Tower of London - Travel Guide and Travel Info

The Tower of London is the common name given to the Royal Palace of Her Majesty the Queen and Fortress. This historic castle is built on River Thames, on its northern bank in Central London. The tower actually lies within The Borough of Tower Hamlets in London and an open space referred to as Tower Hill separates the tower from its eastern edge. The tower has a very rich history, being founded back in 1066 and was a part of Norman Conquest of England. The entire castle gets its name from the white tower and it was built in 1078b by the famous William the Conqueror. The tower was a resented oppression symbol that the ruling elite had inflicted on London.

From 1100 until 1952, the castle was primarily used as a state prison but still had some other functions as well. In its early history, the Tower of London served as a grand palace when it was the primary royal residence. The Tower as a whole is a complex of a number of buildings that are set within two defensive concentric defensive walls. Over the years, the Tower of London has gone through a series of expansions but the original layout set in the 13th century still remains.

In English history, the Tower of London plays a very significant and prominent role. It has been besieged severally and controlling the tower is deemed to be crucial in controlling the entire country as a whole. Since it was build, the Tower of London has variously served as a treasury, an armory, a home of Royal Mint, a menagerie, an office for public records and others. When the monarch isn’t present, the Tower Constable is usually the person in charge of this castle. During the medieval period, the Tower of London was a trusted and a powerful position. Under the Tudors, Tower of London was used less for royal purposes. 

During the 17th century, Tower of London was at is peak when serving as a person. Many prominent figures that fell into disgrace including Elizabeth 1 before being coroneted as a queen were held within the walls of the tower. Due to its use, the term ‘sent to the Tower’ has been very popular in London. By then, the Tower of London had acquired a dark reputation of being a place death and torture until it was restored years later to become a prominent castle and one of the most iconic ones in the world. 

The Blitz caused significant damage to the Tower of London during World War II but this was repaired immediately the war came to an end. Some few years after its restoration, the Tower of London was open to members of the public. Currently, the Tower of London boasts of being one of the most popular attractions in the country. It has even been listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO and the Historic Royal Palaces charity takes care of the Tower of London today.