and Develin Tower at the south-east corner of The Tower of London.

Tower Bridge in the distance and The Tower of London on the right:
the moat, the outer wall and Develin Tower (low at the far corner),
Salt Tower (on the right) which is part of the inner wall.

The Salt Tower built in the 13^th c. and restored in the 19^th c. The ground floor was used for storage and there were dungeons in the basement. Prisoners in the Salt Tower left several graffiti, such as an astronomical clock carved by a man accused of sorcery, and Christogram made by Jesuits.

Left of the pic: the Salt Tower, the dark brown roof with the dormer windows is the workshop (with a café, I think), to the right on that is Broad Arrow Tower (with a gherkin poking out of it!), further right is Constable Tower.

Along the pavement; detail of the parapet matching the colours of Tower Bridge.

On the inner wall of The Tower of London: the workshop (below The Shard), Broad Arrow Tower to its right, the building showing below the turrets of the White Tower must be the former hospital block.

North-east corner: the square turret is part of the Waterloo Block where the Crown Jewels are kept (see further down), the dark brown tower is Martin Tower on the corner of the inner wall.

Former hospital block (brown roof on the left), Constable Tower (on the inner wall), (behind it) the headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers which houses The Fusilier Museum, the weather vanes of the White Tower (one turret replaced by a shard of glass…)

At the north-east corner of The Tower of London: Tower Bridge, the moat, the whole east-side of the outer wall of The Tower of London from Develin Tower to Brass Mount (rounded corner).

The low round tower at the north-east corner is called Brass Mount, the brown tower behind it on the inner wall is Martin Tower. ‘The Walkie-Talkie’ behind Trinity Square. The gap in the wall of the moat revealing the ruins of an old gatehouse (see further down).

The trees outside the moat, are Trinity Square Gardens, on the site known as Tower Hill. The Tower of London is in the district called Tower Hamlets, and Tower Hill separates Tower Hamlets from the district of The City of London.

Tower Hill is where executions would take place and where the infamous scaffold used to be set up. More than a hundred people were put to death here, over a 400-year period (including Sir Thomas More whose name is on a plaque there), whereas only 7 people were executed within the walls of The Tower of London itself – until the two world wars, when 12 men accused of being spies, were executed at The Tower.

The white temple-like building with columns and a statue is a listed building built in 1922. Its address is 10 Trinity Square. Former headquarters of the Port of London Authority. Badly damaged during WWII. Recently, redeveloped as the Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square. It has featured in the 2012 James Bond film “Skyfall.”

At Tower Hill is also the Tower Hill Memorial, commemorating the merchant navy and fishing fleet members who died at sea during both world wars and have no grave (12,000 names from WWI and at least 24,000 names from WWII.)

A 1561 woodcut, before there was any spell-checkers.

The crenellated shadow of Develin Tower.

Amongst the very rare prisoners executed on Tower Green, within the inner wall of The Tower: Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, Robert Devereux Earl of Essex.

The Tower of London was damaged during WWII.

Its last prisoner was Rudolph Hess, held here in 1941.

At the north side of The Tower of London, the outer wall is not a straight line.

From here we can see 3 rounded towers with crenellation on the inner wall: (from left to right) Martin Tower – Brick Tower – Bowyer Tower. The taller tower behind is part of the Waterloo Block on the Inner Ward (see Crown Jewels). The green church spire is All Hallows-By-The-Tower, the oldest church in The City of London, on a site founded 300 years before The Tower of London, in AD 675. The church survived the Great Fire of 1666 but was badly damaged during The Blitz of WWII.

The north side of The Tower of London. On the Inner Ward, the Waterloo Block (square windows) home of the Crown Jewels. The round towers, on the inner wall, are Bowyer Tower (centre), Flint Tower and Devereux Tower (with The Shard marking the approximate site of the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula.) The low tower at the corner of the outer wall is Legge’s Mount – which made our tour complete!

The Tower has also been the home of the Royal Mint (the coin making institution) from 13^th to the 19^th century and of the Crown Jewels, the sovereign’s coronation regalia – still today, the largest set of regalia in the world, with 141 objects, including the largest clear-cut diamond in the world. The oldest item remaining today is a 12^th century anointing spoon with 4 pearls, that and 3 ceremonial swords is all that survived the 17^th c. English Civil War and the melting of the Crown Jewels under Oliver Cromwell’s orders.

Since the 14^th c, it had become traditional on Coronation Day, for the procession to take place from The Tower to Westminster Abbey, but it stopped after Charles II was deposed and the Monarchy suspended from 1649 to 1660. Probably because there were no more Crown Jewels here…

Today, the Crown Jewels are on display in Jewel House in The Waterloo Block, formally a barracks within The Tower of London. It is not the same as the original 13^th c. Jewel House which was near Wardrobe Tower and demolished in the 17^th c, when Martin Tower became the place where the public was first allowed to view the Crown Jewels - this, until the 19th century. After that, they moved to a new building, then to Wakefield Tower until 1967, then to the Waterloo Block/Barracks, partly in an underground vault. The interest grew from 1,500 visitors a day after WWII, to 15,000 a day in the 1980s. In 1994, a better displaying of the regalia was opened on the ground floor of Waterloo Block, a new Jewel House, all refurbished in 2012.

‘The Walkie-Talkie’ and 10 Trinity Square.

Street lamp keeping fit…

The shield and motto of The City of London (“Domine Dirige Nos” / “Lord, guide us”),
although I think we were just outside the district limits.

This seems to be Tower Hill Postern Gate, the remains of a medieval gatehouse built into the side of the Tower’s moat. Historians believe it was built on the site of a much older Roman gate. Around here are the largest sections remaining of the old Roman London Wall, built around Londinium, the Roman settlement founded in AD 43. The wall dates from AD 200 approximately and it roughly followed the perimeter of what is now The City of London district. I read that the wall survived for 1,600 years.