The Tower of London - Timeline - Fast Facts and Opening Times

The Tower of London, an imposing fortress was built around the White Tower (the massive keep at its heart) by William " the Conqueror" - the name White Tower dates from the thirteenth century, when Henry III, ordered the exterior to be whitewashed.

Successive monarchs enlarged its defences and added more buildings. In its long history, the Tower of London has been a fortress, palace and prison, royal treasury and the kingdom's main arsenal.

In 1100 the White Tower was host to the first of many hundreds of prisoners.

Tower of London Time Line

White Tower started 1078

Tower first used as royal residence 1140

Becket's ghost reputed to have damaged St. Thomas's Tower 1241

Ceremony of Keys begun c.1322

Henry VI dies misteriously 1471

The young York Princes are believed to have been murdered in the Tower. 1483

Queen's House built 1530

Thomas More imprisoned and executed 1534- 1535

The execution of Queen Anne Boleyn 1536

Lady Jane Grey executed 1554

Walter Raleigh imprisoned in the Tower 1603-1616

An attempt is made to steal the Crown Jewels 1671

The Royal Mint moves fron the Tower 1810

The evidence for the use of the Tower as a prison is plentiful, many of the towers have inscriptions carved by former inmates.
Persons beheaded inside the Tower for treason include the following William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings (1483), Anne Boleyn (1536), Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (1541), Catherine Howard (1542), Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford (1542), Lady Jane Grey (1554) and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1601).

Not surprisingly, the Tower of London has many "ghosts" and the reputation of being the place most frequently haunted in London.

State prisoners were usually admitted through Traitors' Gate in St. Stephens Tower and executions took place on Tower Hill and inside the Tower on Tower Green.
All the victims executed on Tower Green were buried nearby in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula - consecrated during the reign of Henry I, burned down in 1512, re-built in 1520 and restored in 1876.

Fast facts about the Tower of London

36 Yeoman Warders, dressed in Tudor uniforms and known as "Beefeaters" guard the Tower of London.
Tower Green was where aristocats were executed including 2 of Henry VIII's wives.
Legend says that if the Tower's celebrated colonony of ravens ever leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall - so as not to tempt fate - their wings are clipped.
Animals given to various monarchs were kept in the Lion Tower until 1834.
The one-hundred-foot-wide moat was drained by order of Queen Victoria in 1843 and filled to a height of fifteen feet with oyster shells.
The Imperial State Crown contains more than 2,800 diamonds.
The Crown Jewels are kept in the Jewel House, part of the Waterloo Barracks near to the White Tower. The vast and priceless collection includes: the Imperial Crown of State which contains an uncut ruby first owned by the Black Prince and four tear-shaped pearls known as "Queen Elizabeth I's earrings"; the Sceptre is topped by the largest of the Stars of Africa; the Ampulla and Spoon are amongst the oldest in the collection.
Many high-ranking prisoners often had a retinue of servants when they were held in the Beauchamp Tower.

The highlights of the Tower of London include:

White Tower - Its walls vary in thickness from 15 feet at the base to eleven feet at the top.
Chapel of St. John - the best preserved Romanesque chapel in England
Jewel House - During World War II the crown jewels were moved to a hiding place that is still a state secret. During the Commonwealth period 1649-60 most of the Crown jewels were sold or melted down.
Traitors' Gate - This heavy iron and wood gate admitted prisoners that were brought to the Tower by barge - charged with treason.

The Tower in Literature

The Tower of London, as a place of death, darkness and treachery, is most famously evoked in William Shakespeare's play, Richard III, where it forms the backdrop of a tyrant's rise to power and the scene of the notorious murder of the Princes in the Tower, amongst other victims.

Although it is no longer occupied by the Royal Family, the Tower officially remains a royal residence and as such, maintains a permanent Guard. Two sentries are maintained during the hours that the Tower is open with one stationed outside the Jewel House and one outside the Queen's House.
Henry VIII was the last monarch to use the Tower as a royal residence but monarchs continued to go in procession from the Tower to Westminster for their coronation. This tradition continued until 1661 after the coronation of Charles II.

The tower is manned by the Yeomen Warders (known as Beefeaters), who act as tour guides, provide security and are something of a tourist attraction in their own right.
Every evening, the warders participate in the Ceremony of the Keys, as the Tower is secured for the night.
Apply to the Ceremony of the Keys Office, HM Tower of London, London EC3N 4AB if you want to attend. Since the Ceremony of the Keys is is very popular - book well in advance, offering three different dates and include a SAE and full names and addresses of your party.

One-hour guided tours of the Tower of London are given every half-hour by the Yeoman Warders ( "the beefeaters") in their historic uniforms.

Tower Bridge is the most recognisable and popular bridge in London and when it is illuminated at night, it is an unforgettable sight. It has stood over the River Thames since 1894.

The Tower Bridge Exhibition allows the visitor to see the steam powered machinery that was used to raise the bridge decks in Victorian times and the plentiful information panels tell the story of the history of Tower Bridge.

There are hand's-on exhibits and interactive models which explain how the different machinery has kept the bridge operating over the years. These days the bridge relies on hydraulics and electricity to power the Bridge lifts.

There are spectacular views of up and down river from the high-level walkways that run along the top of the bridge and viewing windows that allow you an unobstructed view if you want to take photographs.

Open: Daily 9.30-6
Admission charged
website:-www.towerbridge.org.uk

Tower Hill - Tower of london
The first permanent scaffold on Tower Hill was erected in the reign of Edward III, but the first execution recorded here was that of Sir Simon Burley in 1388. In Trinity Gardens, lies the marked site of the scaffold where some 125 Tower prisoners ded - most by beheading which was the form of execution allowed to nobles and gentlemen. Not all who died on Tower Hill were traitors - some were burned as heretics.

Also beheaded on Tower Hill, were, among others, Dudley, the minister of Henry VII (1510), his son the Duke of Northumberland (1553), his grandson, Lord Guildford Dudley (1554), Cromwell, Earl of Essex (1540), More and Fisher (1535), Surrey (1547), and his son, Norfolk (1572), Strafford (1641), and Archbishop Laud (1645), and the Scotch lords in 1716, 1746, and 1747, the last being Simon, Lord Lovat.

Twelve people were killed on Tower Hill during the execution of Lord Lovat, on April 9, 1747, when a scaffolding collapsed with nearly a 1,000 people on it. It is said that Lovat, in spite of his own dire situation, appeared to enjoy the spectacle.

The founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, was born on Tower Hill on October 14, 1644. His father's house was in a court adjoining the London Wall.

The second Duke of Buckingham used to visit Tower Hill in disguise, in order to have his horoscope cast by an impoverished astrologer; the disguise was necessary because witches were still burnt to death at the time.

Nearest tube/s - London Underground Station: Tower Hill, London Bridge

Admission: For visits To The Tower of London - 1 Mar '11 - 28 Feb '12 incl.
Adult: £19.80 (£17.00 online rate), Child: (under 16) £10.45 (£9.00 online rate) Under 5s are free of charge.
Concessions: Full-time student, over 60 with ID £17.05 (£14.50 online rate)
The Tower of London is located at the eastern boundary of the City of London financial district, adjacent to the River Thames and Tower Bridge.
Summer opening times / hours
01 March - 31 October Tuesday - Saturday 09:00 - 17:30 Sunday - Monday 10:00 - 17:30 Last admission 17:00
Winter opening times
01 November - 29 February Tuesday - Saturday 09:00 - 16:30 Sunday - Monday 10:00 - 16:30 Last admission 16:00
The Tower is closed 24-26 December and 1 January (inclusive).
The nearest public transport locations are: Tower Hill tube station (London Underground District and Circle lines), Tower Gateway DLR station (Docklands Light Railway), Fenchurch Street railway station (National Rail), Tower Millennium Pier (River cruise boats) and St. Katherine's Dock (Thames Clipper commuter boats).