Off With Her Head

The second half of our walking tour was to the Tower of London. We could have easily spent an entire day here. There's so much history, so much to see, and so much cobblestoned ground to cover (13.5 acres!)

I used to think the Tower was just a prison, because famous prisoner and execution stories are what you hear of the most. I watch a lot of documentaries and learned it was so much more. That's what put the Tower at the top of my "must see" list. Fortunately, it was the top of Mom's too! William the Conqueror built the White Tower as his palace and fortress in 1066.  

                                   Crossing the moat                         

To get into the Tower, you have to cross a moat, now empty. Thank goodness, since it was a medieval sewer, as well as defensive structure. Then you pass under a 13th century portcullis, held up by it's original 13 century rope - don't dawdle!

Hundreds of years ago, it wasn't uncommon to present royalty with exotic animals. This collection, called a Menagerie, was housed at the Tower. Without a working knowledge of zoology, they didn't often receive appropriate care. Apparently, since an elephant was a gift from France, they fed it wine and cheese. Poor creatures. In recent years, an artist was commissioned, and sculptures of these animals are throughout the grounds.

The Tower complex had grown over time. The original keep, the White Tower is in the center. That's where you will see suits of armor. There are 250 steps, if you want to tour the inside of the White Tower. As a defense feature, it does not have an entrance at the ground level. There is a wooden staircase up the outer wall. In case of invasion, the stairs can be burned or knocked down, ensuring that enemies can not penetrate in inner sanctum of the King and Queen. This proved very effective. 

Two sets of walls were built over the centuries, now known as the inner wall and outer wall. There is a full street between them. The mint was housed here. Sir Isaac Newton wasn't just a scientist, he used to be in charge of the mint and had his offices here. There are many buildings within, some freestanding, like these Tudor style townhouses. Some built within the walls themselves.

The guards in the Tower are the iconic Beefeaters. Originally, they were the king's personal bodyguards. Being a Beefeater is a very prestigious position, you need a minimum of 22 years military service and been the recipient of the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. The Beefeaters live on site, with their families. The Tower is home to about 150 people, a cat and 7 ravens. We met the cat, Nyxie.

           Poppy rules the roost               

The most famous residents of the Tower are the ravens. A prophecy declared that should the ravens ever leave the Tower, the Kingdom would crumble. I think the birds are smart enough to know how important they are!

For those with bit of a taste for the macabre, there are plenty of tales from history and plenty of ghost stories. One of the saddest is the tale of the murdered Princes. Two brothers who were imprisoned in the Tower, only 12 and 8, mysteriously disappeared. They were the next two in line for the throne. We didn't have time, but you can go down into the torture chamber. It was actually considered an honour to be executed within the Tower complex. Ordinary prisoners were executed publicly. Only a chosen few were granted the dignity of a private execution. 

Next to all the doom, gloom and power struggles, we have a whole lot of glitter. The Crown Jewels are kept at the Tower. They are a sight to behold. As well as crowns, scepter and ceremonial swords, it also houses a collection of gold items. There is a gold punch bowl large enough to bathe small children in. Gold platters, goblets, utensils, and religious vessels dazzle the eyes in their abundance. 

Guards outside the Crown Jewels -
shift change is a formal affair

We only had a few hours at the Tower, we could have spent all day. There are so many buildings to explore and so much history to hear. It was lovely to approach it from the Thames, without modern building obstructing the view. The Tower Bridge is the most glorious one along the river, and we were lucky to see it open up as we left.