What is the Tower of London. Tower of London

The Tower Fortress was founded at the beginning of the 11th century, during the conquest of 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 Fortress became famous as a prison for imprisoning high-ranking persons and as an ominous place of public executions.

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

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

How to get to the Tower Fortress

Tower Fortress is located in east London, on the north bank of the River Thames.

• Fortress address - HM Tower of London, EC3N
• The nearest tube station is Tower Hill.

Opening hours of the Tower Museum in 2019

• From March 1 to October 31
  • From Tuesday to Saturday – from 9:00 to 17:30
  • Sunday and Monday – from 10:00 to 17:30
• From November 1 to February 28
  • From Tuesday to Saturday – from 9:00 to 16:30
  • Sunday and Monday – from 10:00 to 16:30
• Entry closes half an hour before closing
• Weekends – from December 24 to 26 and January 1
• You should set aside at least 3 hours to view all exhibitions. During the summer, and especially during school holidays (from July 15 to September 3), the influx of visitors is especially large. To avoid queues, you need to arrive as early as possible, preferably before the ticket office opens. It is strongly recommended to pay for tickets on the official website to avoid queuing at the box office.

Ticket prices for Tower Fortress in 2019

When purchasing 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 purchasing on the site, do not check the “Your donation helps” box. When purchasing at the cash register, you must say “No donation” or “Without donation”. The following is the ticket price without donation

• Cost when purchasing on the website
  • Adults - £22.70
  • For children from 5 to 15 years accompanied by an adult - £10.75
  • For students and over 60s - £17.70
  • Family ticket for one adult and up to three children under 15 - £40.80
  • Family ticket for two adults and up to three children under 15 - £57.80
• Cost when purchased at the box office
  • Adults - £25.00
  • For children under 5 years old - free
  • For children from 5 to 15 years accompanied by an adult - £11.90
  • For students and over 60s - £19.50
  • Family ticket for one adult and up to three children under 15 - £44.90
  • Family ticket for two adults and up to three children under 15 - £63.60

History of construction

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 the capture of English lands began to build defensive castles here. In 1078, on the site of a wooden Roman fort, by his order, the Tower was erected - a huge quadrangular fortress measuring 32 by 36 meters and about 30 meters high.

Later, the darkened walls of the structure were whitewashed and the fortress began to be 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 it, 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 ditch around the fortress was filled up and a lawn was laid out in its place.

Prisoners of the Tower Fortress

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

150 years later, the next prisoner was Griffin, Duke of Wales, who fell to his death while trying to escape from the castle.

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

During the Second World War, there were spies and dangerous criminals here, the most famous of whom was Rudolf Hess, a friend and deputy of Adolf Hitler, who flew to England at the height of the so-called air war with Germany. Having introduced himself as the Fuhrer's personal envoy, he invited the British government to make peace with Germany. In response to this proposal, Churchill ordered Hess to 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 Kray, who were in prison until 1952.

Executions in 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, Anne Boleyn - the second wife and Catherine Howard - the fifth wife of King Henry VIII .

The bulk of the prisoners were executed publicly on a hill located next to the fortress, where a crowd of people, hungry for spectacle, gathered. The burial place for all those executed was the basements of the fortress, where the remains of 1,500 prisoners were buried.

The last execution took place in 1747.

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

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 beheaded victims.

Tower Zoo

At the end of the 12th century, John the 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 placed lions in the fortress and the ominous era of the Tower ended.

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

In 1830, all the animals were transported from the Tower to the newly built zoo in Regent's Park.

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

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.

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

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

Ravens of the Tower

There is a legend in England that if the Ravens are not here, 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 Raven Keeper.

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

To prevent birds from flying away, their wings are clipped. But it is unlikely that the Ravens will fly away somewhere - from such a life where they are fed veal, and sometimes rabbit meat, they are unlikely to want to fly to another place.

Guardsmen in London

One of the colorful sights that many tourists rush to admire are 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 can watch how the divorce of the royal guards takes place.

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 walk from the fortress over the Tower Bridge to St. Catherine's Dock, you will see a lot along the way beautiful yachts, as well as the moored legendary World War II cruiser Belfast. It is now a popular floating naval museum.

The Tower Fortress gave its name to what was built much later and located nearby.

View of the Tower from the Shard (DncnH / flickr.com) Main entrance to the Tower of London (dynamosquito / flickr.com) Alan Piper / flickr.com Francesco Gasparetti / flickr.com Jim Linwood / flickr.com White Tower of the Tower (Lee Penney / flickr.com) August / flickr.com shining.darkness / flickr.com Francesco Gasparetti / flickr.com Christian Reimer / flickr.com View of the Tower from the Shard (Rick Ligthelm / flickr.com) Francesco Gasparetti / flickr .com maureen / flickr.com Interior of external wall, Tower of London (Orangeaurochs / flickr.com) Gail Frederick / flickr.com

Throughout its existence, the castle was constantly being completed, its territory grew. The most important events for Great Britain took place here. During its history, the castle served as a fortress, royal residence and prisons.

The Tower of London played a very important role in medieval England. It symbolized royal power and the power of the state. The king's treasures were kept here, and state criminals were kept in the prison under the supervision of guards.

The Tower was founded in 1066. It was built after the Norman conquest of England. The Tower of London was founded by William the Conqueror. He began to strengthen his local power and built 36 castles. London, as a fairly large city, was no exception. Ancient Roman walls have been preserved near the Thames, and in this place they decided to build a fortress. The sculpture of Hadrian, Emperor of Rome, is in the modern castle, in the Tower Museum.

White Tower – Heart of the Tower

The first structure that was erected here is the White Tower. Its construction began in 1077. The work was led by the Bishop of Rochester, Gandalf. The name of the castle subsequently came from the White Tower, since Tower (English) is translated as tower.

The building called the White Tower is famous for the fact that the chronology of the Tower began with it. It was the seat of kings and a Norman donjon.

White Tower Tower (Lee Penney / flickr.com)

For a long time, the Tower did not have the fortifications that can be seen today in the castle museum. The first fortifications for defense were created only in the 13th century, when, after the Crusades, England became acquainted with the eastern tradition of building castles.

For this reason, the thickness of the walls of the White Tower is 4 meters; it played the role of a fortress. In 1097, another ruler, William II the Red, built a stone wall.

The White Tower, the construction of which was completed only in the 12th century, in currently located in the center of the entire modern castle museum and is considered the Heart of the Tower. It contains rooms for the royal family.

When the White Tower was built, it immediately began to have not only a defensive purpose, but also a prison. The first prisoner to come here was Bishop Ranulf Flambard. At the same time, he was the first who managed to escape from the supervision of the guards. He managed to escape thanks to a rope that was given to him in a bottle.

White Tower inside and outside

The entrance to the White Tower was located significantly above ground level. This is a tribute to the Norman tradition. There was a wooden ladder attached to it, which might have been quickly removed in the event of a surprise attack. Like other dungeons, the White Tower has a large basement and a well.

The lowest floor of the White Tower was assigned to the constable - who ruled in the absence of the ruler in London. And also for the lieutenant who was replacing the manager.

On the second floor there is a Great Hall and rooms for the royal family.

Museum inside the Tower of London

Simon Gibson / flickr.com Doug Kerr / flickr.com Doug Kerr / flickr.com Kent Wang / flickr.com Francesco Gasparetti / flickr.com PROFrancesco Gasparetti / flickr.com Francesco Gasparetti / flickr.com *SHERWOOD* / flickr.com Maria Morri / flickr.com Chapel of St. John the Evangelist (eefeewahfah / flickr.com) Crossbow exhibit inside the White Tower of the Tower (Xiquinho Silva / flickr.com) elyob / flickr.com elyob / flickr.com elyob / flickr.com Rudolf Schuba / flickr.com Rudolf Schuba / flickr.com Rudolf Schuba / flickr.com

Changes to the castle under Kings Richard and John

Before the reign of Richard the Lionheart, Tower of London for a long time has not undergone any changes. When Richard the Lionheart occupied the royal throne, his brother John claimed the role of ruler of the state. King Richard was often on campaign; his castle in the capital was ruled by Chancellor William Longchapt.

Interior of an outer wall, Tower of London (Orangeaurochs / flickr.com)

Since there was a threat of an attack on the castle by the king's brother, the chancellor began to strengthen the defense of the Tower. For this purpose, defensive fortifications were built, and a moat with water appeared around the fortress.

During Richard's reign, the area occupied by the Tower increased significantly. In 1191 the castle was besieged. It was more profitable for Longchapt to surrender, and John took the Tower of London.

John became king after Richard the Lionheart died. They began to call him John the Landless. He ascended the throne, but was unable to win the favor of the barons. Therefore, the Tower of London was again besieged. To remain on the throne, the king was forced to make concessions. The Magna Carta was signed. From then on, the stage of constitutional monarchy began. But the king was in no hurry to fulfill his promise, and this led to the First Baronial War.

Tower Menagerie

John the Landless is also famous for having founded a menagerie in the Tower. During his reign, lions were kept here. Henry III, who ascended the throne after him, added leopards to the zoo, as well as polar bear and a real elephant.

During the history of the castle, the menagerie was constantly replenished with various rare and exotic animals. Elizabeth I even allowed London residents to visit the menagerie and weapons museum. Such a zoo operated here until 1830, after which it was closed, and the animals moved to the London Zoo. In memory of the menagerie, sculptures of the animals that were kept here were exhibited in the castle.

Ravens of the Tower

The Tower Ravens are a population of ravens that permanently live on the grounds of the castle. This is another attraction of the UK Castle Museum. Under King Charles II, a legend appeared that ravens were an important component of the castle, and without them the Tower of London could not exist.

These birds are the black guards of the castle. Therefore, since then, a tradition has developed to take care of these ravens, which is followed to this day, and there is now a Raven Keeper working in the castle.

Changes under Henry III

Under Henry III, the Tower thoroughly expanded its territory. The construction of stone walls and 9 towers was completed. This area is now designated as the Inner Courtyard. The purpose of many towers is indicated by their very names. For example, the Bell Tower. It housed the main bell. Or the Archer's Tower. It produced bows and crossbows, as well as siege weapons.

View of the Tower from the Shard skyscraper (Rick Ligthelm / flickr.com)

Lanthorne Tower - its name comes from the Old English word meaning "light" or "shine". This tower played the role of a lighthouse for ships passing along the river. The main entrance is now in the western wall. The Wakefield and Lanthorn towers housed the royal family's chambers and other living rooms. A spacious room for a hall was specially built between these towers.

Also during the reign of Henry, the Bloody Tower was built. It is famous for a very sad story. Edward V and his brother, another heir to the throne, Richard of York, were killed in it. People called them the princes of the Tower; they were imprisoned in a tower under the supervision of guards. No one saw them alive anymore; most likely, they were killed.

At the time of death, the first was 12 years old, and the second was 10. Richard III ordered their execution because of possible claims to the throne (although he was their uncle). Before the execution, the children had already been officially declared illegitimate, but this did not stop Richard.

Changes under King Edward I

Under King Edward I, another line of walls grew, as well as 2 bastions. The dug ditch is 50 meters wide and deep. A new main entrance was made. Gates were divided into external and internal. A barbican was also built, which was called the Lion Tower. Lions were kept in it.

Main entrance to the Tower of London (dynamosquito / flickr.com)

Under Edward the Tower expanded to the south. The Tower of St. Thomas was built here, in which there was the famous Traitor's Gate - another of the attractions of the castle museum. Through them, the guards brought new prisoners to the prison by water.

The king also moved the mint to the Tower. Under Edward, the fortress walls of the Tower began to have loopholes for riflemen - the castle guards. The Beauchamp Tower grew, for the construction of which brickwork was used for the first time in English history. To make the castle less dependent on external conditions, water mills were made. The area occupied by the buildings under King Edward is now called the Outer Court.

Tower at present

After King Edward, the Tower became what it is today.

Since the time of Elizabeth, interest in visiting the Tower has grown every year. Many people wanted to visit it as a museum, including because of Ainsworth’s historical novel “The Tower of London.” There are legends about this UK landmark. Until now, this castle is very popular among tourists.

London has many attractions that attract avid travelers, but one of the main ones is the Tower. The famous Tower of London is located on the north bank of the Thames. It is a fortress - several buildings of different times, around which are built two rows of wide fortress walls with towers.

The thickness of the walls in the Tower is about 4.6 meters, so it is not surprising that no one has ever been able to take it by storm.

Over its vast history, and the Tower was built more than 900 years ago, the fortress housed a variety of services. 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 defensive fortress, and a mint, and a repository for the jewels of monarchs, and an observatory, and an archive in which important historical and legal papers were kept.

Now one thing remains unchanged: 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 the grandiose construction of this castle was started by William the Conqueror 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 were partially preserved in the castle.

In place of the wooden Roman fortifications, a stone building appeared - the Great Tower, which had the shape of a quadrangle measuring 32 by 36 meters and about 30 meters high.

In the 13th 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, a deep ditch was dug around the fortress, which made the Tower of London one of the most impregnable European structures.

The White Tower was the first building on this territory, and it was from here that the Tower of London began..

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

In addition, at certain times, guards used cruel torture of prisoners. The prison mainly held high-ranking officials, aristocrats, and priests accused of treason.

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 Henry VI - a participant in the Gunpowder Plot, who tried to overthrow King James I.

Some executions took place closed, on the territory of the fortress itself, for example, famous queens were executed in this way: Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, who could not bear him a son, his fifth wife Catherine Howard, as well as Jane Gray, who remained queen for only 9 days.

Most executions took place in public, on Tower Hill, located near the fortress. A crowd of people, hungry for such spectacles, gathered at the execution. The head of the culprit was cut off and put on public display as intimidation and warning. The headless body itself was buried in the basements of the fortress.

In the 17th century, almost no new prisoners appeared in the Tower prison in London. The last public execution occurred in 1747. Then only during the First World War the Tower became a 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 twins.

Tower as a peaceful place

The sinister era in the history of the Tower ended with the rise to power of John the Landless, who gave rise to a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. He gave some power to parliament, and turned the Tower of London into a zoo. John began keeping lions in the Tower. The menagerie was replenished under John's successor, 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 as a zoo.

The Tower's history 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.

For almost 500 years, the Tower of London was also the main department of the mint; military equipment and weapons of the king and his army were also manufactured and stored there.

Anyone who decides to visit the Tower will be greeted by 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 representatives of the guards are not so aggressive, but are still on alert, because the Tower of London is the repository of the royal family's jewelry: the crown of England, a scepter decorated with precious stones, other regalia, as well as the largest diamond in the world, Cullinan I, are kept here.

Guard representatives also conduct excursions to 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 has been at least a little interested in London, England, and 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 arose that if the ravens suddenly left the Tower, some kind of misfortune would befall England.

The English, with their traditions, sacredly preserve this legend, believe in it and keep six ravens on the territory of the Tower. To prevent crows from flying away, their wings are clipped. But the local crows would hardly be planning to fly away somewhere, because here they are fed veal and sometimes rabbit meat. The ravens in the Tower have names and pedigrees.

Only thrifty Englishmen keep seven birds just in case, and they built seven houses for the birds. Although with such care, birds live for more than 200 years. There is a separate position for the proper care and care of birds - palace raven keeper.

In the museum, tourists can see various exhibitions dedicated to different eras in the history of the Tower. The infamous Tower Hill, where executions took place, now houses 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

The Tower ghost stories are also widely known and interesting. Even some reputable scientists do not deny the appearance of ghosts here. Sometimes you manage to catch some entities in the camera lens. This fact attracts adventure-seeking youngsters here during Halloween.

The Ceremony of the Keys is a centuries-old tradition of the Tower. For 700 years, every day at exactly 21:53 this ritual has been performed. 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. The guards lock the Main Gate and approach the Bloody Tower. A traditional dialogue sounds, which ends with the words “God bless.” At night, the keys are located in the manager's residence. Anyone can see the key ceremony by writing a letter in advance and receiving an invitation card.

Officially, the Tower is considered a royal residence. Today, there are even private apartments in the Tower where service personnel live or distinguished guests stay.

In conclusion, it is worth saying that there are a huge number of reasons to visit Tower. If you are going to London, no matter what personal business, visiting the Tower is a top priority. Such special impressions and atmosphere cannot be obtained anywhere in the world.

One of the special ceremonies that exists in the Tower, takes place every night. This tradition has been unshakable for 700 years. Visitors are allowed to observe it if they have special permission. And every night going group of 40-50 people those who want to see this medieval action.

The Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Tower of London, which has existed since the 13th century, boils down to the symbolic handing over of the keys to the castle.Ceremony of the Keys has been taking place in the Tower for the last 700 years always at the same time. Even during the Second World War it was not cancelled, only its participants were dressed in protective uniforms. The only time the key handover ceremony was delayed by half an hour was in 1941, when the Tower came under direct attack by Nazi bombers.

For visitors it all starts at 21:20. First, they are told the history of the castle, and then, strictly according to schedule, the Ceremony begins. It is very short and consists of the ceremonial closing of all the gates in the Tower of London. The head gatekeeper, in Tudor garb, carrying a lantern with a candle inside in one hand and a bunch of keys in the other, goes around the castle, locking all the doors. The walk starts from the Byward Tower.

Byward Tower

The gatekeeper first goes to the Traitors' Gate, where he is joined by four more guards, one of whom will carry the lantern further. Then the whole procession heads to the outer gate. All the sentries at their posts salute the Queen's Keys. The gatekeeper closes the outer gate and they go back to close the gates of the remaining towers.

Lanthorn Tower

At exactly 21.53, the Keeper of the Keys, dressed in Tudor garb, emerges from Byward Tower. The Key Guard is coming towards him - yeomen, dressed in the uniform of beefeaters (servants of the Tower). Having walked around the circle, the gatekeeper and his escort return to the Traitors' Gate, where a sentry is waiting for them, and the usual dialogue takes place.

The guards lock the Main Gate and go to the Bloody Tower. When they finally arrive under the arch of the Bloody Tower, the guard stops them with the words:
— Stop who's coming?
— Keys, - answers the Key Guard.
— Whose keys?
— Queen Elizabeth's Keys.
— Come in, Queen Elizabeth's keys. Everything is quiet.

Security passes through the arch, Keeper of the keys raises his Tudor hat into the air and says:
— God save Queen Elizabeth.
Everyone answers:
— Amen.
Then everyone goes through the last post. When a guard passes along Water Lane, he is always stopped by sentries and asked for the password. Then the guards go up the Brudvark stairs, salute the queen, accept the keys from the chief beefeater responsible for keeping the keys, and begin their service. The keys are taken to the residence of the Governor of the Tower, where they are kept at night.Exactly at 10:00 p.m., the bugle signal “All Clear” sounds when the clock strikes.

Visitors are escorted to the exit at 22.05.

The short show is especially colorful thanks to the historical costumes of the Tudor era, in which all participants are dressed. Despite the fascinating external form, the Ceremony of the Keys is of an important practical nature, since the treasures of the British monarchs are kept in the Tower, the yeomen are the real guards.

Today this is one of the most ancient military rituals. According to legend, King Edward III of England ordered the Tower guards to lock the gates at night. However, when he arrived at the Tower in the middle of the night, he found the gates open! From this moment on, the Tower always closes its gates at night and this ritual is solemn and unchanged for centuries. There is another version of the origin of this ritual.

Edward III's grandson King Richard II, who reigned at the end of the 14th century, provoked the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 under the leadership of Wat Tyler. The people, exhausted by plague epidemics, the Hundred Years' War, heavy taxes and religious strife, rebelled! The rebels even captured the Tower. After the mutiny was quelled, the Tower Wardens were assigned armed guards to lock the gates.

This ritual is documented in the “Code for Officers and Servants of Civil and Military” dated October 12, 1555. During the reign of Mary Tudor, the same zealous Catholic who drenched England in blood, in whose honor the famous cocktail “Bloody Mary” appeared. Every evening, at seven minutes to ten (purely English punctuality), the Chief Warden of the Yeoman Tower (the same one as Beefeater), in the traditional red vestment and bonnet (a Tudor hat), leaves the Byward Tower. In one hand he carries an ancient lantern with a candle inside, in the other - the Royal Keys. He moves along the Water Lane towards the Traitor Gate. Here a guard of four soldiers from the Royal Guard regiment awaits him. The Chief Warden Yeoman hands the lantern to the soldier, and the procession heads towards the Outer Gate. This is followed by a tour of the entire Tower, after which the guard returns to the Gate of Traitors, where a sentry awaits them at the arch of the Bloody Tower. Here a ritual exchange of passwords takes place. Next, the Chief Warden Yeoman and his guard pass through the arch of the Bloody Tower and climb the stairs on the back flight, which by this moment are lined up with guards and sentries of the Tower. After this, the command for guard duty follows, the clock strikes 10 o'clock, and the bugler plays the evening roll call. The ceremony is over. The Tower of London is believed to be locked at night.

To attend the Ceremony of Keys, you need to have tickets, which will be sent to you free of charge by mail. Accordingly, in order to receive them, you need to write a letter at least 2 months in advance to: The Ceremony of the Keys, HM Tower of London, London EC3N 4AB.

The letter must indicate:
— Names of all invitees ( in the period from April 1 to October 31, the group should not exceed 6 people, and from November 1 to March 31 - 15)
— 2 possible dates for attending the ceremony, no earlier than 2 months in advance (if visiting in July-August - 3 months in advance)
— Envelope with a signed return address and the required number of British stamps or international IRC response coupons.
Instead of an IRC coupon, you can prepay for a letter online on the UK Royal Mail website www.royalmail.com
How to write a letter to receive an invitation to the Ceremony of Keys

History of the Tower of London

The Tower of London is the best preserved castle in Europe, and the castle is “venerable”, it is more than 900 years old! The Tower has never been taken by storm; the thickness of the castle walls is more than 4.6 meters. The Tower of London was both the home of kings and a prison for persons of noble origin, including royalty.

To even tell a short history Tower, it will take a very long time, because it began long before the official foundation in 1066. The founder of the castle was William the Conqueror, but long before that, Roman fortifications were founded on the site of the modern Tower, and today's castle preserves parts of them.

In 1066, Duke William of Normandy began his conquest of England. By the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, London became the dominant city in England, having a rich port, a nearby royal palace and a main cathedral. Ensuring the safety of the city was William's main goal during his coronation. He gives the order to begin construction of a fortress around the city. Thus, in 1100, the construction of the White Tower was completed. The Tower is protected by huge walls on the north, west and south sides. In 1377, all buildings in the Tower were completed.

Large-scale reconstruction and strengthening of the Tower was carried out by Henry III, reconstruction began in 1238, despite the young age of the king, he was only 9 years old, this is the most ambitious work to strengthen the Tower. During the reconstruction, a new defensive wall with nine new towers appeared. In 1240, the walls of the tower were painted white, and later the Tower received a new name - the White Tower.

Over its 900 years, the Tower has been both the residence of kings and the mint, a state archive where many historical and legal documents were kept.

Tower of London - a prison for royalty

The fact that the Tower was a state prison from the day of its foundation brought it an ominous reputation; the first prisoner was imprisoned in the fortress in 1190. Over the centuries, the walls of the Tower have witnessed human grief and tragedy.

Famous prisoners were imprisoned in the fortress: King James I of Scotland, John II, King of France and the French Prince Charles of Orleans, Henry VI; children were not spared; it was here that the murder of two little princes Edward V and Richard took place. Three English queens were executed on the territory of the Tower, two of them Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were the wives of Henry VIII, as well as the “queen for 9 days” Jane Gray.

Although thousands of prisoners were thrown into the Tower, only five women and two men were beheaded within the fortress, which saved them from the shame of public execution. Three of these women were queens: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Grey, who lasted only nine days on the throne. Most of the other executions - mainly beheadings - took place on nearby Tower Hill, where huge crowds of fans of such spectacles flocked. The severed head was placed on a stake and displayed on London Bridge as a warning to others. The headless body was taken to the Tower and buried in the cellars of the chapel. A total of more than 1,500 bodies were buried in these cellars.

In some cases, usually only with official permission, prisoners were tortured into admitting their guilt. In 1605, Guy Fawkes, who attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and the King during the Gunpowder Plot, was strung up on the Tower rack before being executed, forcing him to reveal the names of his accomplices.

At the beginning of the 13th century, John the Landless kept lions in the Tower. However, the royal menagerie arose when John's successor, Henry III, received three leopards, a polar bear and an elephant as a gift from European monarchs. Although the animals were kept for the amusement of the king and his retinue, one day all of London witnessed a unique spectacle when a tethered bear rushed into the Thames to catch a fish. Over time, the menagerie was replenished with an even larger number of exotic animals and during the time of Elizabeth I it was open to visitors. In the 1830s, the Tower Zoo was abolished and the animals were moved to a new zoo that opened in London's Regent's Park.

In the 17th century, England and the Tower were for some time in the hands of Oliver Cromwell and the parliamentarians, but after Charles II was re-enthroned, the Tower prison was not particularly replenished. The last beheading took place on Tower Hill in 1747.

From the very foundation of the Tower, its prisoners and buildings were carefully guarded. But specially selected palace guards appeared in 1485. In those days, prisoners were often brought down the river and brought into the Tower through the “Traitor's Gate.” As the accused was led away from the trial, observers watched to see where the prison guard's ax was pointed. The blade pointed at the prisoner foreshadowed another execution.

However, this was not the end of the Tower's history as a state prison. During the First World War, 11 German spies were imprisoned and executed in the Tower. During World War II, prisoners of war were temporarily held there, among whom Rudolf Hess spent several days. The last victim executed within the walls of the fortress was Josef Jacobs, accused of espionage and executed in August 1941.

For more than 500 years, the main department of the royal mint was located in the Tower. One of its most turbulent periods came during the reign of Henry VIII, when coins were minted from silver requisitioned from ruined monasteries. In addition, important government and legal records were kept in the Tower, and weapons and military equipment of the king and the royal army were also manufactured and stored.

Ghosts of the Tower

London with its history is considered the leader in the number of ghosts living in it. It is full of ghosts of kings and queens, and of course the Tower, with its tragedies and bloody executions, was no exception.

It is said that the ghost of King George II often looks out of the windows, watching the weather vane. The beheaded Anne Boleyn often walks through the park of the fortress; the ghosts of children and the murdered twelve-year-old King Edward V with his nine-year-old brother Richard have also been seen here. But these are legends, it’s up to you to believe in them or not, but the Tower of London is also centuries-old traditions, ceremonies, the holding of which has remained unchanged for centuries.

Black Ravens of the Tower

According to legend, the first black birds appeared in the Tower more than five hundred years ago. Crows are notorious scavengers. Perhaps they were attracted by the foul smell of the corpses of people executed in the castle, whose bodies were left hanging on the walls for many months.

But people are more inclined to believe beautiful legends. Here is one of them, which was popular in the Tudor era and has successfully survived to this day. In 1553, a raven flew to the window of Queen Jane Gray, imprisoned in the Tower, and cawed “Vivat”. A few days later she was executed by order of Bloody Mary.

Almost fifty years later, in 1601, a raven peered into the window of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite Duke of Essex, imprisoned for rebellion, shouted “Vivat” three times and flew away. Surprised Essex told his relatives about this event. A few days later, Elizabeth signed the death warrant, which was soon carried out. Since then, the black raven has been a harbinger of terrible punishment, he invariably appeared to those who were doomed, this happened until the Tower became just a museum.

Black crows that live in countless numbers in the Tower of London are not only the main legend, but also real symbols of the castle.

There is now a belief that as long as winged guards live in the Tower, the British crown will prosper. Charles II issued a decree according to which at least six black ravens were to be kept in the castle at all times, and a special keeper was to keep them. It is said that the king complained to the royal astronomer that the birds were dirtying his telescope and should be destroyed. But when he was told the legend that the life of the ravens was directly related to the survival of the monarchy, he changed his mind. Charles moved his observatory to Greenwich, where it is still located, and the crows are kept in the Tower, provided with food and care.

This tradition is strictly observed today; a substantial budget is allocated for the maintenance of seven ravens (one in “reserve”). Each raven has a name and a spacious enclosure, each with its own character. Their daily diet includes about 200 grams of fresh meat and blood biscuits; once a week, the birds are given eggs, fresh rabbit meat and fried croutons. Tourists enjoy watching living legends.

A special beefeater, the Ravenmaster, is responsible for keeping the ravens.The work day of Derrick Coyle, the world's only raven guardian, begins at 4.30 am. He opens the bird cages and releases one by one all six ravens living in the Tower. Feeds them, checks them to make sure nothing happened to them overnight, looks after them during the day, feeds them again in the middle of the day, and transfers them to their cages around 9 pm. Cages are essential to protect birds from wild cats and foxes.

Coyle greets each of them by name - Baldrick, Munin, Thor, Hugin, Gwillum and Branwen. The keeper himself gives the names to the crows.

Derrick Coyle has four assistants, they replace him in case of vacation or illness.
Since the crows are on duty, they, like everyone else, obey the commandant of the Tower. Not long ago, one of the ravens was first put under house arrest by the commandant for unworthy and aggressive behavior towards visitors, then deprived of his allowance and sent to the zoo.

To prevent crows from flying away, their right wing is clipped. They can fly, but not high, and are not able to fly over the fortress wall.

Foundation of the Tower of London

After the successful Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, set about asserting his power. To do this, he founded 36 castles throughout the country, which became administrative centers royal influence and strongholds in the event of hostilities. Since London was already largest city England, it was decided to found a castle here too. The location chosen was the south-eastern corner of the old Roman city walls on the banks of the Thames (separate fragments of the Roman walls and a statue of Emperor Hadrian can still be seen on the territory of the complex today).

The history of the Tower of London begins with its construction White Tower(No. 34 on) - a huge building that combined the functions of a royal residence and a Norman donjon. The exact date of the start of construction is not known, but it is traditionally believed that it was founded in 1077 under the leadership of Gandalf, Bishop of Rochester. Subsequently, the White Tower gave the castle the name Tower.

Norman dungeons had particularly strong walls, since the Normans initially did not surround their castles with other defensive structures. The imposing belts of fortifications with bastions that we see today in the Tower began to be built around the White Tower only in the 13th century, apparently after the Crusades introduced the English to the practice of building castles in the East and in continental Europe. That is why the thickness of the walls of the White Tower reaches almost 4 meters. Its dimensions are also unusual: 32.5 × 36 meters, with a height of 27 meters. It is second only to the keep of Hedingham Castle and is one of the largest dungeons in medieval architecture. Western Europe. In terms of its configuration and layout of the premises, the White Tower belongs to a very rare group of dungeons, characteristic specifically for England, and, moreover, only for the 11th-12th centuries.

In 1097, King William II the Red ordered the construction of stone walls around the White Tower, the construction of which was completely completed at the beginning of the 12th century (the reign of Henry I). The White Tower became the heart of the Tower, its core and the most impregnable part; here were located living quarters for the king, his family and entourage. The structure is considered one of the largest dungeons in Europe (36 × 32 × 27 meters), as well as one of the oldest surviving ones in England.

The White Tower immediately began to perform, in addition to defensive, also a prison function. Its first prisoner was Bishop Ranulf Flambard, and he also became the first fugitive - the clergyman managed to escape with the help of a rope given to him by his accomplices in a bottle of wine. The escape turned out to be so unexpected and daring that one of the chroniclers of that time accused the fugitive bishop of having connections with evil spirits.

According to Norman tradition, the entrance to the White Tower was located well above ground level, so a wooden ladder was used that could be easily removed in case of danger. Like most other dungeons, at the base of the White Tower there is a large basement and a functioning well. In the southeastern part of the building is located. Since its apse was added to the existing walls at that time, we can conclude that the chapel was not part of the original construction plan. The Romanesque chapel is believed to have been built from stone brought from France.

The first floor of the White Tower was apparently intended for the needs of the constable (royal steward of the Tower of London) and the lieutenant (deputy constable). On the second floor there was a large hall and living quarters for the king and his family. Unfortunately, very little of the original interiors has survived. Perhaps only the modest decoration of St. John's Chapel corresponds to the original setting.

The death of King Henry I in 1135 plunged England into dynastic conflict, in which the Tower played a very important role. His constable Geoffrey de Mandeville, relying on the impregnable walls of a strategically important castle, skillfully maneuvered between two contenders for the throne (Princess Matilda and Stephen of Blois), thanks to which he temporarily increased his personal power and wealth. However, he soon had to pay dearly for his political unscrupulousness - Stephen of Blois, having become king, arrested him and deprived him of all his castles and possessions. Since then, the king personally appointed a faithful person to the post of constable of the Tower, which was originally hereditary. At first, the constables, in addition to managing the castle, also had a certain civil power in the city - they ensured public order and tax collection, but after the introduction of the position of Lord Mayor of London in 1191, they ceased to perform these functions.

In the second half of the 12th century (the reign of Henry II), defensively non-functional royal apartments and a castle square were built in the Tower from the south side of the White Tower to the Thames. The territory that the Tower of that time included is called Central courtyard.

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Expansion of the Tower under King Richard I the Lionheart

Apparently, the Tower existed without changes until King Richard I the Lionheart (reign: 1189 to 1199). Richard I spent almost his entire reign in constant wars outside England, and real power in the kingdom was exercised by his Lord Chancellor William Longchamp. On the initiative of the latter, given the threat of war with Richard's brother John, the territory of the castle was doubled and surrounded by a moat with water. New defensive fortifications of the Tower of London were tested in 1191, when the castle was besieged for the first time in its history. The siege, however, lasted only 3 days, since Longchamp decided that it was more profitable for him to surrender than to continue resistance.

John did manage to become king of England after Richard's death in 1199, but he was extremely unpopular among the barons and people, which led to war. In 1214, while John was at Windsor Castle, one of the rebel barons besieged the Tower. The garrison defended itself courageously, and the siege was lifted only after the signing of the Magna Carta between the king and the barons - a document that defined the rights and duties of the monarch and his baronial subjects. John, however, was in no hurry to fulfill his promises, which led to the First Baronial War, during which the Tower garrison went over to the side of the rebels.

Extension of the Tower under King Henry III

Henry III (reigned: 1216–1272) spent quite a lot of time in the Tower of London, and held parliament within its walls several times (in 1236 and 1261). Under him, almost all the fortifications were built on the territory that was added to the castle by his two predecessors (Richard I the Lionheart and John the Lackland). Henry III built stone walls and nine towers (seven of which remain unchanged to this day). This territory is today called Courtyard.

All towers of the Tower, in addition to defensive functions, served as the location of residential and administrative premises, as evidenced in some cases by their names: in Bell Tower(No. 2 on) hung a guard bell, in the Bowmaker's Tower (No. 4) there were workshops where bows, crossbows and siege weapons were made, and in the Lanthorn Tower (No. 20) there was a large lighthouse (from the Old English lanthorn - “lamp, lantern” ), indicating the way for ships passing along the Thames.

The main entrance to the castle under Henry III was located in the western wall. The towers on the south side - Wakefield (No. 36) and Lanthorne (No. 20) - are thought to have served as the personal chambers of the King and Queen respectively. A large hall was built between the towers for special occasions.

Next to Wakefield Tower (No. 36) the Bloody Tower (No. 3) was built to provide access to the castle from the river. It acquired its name after in 1483 it became the site of the murder of 12-year-old Edward V and his 10-year-old brother Richard of York, popularly called the Princes of the Tower, on the orders of their uncle King Richard III. At the time of their death, the boys had already been declared illegitimate by Parliament, which deprived them of their legal basis for the English throne, but this seemed not enough for the usurper.

In 1258, the barons, led by Simon de Montfort, again rebelled against royal power, demanding regular convenings of parliament and the withdrawal of royal troops from the Tower. Henry III initially made such an oath, but after seeking permission from the Pope, he broke it and regained control of the castle in 1261 with the help of mercenaries. In 1265, after the victory at Evesham, Henry III restored power in the country and summoned Cardinal Ottobuon to England to excommunicate the rebellious barons. This caused a new explosion of discontent, and in 1267 a baronial army led by Gilbert de Clare besieged the Tower, where the cardinal's residence was temporarily located. Despite a large army and siege weapons, the rebels failed to take the castle. The rest of the reign of King Henry III passed peacefully for the Tower of London.

Extension of the Tower under King Edward I

Edward I (reigned: 1272–1307), although he rarely visited London, continued the costly expansion of the Tower. The king was a great expert in fortification, and the experience he acquired during numerous military campaigns was used to strengthen London Castle. A second line of walls was built, including two bastions (in the northwestern and northeastern corners) and a new deep ditch 50 meters wide was dug.

A new main entrance was also created (in the southwestern part of the castle), which included internal (No. 8 on) and external gates (No. 25), as well as a barbican (a fortification designed to additionally protect the main entrance), called the Lion Tower ( No. 23), since lions were kept here. The Barbican has not survived to this day.

Edward I also extended the Tower of London southwards towards the Thames. On the river bank was erected the Tower of St. Thomas (No. 32) with the Gate of Traitors (No. 35), so named because new prisoners were brought in by boat through it. Edward also moved the mint to the Tower.

In the middle of the 14th century, the second water gate was the Lullaby Tower (No. 13), built as living quarters.

Under Edward I, loopholes for archers appeared within the walls of the Tower. On the site of the old castle gate, the Beauchamp Tower (No. 1) was erected, which represents the first case in England, since the times of the Roman Empire, of using brick as the main building material. In order to make the castle a self-sufficient complex, two water mills were built.

In 1278, the Tower became a place of imprisonment for 600 London Jews accused of damaging coins (in the Middle Ages, when there were no accurate scales, such a practice was very common - small pieces were chipped or sawed off from coins). The persecution of the Jewish population of England began as early as 1276, and culminated in 1290, when the Edict was issued to expel all Jews from England.

The area developed during the reign of King Edward I (reign: 1272–1307) is now called Outer courtyard. By the beginning of the 14th century, the Tower acquired its modern appearance.

Late Middle Ages

Under Edward II (reign: 1307–1321), little happened within the walls of the Tower. The Secret Chancellery was founded, which is located on the territory of the castle. For the first time, a woman became a prisoner of the Tower - Baroness Margaret de Clare. She refused to let Queen Isabella into her castle, moreover, she ordered the archers to shoot, which led to the death of six people in the royal escort.

Note that the Tower as a prison was intended primarily for important prisoners and was the main prison in the country, but far from the most reliable. Cases of escapes were not uncommon. For example, in 1322, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, was able to escape from prison by bribing the guards. Having fled to France, he started an affair with the king's wife, and together they drew up a plan to seize power. Having landed with an army in England and captured London, Mortimer first of all freed all the prisoners of the Tower. IN within three years (1327–1330) he ruled England while King Edward III was still too young. However, fortune soon turned away from the usurper - Mortimer was captured, again imprisoned in the Tower, and then hanged in Tyburn Square.

During the Hundred Years' War between England and France (1337–1453), the Tower of London became the place of imprisonment of many noble prisoners, for example, King John II of France, captured at the Battle of Poitiers, King David II of Scotland, captured at the Battle of Neville Cross, and James I, a Scottish prince captured by English pirates, became king of his country after his release in 1424. However, since Edward II ran the castle, during the time of his heirs the Tower became not particularly comfortable for noble prisoners: for example, hunting was not allowed here, which was allowed to prisoners of blue blood in other royal castles.

In 1377, on the day of his coronation, Richard II led a magnificent procession from the Tower to Westminster Abbey. Thus began a tradition that survived until 1660.

During Wat Tyler's Peasants' Revolt in 1381, rebel troops besieged the king at the castle. When the monarch went to negotiate with the leader of the rebels, the crowd broke into the Tower without encountering resistance. The rebels plundered the royal treasury and beheaded the Archbishop of Canterbury, Simon Sudbury, who tried to take refuge in St. John's Chapel in the White Tower. 6 years later, during the next unrest, the king was again forced to take refuge from the rioters in the Tower.

In 1399, King Richard II was removed from power and imprisoned in the White Tower of the Tower by Henry Bollingbroke, a representative of a side branch of the ruling Plantangenet dynasty. Bollingbroke, who ruled under the name Henry IV, more than once found protection behind the walls of the Tower of London during uprisings and riots.

Much of the second half of the 15th century was spent in dynastic conflicts between the two branches of the Plantangenet dynasty - York and Lancaster. Their armed feud was called the War of the Scarlet and White Roses (1455-1485), since these flowers were depicted on the coats of arms of the warring clans. In 1460, the Tower was besieged by Yorkist troops. The castle suffered greatly from artillery fire, but only surrendered after the capture of King Henry VI of Lancaster at the Battle of Northampton. He, however, managed to briefly regain the throne in 1470, but soon Edward IV of York took the crown from him and imprisoned him in the Tower of London, where, apparently, Henry was killed. During the war, the castle was modernized to withstand gunfire, and loopholes were made in the walls for cannons and arquebuses.

Executions were usually carried out not in the castle itself, but nearby - on Tower Hill (over 400 years, 112 people were put to death at this place). In the castle itself, only 7 people were executed until the 20th century - usually these were individuals whose public execution could cause unrest among Londoners. Today, a special memorial has been erected at the site where the scaffold was located. In particular, among the persons executed in the Tower were:

• Ann Bolein(1507-1536) - second wife of Henry VIII, mother of Elizabeth I. Accused of high treason and adultery;
• Katherine Howard(1520-1542) - fifth wife of Henry VIII and cousin of Anne Boleyn. Accused of adultery;
• Jane Gray(1537-1554) - great-granddaughter of King Henry VII, uncrowned queen, reigned for 9 days in 1553. After her deposition, she was imprisoned in a castle and executed along with her husband Guilford Dudley.

Among the famous figures of the 14th-18th centuries who were prisoners of the Tower, but were executed in other places or released, the following individuals should be mentioned:

• William Wallace(1270–1305) - Scottish aristocrat and military leader, leader of the movement for Scottish independence, was held in the Tower before his painful execution in 1305. The famous film “Braveheart” was made about William Wallace;
• Thomas More(1478-1535) - lawyer, philosopher, writer, author of the novel “Utopia”. Refused to accept King Henry VIII's supremacy over the church. Executed in 1535, buried in the “Chapel of St. Peter in Chains” of the White Tower. Recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church;
• Elizabeth Tudor(1533–1603), future Queen Elizabeth I, spent two months in Tower prison on charges of plotting a rebellion against Queen Mary I;
• Walter Raleigh(1554-1618) - statesman, adventurer, poet and favorite of Elizabeth I. He spent 13 years in prison, but he was allowed to live in the castle with his family and engage in writing. Raleigh is considered the pioneer of tobacco smoking in Europe; he even tried to grow tobacco on the lawn of the Tower;
• John Gerard(1564-1637) - Jesuit priest who secretly preached Catholicism in England. He was thrown into prison, where he was tortured. In 1597, he managed to escape from the castle using a rope stretched over the castle moat. He left memoirs describing the use of torture;
• Guy Fawkes(1570-1606) - one of the leaders of the Gunpowder Plot, organized by a group of nobles with the aim of overthrowing royal power;
• William Penn(1644-1718) - religious dissident, founder of the colony of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia in North America. Spent seven months in the Tower for writing pamphlets;
• Simon Fraser(1667-1747) - leader of the Scottish uprising against the Hanoverian dynasty. His death was the last public execution in Britain and the last execution by beheading.

During the political conflicts between King Charles I and Parliament in the second quarter of the 17th century, the Tower again acquired strategic importance. The king tried to subjugate the garrison of the fortress, but after an unsuccessful attempt to arrest several members of parliament fled London, and the Tower garrison became a stronghold of parliamentary forces during the civil war (1642–1651).

The last king to lead a ceremonial procession from the Tower to Westminster Abbey before his coronation was Charles II in 1660. By that time, the old palace premises of the castle had fallen into such disrepair that Charles could not even spend the night there on the eve of the ceremony.

The Hanoverian dynasty, which came to power in 1714, in view of a possible rebellion by the newly annexed Scots, tried to strengthen the castle, but their efforts were sporadic and ineffective. According to one of his contemporaries, “the castle would not have lasted even 24 hours against any besieging army.” In 1774 a new gate was added connecting the pier to the outer courtyard. The moat surrounding the castle became flooded and shallow, so in 1830 the Duke of Wellington, who, among others, held the post of constable of the Tower, ordered work to clean the moat. However, this did not solve the problems with sanitation, and in 1841 an epidemic (apparently cholera) broke out among the garrison. In order to prevent this from happening in the future, it was decided to drain the ditch and fill it with earth, which was done in 1845. At the same time, construction began on the Waterloo barracks, which could accommodate up to 1000 soldiers, and several separate quarters for officers. Today they house the headquarters of the Royal Fusiliers.

The democratic Chartist movement (1828–1858) was responsible for the last major program to strengthen the castle's defences. Most of the surviving structures for artillery and rifle fire date from this period.

During the First World War, 11 people convicted as German spies were shot in the Tower. And during World War II, the castle again became a prison. One of the prisoners was a high-ranking member of the Nazi Party, Rudolf Hess, who flew to England on his own initiative in 1941. He became the last state criminal held in the Tower. In the same 1941, the last the death penalty- German spy Josef Jacobz was shot. Also during the war, the Tower performed defensive functions for the last time: in the event of a German landing in England, the castle was to become one of the long-term defense points of London.

Rehabilitation and tourism

Today the Tower of London is one of the most popular historical attractions in England. Interest in the castle, how to tourist site, appeared during the time of Elizabeth I (1533-1603) thanks to a unique menagerie and exhibition of weapons and armor. Since 1669, royal regalia began to be displayed in the Tower. Already in the 19th century there were so many visitors that entry became paid and regulated.

In many ways, the reason for the awakening of public interest in the Tower was literary works, in particular, the historical novel “The Tower of London” by William Ainsworth, in which the author created a gloomy atmosphere of torture and torment that captivated readers. He also proposed making the Beauchamp Tower (No. 1 on) open to visitors so that everyone could familiarize themselves with the inscriptions scratched on the walls by prisoners.

By the end of the 19th century, more than 500 thousand people visited the Tower annually. And this despite the fact that over the last two centuries the palace buildings fell into complete disrepair. Many institutions located in the Tower moved, and the vacated buildings were either abandoned or destroyed. The only positive moment of the 19th century in the history of the castle was the construction of the stables in 1825 and the Waterloo barracks in 1845. Both buildings were made in the “Gothic Revival” architectural style, which appeared in the 18th century as a result of awakened interest in the country’s medieval past.

During the First World War, the castle was not damaged, although one German bomb fell into the moat (fortunately, it did not explode). But the Second World War left more serious traces - on September 23, 1940, during the “Battle of England,” German bombs destroyed several buildings, miraculously not damaging the White Tower. After the war, it took several years to completely restore the destroyed buildings.

In the 21st century, tourism has become the main function of the Tower. Almost all the military establishments once housed in the castle have moved, although the ceremonial headquarters of the Royal Fusiliers and the regiment's museum are still located here. Also, one of the units of the Royal Guard guarding Buckingham Palace still stands guard over the Tower and, together with the beefeaters, takes part in the nightly Ceremony of the Keys. Several times a year, the Tower's cannons also remind themselves of themselves - they fire 62 salvos on the occasion of events related to the royal family, and 41 salvos on all other occasions.

Administratively, the Tower of London is managed by the independent organization Historic Royal Palaces, which does not receive government funding. In 1988 the castle was included in the list World Heritage UNESCO as a site of special historical importance. According to the “Historical Royal Palaces”, the castle is visited annually by about 2.5 million tourists from different countries.

Tower plan

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Beauchamp Tower Bell Tower Bloody Tower Archer's Tower Bastion Copper Mountain brick tower Tower Wide Arrow internal gate casemates Coldharbour Gate ruins Constable's Tower Lullaby Tower Devereux Tower Davelin tower flint tower hospital Henry III's water gate Lanthorn Tower Goraa Legg Bastion fragment of an ancient Roman wall pit of the Lion Tower drawbridge Martin Tower Middle tower Mint street New armories queen's house Salt Tower scaffold Central courtyard tower of st. Thomas Tower Meadow wall of the central courtyard Wardrobe tower Vodny Lane Waterloo Barracks, Treasury Well Tower berth

Tower (photo gallery)

Treasures and coronation regalia in the Tower

The tradition of storing royal treasures in the Tower seems to date back to the reign of Henry III (1216–1272), when the House of Jewels was built in the castle specifically for the purpose of storing gold, valuables and royal regalia used in the coronation ceremony. In cases of urgent need, monarchs took out loans from moneylenders against the security of these jewels, that is, the treasures gave the kings a certain financial independence from the barons and parliament, and were therefore carefully guarded. Already in the 14th century, a very prestigious and highly paid position of treasure keeper arose, whose duties, in addition to protecting jewelry, also included acquiring new valuables and hiring jewelers.

In 1649, by order of Oliver Cromwell, all treasures, including royal regalia, were melted down, symbolizing the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the English Republic (lasted from 1649 to 1660). When the monarchy was restored, it turned out that of all the treasures, only a 13th-century spoon and three swords had survived. Therefore, all coronation regalia had to be created anew.

Exhibition "Row of Kings" in the Tower

Row of Kings(Line of Kings) - a unique exhibition of 10 life-size equestrian statues in full knightly garb. It is believed to be the oldest continuously operating exhibition in the world. The exhibition was created in 1688 to raise the prestige of the unpopular Stuart dynasty in the country. Several statues from the Tudor dynasty (16th century) were brought to the Tower from Greenwich Castle, the rest were made by the best sculptors and carvers in England, including Grinling Gibbons, who also worked on the carvings in St. Paul's Cathedral.

Since the "Row of Kings" served a propaganda function, it included "good kings" such as Edward III and Henry VIII, and absent the "bad" ones - Edward II and Richard III. Sculptures of William III, George I and George II were later added.

Today, the Row of Kings exhibition is located in The Royal Armories of the White Tower (No. 34 on) and additionally includes a large collection of medieval armor and weapons. The best exhibits are the magnificent armor of Henry VIII (three suits: 1515, 1520 and 1540), the gilded armor of Charles I (1612), the children's armor of Prince Henry Stuart (1608) and the Japanese armor of the late 16th century, presented to King James I in 1613 year. Note the dimensions of Henry VIII's later armor compared to the armor of his youth.

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Exhibition of armor and weapons

Royal Menagerie

One of the Tower's exhibitions dedicated to the history of the castle is the "Royal Animals" exhibition. It is located in the Brick Tower (No. 6 on) and tells about the royal menagerie, the first mention of which dates back to the reign of Henry III (1216–1272). In addition, in memory of some animals, their modern life-size sculptural figures are located in certain corners of the Tower.

For example, in 1251, the sheriffs (royal officials) of London were required to contribute 4 pence daily for the maintenance of a polar bear, donated by King Hakon of Norway. The bear attracted everyone's attention from the townspeople when he was occasionally released on a long leash to swim and fish in the Thames. In 1254, sheriffs were ordered to contribute money to build an elephant enclosure in the Tower of London, a gift from King Louis XI of France.

As a rule, the collection of animals was replenished by gifts from foreign rulers. For example, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III gave the English king three lions. The exact location of the menagerie is unknown, but it has been established that the lions were kept in the barbican (bridgehead), eventually called the Lion Tower (No. 23 on).

In the 18th century, the menagerie was opened to the general public: the visitor had to pay one and a half pence for entry or bring a dog or cat to feed the predators. Here, for the first time in Europe, a grizzly bear was kept, given to King George III by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1811. In 1828, the menagerie already included 280 animals of 60 different species, but a few years later, in 1835, they were all transported to the zoo in Regent's Park after a lion injured one of the soldiers.

Fusiliers in the 17th-18th centuries were riflemen armed with flintlocks (fusils), which were called fusees, in contrast to musketeers armed with muskets. Initially, fusiliers were used to cover artillery and as light infantry.

The Fusiliers Museum, No. 17 on) and a number of residential premises of lesser importance. The internal space of all defensive towers, as a rule, was also functionally used. For example, in the tower of St. Thomas (No. 32) Edward I received guests in front of a huge a fireplace (now here you can see the king’s huge sleeping bed, carefully restored from 13th-century records), and in the basement of Wakefield Tower under Henry III there was a Council Chamber (today you can see a reconstruction of the royal throne in it).

Note that at the beginning of the 16th century, the Tower ceased to serve as a royal residence, which in practice meant that there was no need for high-status residential premises (for the monarch and his family).

Chapel of St. Peter in Chains

The Chapel of St. Peter in Chains (St. Peter ad vincula, no. 10), erected in the 12th century and significantly rebuilt in 1520, went down in history as the burial place of some Tower prisoners. Here, in front of the chapel, on rare occasions, closed executions took place, for which a temporary scaffold was installed. A total of 7 people were executed in front of the chapel (these were individuals whose public execution could cause unrest among the townspeople). Nowadays, on the site of the scaffold there is a glass memorial, the central element of which is a crystal pillow for executions, symbolizing the high status of those sentenced to death.

Mint

From 1279 to 1812 the Royal Mint was located in the Tower. In the Kings and Coins exhibition you can learn about the history of coinage and see some of the rarest and most valuable coins ever produced by the Tower of London Mint.

Yeomen (beefeaters)

Beefeaters- a popular nickname for the yeomen (ceremonial guards) of the Tower of London. The name (English beefeater - literally “beef eaters”) came either from the fact that yeomen, as privileged servants, could eat an unlimited amount of meat from the royal table, or because of what they received in their rations a large number of beef.

In principle, the historical function of beefeaters was to guard prisoners and royal regalia in the castle, but in modern times they all serve as guides for tourists. Their official name- "Yeoman Guards" royal palace and the fortress of Her Royal Majesty's Tower of London and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary.

The Yeomanry Unit was created by Henry VII Tudor in 1485, and was intended as the king's personal guard during his stay in the Tower. Since 1509, the castle has ceased to be an official residence, but the beefeaters remained its guardians. Over time, when the Tower began to be actively used as a state prison, supervision of the castle's prisoners was added to their duties.

Today, like five hundred years ago, 37 yeomen serve in the Tower. All are retired Army and Air Force personnel who served at least 22 years in the military and earned the Long Service and Exemplary Conduct Medal. Until recently, the Beefeaters did not accept retired naval officers (as they swear an oath to the Admiralty rather than the Crown), but in 2011 the first Yeoman of the Navy, as well as the first female Yeoman, was admitted.

On normal days, beefeaters wear a dark blue uniform with red embroidery. On occasions of the arrival of the monarch at the castle or other ceremonial events, they dress in ceremonial scarlet robes embroidered with gold. The uniform has remained virtually unchanged since the Tudor dynasty; according to the beefeaters themselves, it is “extremely uncomfortable.”

Every evening at exactly 21:53, the Chief Yeoman Warden takes part in the traditional ceremony of handing over the keys to the Tower to members of the Tower of London Guard, another unit guarding the castle. The Ceremony of the Keys is one of the oldest military rituals in the world. It has been performed consistently since 1340. The tradition has not been interrupted for almost 700 years.

Castle Ravens

The Tower contains 8 ravens, surrounded by honor and care. According to legend, if they leave the fortress, the kingdom will fall apart. Therefore, just in case, their wings are clipped. These large, majestic birds are cared for by a dedicated beefeater keeper, who personally buys their meat from the nearby market every morning. A special allowance is allocated from the royal budget for the maintenance of birds - about 100 pounds per bird per month. Each Tower Raven receives 200 grams of fresh meat daily, and once a week additionally fresh eggs and part of a rabbit.

The earliest evidence of these birds being kept at the castle dates back to 1883, but the tradition appears to have started much earlier. There is even a monument to the dead crows in the castle moat. Feeding birds to tourists, as well as stroking or handling them, is strictly prohibited.

Ghosts

As befits any self-respecting English castle, the Tower is also haunted. The ghost of Henry VIII's wife Anne Boleyn, who was executed in 1536, is periodically seen in the Chapel of St Peter in Chains, where she is buried. Rumor has it that a ghost wanders around the White Tower, carrying a severed head under his arm. Other otherworldly inhabitants of the castle are the ghosts of Lady Jane Grey, Margaret Pole, Arbella Stewart and