What is tower of london. Tower of London. Interesting and useful information. Other uses of the tower

Tower Castle in London is one of the main attractions of Great Britain. It's not just gorgeous architectural monument, and the symbol occupying significant place in the history of the English monarchy.

Location

Located tower fortress in London, on the banks of the River Thames. This is one of the oldest buildings in England. Over its long history, the Tower has been a palace, a fortress, a prison, an observatory, a zoo, a mint, an arsenal, a repository of the English crown jewels, and also a place attractive to tourists coming from all over the world.

Construction

The Tower of London was built in several stages. History attributes the foundation of this building to the king who, immediately after the conquest of English lands, began building defensive castles in order to intimidate local residents. As part of this large-scale event, the Tower was erected in 1078 on the site of the old wooden fort. It was a large quadrangular fortress measuring 32x36 m and 30 m high. After the death of William I, the next king of England ordered the building to be painted white, after which the structure was nicknamed the “White Tower”. King Richard the Lionheart built other towers of different heights and powerful fortress walls, encircling the monumental structure in two rows. A deep ditch was dug around the Tower, making it one of the most impregnable defensive structures in Europe.

Famous prisoners

The Tower of London received its first prisoner in 1100. This was Bishop Ralph Flambard, who, by the way, at one time took an active part in the construction of the fortress. The life of the prelate under the castle was very pleasant - he occupied magnificent apartments, used a separate office, and ate exquisite drinks and dishes. However, the prisoner escaped from the Tower at the first opportunity, using a rope that was handed to him in a jug of wine. The next prisoner, Griffin, Duke of Wales, was imprisoned in the fortress 150 years later and died (crashed) while trying to escape. After this, people of blue blood regularly became prisoners in the Tower. The kings of France and Scotland (John II, Charles of Orleans and James I of Scotland), as well as priests and aristocrats of various degrees and titles, visited here. The famous fortress became a place of bloody murders and executions. Here, the young princes were killed - twelve-year-old Edward V and his brother Richard, and King Henry VI was killed.

Prisoners were housed in free premises; the terms of restriction of freedom could be any. Founder of Pennsylvania North America, Penn William, was imprisoned in the Tower for his religious beliefs and spent eight months there. The Duke of Orleans, Charles, was imprisoned in the fortress for a long 25 years and was released after paying a huge ransom for him. Reilly Walter - courtier, scientist and navigator - was imprisoned three times and served a total of thirteen years. He grew tobacco in the fortress garden and brightened up the painful loneliness by writing the multi-volume “History of the World.”

Matrimonial plans and religious differences

The Tower of London became a sinister place of torture after the accession to the throne of Henry VIII, whose keen desire to have a legitimate heir made him one of the greatest villains in English history. Henry broke off relations with the Greco-Roman Church, which refused to recognize his divorce from his first wife, beheaded his second, Anne Boleyn, who failed to bear him a son, and in a similar way got rid of the fifth, Howard Catherine, who also did not meet all his needs. Under this king, many dignitaries laid down their lives in the Tower.

The next king of England became a worthy successor to his father and did not skimp on death sentences. The daughter of Henry VIII - Mary - was a zealous Catholic and fiercely fought for the purity of the faith, which also could not do without bloody sacrifices. In addition, the cruel person, once on the throne, immediately beheaded her main competitor in the struggle for the throne - sixteen years old. Many Protestants died during the reign of Mary, but the next Queen of England - Elizabeth - evened the score and brutally dealt with the Catholics who had previously annoyed her. The history of the Tower of London is replete with brutal reprisals against high-ranking persons who fell into disgrace due to religious beliefs.

Executions and torture

Several thousand prisoners visited the Tower. However, only two men and five women received the honor of being beheaded on the territory of the famous fortress. Three of these high-ranking persons were queens: Jane Gray (lasted nine days on the throne), Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn. Less high-born prisoners were executed nearby, on Tower Hill, where numerous lovers of bloody massacres gathered. The body of the executed criminal was to be buried in the fortress. The Tower Castle in London houses the remains of 1,500 prisoners in its cellars.

Torture of prisoners in the Tower was carried out only with the permission of official authorities. Thus, Guy Fawkes, a criminal who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament, ended up on the Tower rack in 1605. This forced him to name the masterminds of the Gunpowder Plot before his execution.

Tower - a place of imprisonment in modern history

After ascending the English throne, the Tower fortress in London was almost never replenished with prisoners. The last execution on Tower Hill took place in 1747, but the famous tower was also a place of imprisonment in modern times. First World War Eleven German spies were imprisoned here and then shot. During World War II, prisoners of war were held in the fortress, including Rudolf Hess. The last person executed in the fortress was Jacob Joseph, accused of espionage and executed in 1941. The last prisoners of the Tower were the Kray gangster brothers in 1952.

Other uses of the tower

It enjoyed success as a menagerie populated by exotic animals. The tradition was founded in the 17th century by Henry III, who received several animals as a gift and gave them a residence in the famous fortress. During the reign of Elizabeth I, the zoo was opened to visitors. Only in the 1830s was the menagerie in the Tower abolished.

For approximately 500 years, a branch of the Royal Mint operated in the fortress. In addition, significant legal and government papers were kept in the Tower, as well as military equipment the royal army and the king himself.

Guarding the fortress and treasures of the British Empire

Special guards in the Tower arose in 1485. The palace guards of the fortress were nicknamed beefeaters (from the English “beef,” which means “beef”) because even in the most difficult years for the country, the diet of the brave Tower guards included a substantial portion of meat. Thereby English monarchy provided itself with reliable defenders.

The Tower serves as a palace “ravenmaster” (raven keeper), whose responsibilities include caring for the flock of ravens that live on the territory of the fortress. An ancient legend says: if these black birds leave the Tower, then misfortune will befall Great Britain. To prevent crows from flying away, their wings are clipped.

The fortress houses the treasures of the British Empire. They are guarded by special caretakers. Visitors had the opportunity to admire royal jewels from the 17th century. Famous pieces include the world's largest cut diamond, the Cullian I.

Tower Bridge

Another glorious landmark of England is the famous Tower Bridge in London. It got its name due to its close location to the famous fortress. The drawbridge over the Thames was built in 1886-1894. Its length is 244 meters. The structure is located between two towers, the height of which is 65 meters. The central span is 61 meters long and is divided into two wings, which can be raised at an angle of 83° if necessary. Each wing weighs about one thousand tons, however, thanks to special counterweights, it deploys in about one minute. The span was initially driven by a water hydraulic system. In 1974, the bridge extension mechanism was equipped with an electric drive.

Pedestrians can cross the bridge even when it is open - for this purpose, connecting towers are provided in the middle part of the structure at a height of 44 m of the gallery. You can climb them using stairs located inside the towers. In 1982, the galleries began to serve as an observation deck and museum. in London is no less popular than the famous fortress itself.

As an impressionable person, the Tower both frightened me and attracted me with its extraordinary and rich history. I didn’t get into it on my very first visit to London. I've already seen these bright ones brick walls during a river walk along the Thames and somehow postponed her trip here. However, the Tower was a mandatory point in my program, and one cloudy morning I nevertheless went to the walls of this fortress by metro. But the weather in London is terribly changeable and imagine my surprise when, half an hour later, leaving the subway, a view of the castle and a green lawn bathed in the sun opened up to my eyes...

When many people hear the word “Tower,” they picture a dark tower, wrought-iron bars and groans of prisoners. Well, that's not far from the truth. Tower of London indeed, for most of its existence it was a prison. However, not only the dungeon. The gray towers of the castle served the English kings as a home, a mint, an arsenal, and even a menagerie.

From the history of the Royal Fortress

If you look at the Royal Fortress (second official name castle) from the Tower Bridge, then many will have questions: “Is this a fortress?”, “Is this where the kings held their defense?” or “Is this the most secure place in the city?” In fact, now against the backdrop of skyscrapers and just tall buildings surrounded by the castle, the Tower looks almost like a toy. However, these cute turret heads have terrified the townspeople from time immemorial. “He’s in the Tower!” - Henry VIII’s favorite phrase when he once again got rid of a relative, a courtier or a boring wife.

The history of the Tower of London begins with a Roman fort located on the north bank of the Thames.

In 1066, King William I erected a square stone building on the site of the wooden structure, later called the White Tower. London grew rapidly and poor neighborhoods began to appear around the Tower, so the royal family moved to Palace of Westminster.

The first prisoner appeared in the fortress in 1190. From that moment on, the fortress became a prison for high-ranking persons for many years. The kings of Scotland, the kings of France, members of their families, and priests who had fallen out of favor languished here. The Duke of Orleans, nephew of the French king, spent about 25 years in the Tower until he was ransomed for an incredible sum. King Henry VI was strangled here, and the sons of Edward IV, the famous “princes of the tower,” disappeared here. In her youth, Elizabeth I spent several terrible weeks awaiting her fate in the Tower.

The last beheading occurred in 1747, and since then executions have practically ceased here. However, during the First and Second World Wars, German spies were kept in the tower. The last prisoners arrested in 1952 were the gangsters the Kray brothers.

However, the Tower of London is an amazing place. Prisoners were kept here even when the king lived in the castle. From the 13th century until 1830, there were cages with monkeys, elephants and lions (later the animals were sent to the zoo). Moreover, under Elizabeth I, the menagerie became public.

Since ancient times, this is where the Royal Treasury has been located. Right here, in the Tower, the famous Yeomen Warder, popularly known as beefeaters or “meat eaters,” live together with members of their family. However, the fortress is guarded not only by them, but also by the royal guards, whose changing of the guard can also be observed in the fortress, albeit not as colorful as around.

How to get there

You can get to the Tower by metro, bus or river boat.

• Metro: Art. Tower Hill (District and Circle lines), then 5 minutes on foot, following the signs.
• Bus: routes No. 15, 42, 78, 100, RV1. All city tour buses also stop here.
• Motor ship: Sit on river transport you can near Big Ben (Westminster Pier) or at Charing Cross station and float down the Thames to the Tower (Tower Pier). Motor ships going to Greenwich and back also stop here.
  • Travel along the route Westminster - Tower Pier will cost:
    Adult ticket 11.6 EUR (10 GBP), child ticket 5.8 EUR (5 GBP), discount (students, people over 60) 8.12 EUR (7 GBP);
  • Drive Westminster - Tower Pier - Westminster will cost:
    Adult ticket 16.24 EUR (14 GBP), child ticket 8.12 EUR (7 GBP), discount ticket 11.4 EUR (9.8 GBP). (But it’s not a fact that you will want to swim along the river back again).

In my opinion, the metro and the ship - best ways get to this castle.

When you exit the subway, you will see the light gray brick walls of the Tower, surrounded by a green lawn that was once a defensive moat. The Thames River will be right behind the Tower, so no high-rise building will spoil your first impression of this attraction.

When approaching the fortress by boat, you will, of course, see the castle from the other side, but your eye line will be below the shore line, so impressions are also guaranteed.

Opening hours

The Royal Fortress is open:

• in winter(November 1 - February 28)
  Tuesday - Saturday from 09:00 to 16:30, Sunday, Monday from 10:00 to 16:30;
• In summer(March 1 - October 31)
  Tuesday - Saturday from 09:00 to 17:30, Sunday, Monday from 10:00 to 17:30.

The last opportunity to enter the castle is half an hour before closing. But since on average it takes three hours to get to the Tower, it is better to come here in the first half of the day.

And my advice to you, don’t leave the Tower for the day off. In the UK, field trips are very popular in schools and colleges, and cluttering up narrow spiral staircases is not much fun.

Cost of visit

If you buy tickets on the spot, the castle ticket office is located in the Welcome Center building opposite the entrance to the fortress. The largest souvenir shop is also located there. In fact, the history of the Tower of London begins here, since the Welcome Center is located on Tower Hill, where, in fact, all the executions took place.

So, tickets:

• Adult- 29 EUR (25 GBP), online - 26.8 EUR (23.10 GBP);
• Preferential- full-time students, disabled people, people over 60 - 22.6 EUR (19.50 GBP), online - 20.4 EUR (17.60 GBP);
• Children from 5 to 15 years old- 14 EUR (12.00 GBP), online - 12.2 EUR (10.50 GBP), children under 5 years old are free, but must be accompanied by an adult;
• Family ticket(1 adult and no more than 3 children) - 52.2 EUR (45 GBP), online - 48 EUR (41.30 GBP).

There are discounts for groups of 15 people or more, see information. With this ticket you can visit all of the Tower's interior buildings, their exhibitions, the Treasury, the Royal Fusiliers Museum, as well as join a tour of the grounds led by a real Beefeater and a tour of the White Tower, as well as all the historical attractions.

If you bought London Pass, then entry is free for you and there is no queue. Usually a separate entrance, marked with a London Pass sign or Fast track.

London Pass - tourist map for 1, 2, 3 or 6 days. Along it you can visit more than 60 museums and attractions, for example, Westminster Abbey, Kensington Palace, London Zoo, go to the Globe Theater, take a city bike tour. If admission to the museum is free, then with LP you can get tea or go to a paid exhibition. And also avoid the queue in most places. The cost of an adult ticket for 6 days is 150 EUR (129 GBP), a child ticket is 103.5 EUR (89 GBP). There is often a 15% discount on the card. If you are in London for a week, then this is very convenient and profitable. In Windsor, she allowed us to avoid a two-hour line in the rain and not get wet. You can also “sew up” here transport card and wear it constantly around your neck. Details .

Audio guide and castle tours

Audio guide in the Tower is available in many languages, including Russian. Its cost: 4.7 EUR (4 GBP) for adults, 3.5 EUR (3 GBP) for children and preferential category.

If you are learning English, it is better to choose an audio guide in English. Firstly, this is a good training on the ground (audio + video), and secondly, unfortunately, as practice shows, an audio tour in Russian very often happens in a more abbreviated program than in the main language of the museum.

However, you can take the Russian version and strain your ears Yeoman Warder Tour. The fact is that the famous beefeaters still guard the Tower, look after the crows, and also conduct excursions around the territory of the Royal Fortress.

The yeoman guard is dressed in a blue and red uniform, and on holidays - in the famous red one, embroidered with gold braids. Believe me, learning stories and legends from the lips of someone living in the Tower is worth a lot. Each of them is charismatic and talkative. Even those who simply stand guard in the inner courtyards of the Tower. One day I accidentally got into a conversation with a beefeater. He was very flattered that I was in his homeland, Birmingham, and in general a girl from Russia has an idea where it is))). The tour starts from the main entrance every half hour. Last collection is at 14:30 in winter and at 15:30 in summer.

White Tower Tour- this is a separate tour of the White Tower and the Church of St. John the Evangelist. Included in the main ticket.

Tower at night

The British are notorious fans of being scared, so it's no surprise that the Tower offers several evening tours. The Tower of London is breaking records for the number of ghost sightings. The castle guards continue to see Anne Boleyn walking with her head under her right arm (exactly as she was buried), the wandering navigator Sir Walter Raleigh, execution scenes appearing to the night watchmen here and there. However, evening excursions usually short-lived and carried out under the reliable gaze of yeomen.

Ceremony of the Keys- a procedure for closing the Tower at night, which dates back more than 700 years. And although monarchs no longer live here, the Royal Treasury is still housed in the Tower, so closing the castle at night still makes sense. On the night of November 5, 2012 (the night of Guy Fawkes or the failed Gunpowder Plot), a thief stole a box of keys right from under the noses of the guards. There was no damage to the Treasury, but several thousand pounds had to be spent on replacing all the locks in the fortress.

Time for the Key Ceremony: 21:30–22:00. You must leave the Tower at 22:05. Access to facilities and the right to take photographs during the event itself are not provided. Admission is free (1 GBP symbolic fee for administrative costs), personal reservations only. The ceremony is very popular: on November 1, 2016, all places were booked until August 2017!!!

Nightwatchers tour- an hour-long activity game around the castle “Night Watchers”. The world of the secret service since the time of Elizabeth I, people observation skills, heightened senses... All this is available for 23.2 EUR (20 GBP), starting at 18:15 (several sessions daily), for people over 16 years old.

Tower Twilight Tour- evening exclusive tour of the Tower. Takes place on Sundays from 19:00 to 20:30. Your guide will be a charismatic guard who will guide you through the territory of the Tower and in the silence of the empty courtyard will tell you the most interesting and horror stories about Bloody Tower and Traitor's Gate. It is no secret that this fortress is reputed to be a haunted place. Perhaps you will meet someone too... Price: 31.3 EUR (27 GBP), available from 12 years.

If you are with children

The museum understands that it is problematic to walk around the entire fortress in one day with children, so there are family annual tickets (details). There is plenty for kids to do in the Tower: they can fight in medieval armor, draw a fictional animal, or create their own helmet.

If the child is lost

Before entering the Tower, parents should contact the Welcome Center, where they will be given free electronic bracelets for children, on which the parent’s phone number is recorded. The lost will be looked for in a special center at the West Gate. To avoid roaring losses, Tower urges parents to explain to children that a yeoman is a person who can be trusted and who needs to be approached and asked for help if something happens. Yeomen can also provide first aid.

Tower as it is

To walk around the entire Tower, you will need approximately 3 hours. In detail, of course, a little more. It is worth remembering that this is a medieval building, so in some places the courtyards are paved with huge cobblestones, and you will need very comfortable shoes to walk here.

All buildings and routes around the fortress are divided into three degrees of difficulty. Let's say the Treasury, where the conveyor belt takes you past the royal tiaras, is the easiest object. The White Tower, where you need to climb to the 4th floor of the exhibition, but there is an elevator - medium level of difficulty. The walls of the fortress are the most difficult objects. There are signs on the walls in front of the entrance reminding you of the steepness of the steps and asking you to adequately assess your strength. For people with disabilities movement The Tower is not an easy place to visit, but nevertheless, 50% of the objects can be viewed.

Children's performances usually take place at the beginning of the route, in the former defensive ditch and in the area Waiting Pointt, a gathering place for excursions led by beefeaters and issuing audio guides.

My advice: even if you have the most primitive English, follow the guard! They usually tell stories in person, with jokes and jokes. Sometimes even with good English you may not catch some local joke, but it doesn’t matter. The main thing is communication, as well as the opportunity to get into Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula, which is open to the public only during the morning service and one hour in the afternoon, but where you can go with a yeoman. You will be seated on benches and in the silence of the light stone walls they will tell the history of the temple... And you will not even realize that this is exactly the church where the night guard saw a procession of ghosts in medieval clothes leaving behind the altar, behind which the burials of more than 200 beheaded people were later found Tower.

It's located right next to the church Scaffold Site- the place where Anne Boleyn is believed to have laid her proud head. In general, they were executed outside the fortress, on Tower Hill. The head of the culprit was cut off and impaled for public viewing and intimidation. Only seven executed managed to avoid public shame: two men and five women. Of the five “lucky” ones, three were queens: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Grey. The first two were sent here by her husband Henry VIII, the latter suffered at the hands of his daughter Mary the Bloody, who fought for the throne. Now at this place there is a monument made of light turquoise glass in the form of a pillow with a dent from the head.

Tower Green- a small lawn and a habitat for ravens. Since ancient times, there has been a legend that once the ravens leave the Tower of London, the British crown will fall. IN this moment There are six birds in the fortress. They are on government pay, like soldiers, they are smart and can even repeat the words spoken by the Raven Keeper. The birds are marked with ribbons of different colors, and their wings are clipped to prevent escape. However, this does not exclude cases of AWOL: one raven got out into the city, the second bird was caught right in Greenwich.

White Tower- the first stone building to appear on the territory of the Tower and served as a home for the royal family, a prison and a warehouse. The tower currently hosts interactive exhibitions. One of them (Dressed to kill) is about the history of weapons and armor, where you can see what kind of armor Henry the Eighth wore or feel the real weight of the club by lifting it. The tower has four floors, and getting to the very top is generally not so easy. To get to the exit stairs, you need to go through a long dark corridor. Believe it or not, I was alone in this corridor. And although it was daylight outside, the semi-darkness and dim lamp at the end of the path made me shiver. Of course, I didn’t see the ghost, but probably because I ran all the way to the stairs)))).

Baeuchamp Tower and Bloody Tower- towers in which prisoners were also kept. In the first tower you can still see wall paintings scratched by prisoners. The Bloody Tower is famous for the fact that two princes, sons of Edward IV, were kept here. The children were hidden in the Tower by their uncle, Richard III, after whose coronation they disappeared. Later, the skeletons of two boys were found under the tower stairs. At one of the Tower exhibitions they still hold a poll: do you believe that the remains found under the stairs belong to princes? Do you believe that their uncle killed them or was it unprofitable for him?

Jewel Tower
Symbols of power, a scepter and an orb... a gilded coronation spoon, which is over 800 years old... An imperial crown, sparkling with the most ancient diamonds, emeralds and rubies. I have never seen such wealth and splendor in any museum in the world. precious stones.

Many exhibits still serve their intended purpose. When I entered the Treasury on Holy Thursday, I did not see the huge gilded dishes from which kings had given alms on this day for centuries. There was a “In Use” sign hanging nearby. If you come here on the opening day of Parliament, you will not see the Imperial Crown. It will be on the head of its owner, the queen.

Queen Mother's Crown with the famous Koh'i'Noor Diamond, St. Edward's, Queen Victoria's coronation ring - all these things are collected in a long display case, past both sides of which you can leisurely drive on a conveyor belt. However, the sight and shine of diamonds sometimes affects visitors too much, and there are often cases of quarrels out of nowhere.

Fusileur Museum- a museum of riflemen, located in the building where the rifle corps was actually stationed. On display are battle maps, portraits, medals and photographs of officers dating back to the late Victorian era.

Medieval Palace- part of an ancient palace where the bedroom of a medieval king was restored, inspired, oddly enough, by the legends of Merlin. Since everything is for real, get ready for the fact that these rooms are very cold and damp, and the sight of a fur cape on the royal bed will attract you))). You can see scenes from the life of the medieval palace every day from 11:00 to 12:30 and from 13:30 to 15:30.

Wall Walk is a walk along the walls of the Tower, starting from the Medieval Palace. You will climb narrow spiral stairs, go out onto the wall, reach the next tower and again along the stone steps up and down. Along the entire route there are signs reminding you of the difficulty of the route and asking you to evaluate your capabilities. At the beginning of the route, you will come across a museum of torture (those who are particularly sensitive may not want to go down, but with the abundance of medieval surroundings, the senses, it must be said, are a little dulled). At the end of the path, on the north wall there is an exhibition called Royal Beasts.

Where to eat

If you visit the fortress on a sunny day, there are a couple of soda and ice cream stands at your disposal. If it’s raining and it’s cool, you’ll want to eat even more.

You can have a snack at New Armory Café. This cafe has a slogan: “Eat like the Tudors.” It is set up like a canteen, where you get your food. For example: coffee costs 2–3.2 EUR (1.8–2.75 GBP), cake on average 3.5 EUR (3 GBP). Hot meals will cost 8–14 EUR (7–12 GBP). However, it is not a fact that you will like “good English food”. My gray sausages and grated boiled beets without a drop of mayonnaise gave me a feeling of fullness and the Middle Ages, but no feeling of satisfaction.

There is a snack kiosk just outside the Tower wall on the embankment Apostrophe and a restaurant Perkin Reveller(average bill 23–29 EUR (20–25 GBP)).

However, the Tower is located in the City of London area, which is full of cafes like KFC and Nero (analogous to our “Chocolate Lady”) and all kinds of restaurants.

Souvenir shops

I have already told you that the souvenir shops of London palaces are themed. That is, in the Tower you will mainly find Anne Boleyn’s famous necklace and tapestry pillows.

• Tower of London- a fairly large souvenir shop on 2 floors, which is located outside the fortress in the Welcome Center. That is, you won’t need a ticket here. Which is convenient, because if you decide to find a medieval souvenir the day after your visit to the Tower, then this is definitely the place for you. The Queen's "favorite" teas for 12.76 EUR (11 GBP), medieval toy armor for 23 EUR (20 GBP), tapestry pillows with knights, fair ladies and armorial lions for 46 EUR (40 GBP).
• Beefeater shop is located next to the audio guide distribution point and is inspired by the Tower guards. Toy yeomen for 17.4 EUR (15 GBP), guidebooks from 5.8 EUR (5 GBP) and other souvenirs at your service.
• Jewel House shop located next to the Royal Treasury. Boleyn pearl necklace for 58 EUR (50 GBP), recently available with any letter of the alphabet, gold-plated pendant in the form of a Tudor rose for 29 EUR (25 GBP), Elizabeth's coronation earrings (Swarovski crystal) for 46 EUR (40 GBP) - for girls there is somewhere to spend an extra hour in the fortress.
• White Tower shop more aimed at children: toys, books, coloring books, armor and swords - all from 11.6 EUR (10 GBP).
• Ravens shop is located near Tower Green, the habitat of ravens, and, accordingly, is full of souvenirs with them. Toy black birds, pencils with feathers, books about crows from 1.74 EUR (1.5 GBP). Buy a mug with a smart bird as a souvenir for 17.4 EUR (15 GBP) and don’t forget about the “magic mirrors”. These are two screens in which you are reflected as in a real mirror, only in one they will add a crown to you, and in the other - knightly armor. It's not very convenient to take a photo of yourself, but it's quite funny and a great free souvenir!

Finally

Despite its sinister history, the Tower of London is quite an interesting and beautiful place. After walking around the castle, you can go out to the green embankment to the pier and have a snack, while watching from a bench the rather dense traffic along the Thames. If you still have some strength left, you can climb Tower Bridge.

Of course, from the height of the Bridge, the Tower may seem like a toy fortress, lost among glass skyscrapers and dark red Victorian buildings, but for you, who have managed to immerse yourself in the world of medieval London in these few hours, it will never again be just a small castle made of light brick.

Britain is one of the most significant and great powers in world history. She always amazed me with her canonicity and tolerance, confidence and greatness. Its towers, castles, cathedrals and bridges are favorite places for tourists on a tour of Europe. And, of course, you can’t come to London without visiting the legendary Tower of London.

Situated on the north bank of the Thames, this truly large complex rises against the gray, often overcast sky of London. In size, reaching 32 meters in length and 36 meters in width, it consists of a number of different buildings. There are 20 towers 30 meters high, 2 bastions, casemates, the Church of St. Peter, the Fusiliers' Museum, a hospital, the queen's house, armories, and barracks. As well as a beautiful green meadow and a pier on the banks of the Thames.

This makeshift tourist town has eventually become home to cafeterias and souvenir shops, which visitors often use as shelter from the constant British rains.

Prison or defensive fortress?

The construction of the Tower is credited to William I, Duke of Normandy and King of England, who reigned from 1066. He, as the organizer of the Norman conquest of England, built defensive fortresses throughout the kingdom. It was in this context that the now standing Tower appeared.

At the beginning it was a simple wooden fort, which was later rebuilt into a stone mass with the possibility of defensive actions. The follower of William I, King Henry III, continued the construction and strengthening of the Tower, erecting 9 new towers (7 of them have survived at the moment), a courtyard and adapting the Tower to public life. Thus, in the Archery Tower, bows and arrows were made for the knights of the royal army, and one of the towers was used as a lighthouse. By order of Henry III, the walls were whitewashed, which is why the fort began to be called White tower - white tower. Subsequently, the building simply began to be called the Tower.

There is another idea - that in 1077, Bishop Gandalf of Rochester erected the first white tower, which marked the beginning of historical construction. But this version is less popular and does not match the dates with the historical data of world history.

In 1190, the Tower began to be used as an official prison - the first prisoner appeared here. It is noteworthy that only monarchs or representatives of the highest nobility were prisoners in the tower cells.

Video - History of the Tower of London and its prisoners

King Edward I built a second line of walls in the Tower and equipped the main entrance. And only since the reign of Henry VIII the prison began to fully justify its purpose. Real and imaginary traitors to the king, rebels and conspirators served their sentences here. Two of Henry VIII's wives were executed in the Tower itself: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who were accused of treason. Also, in subsequent years, several more people were executed here, including: Jane Gray, Henry XI and Edward V.

Sometimes people were tortured within the prison walls. Thus, the legendary Guy Fawkes, under severe torture, betrayed his accomplices in the coup attempt.

In the 13th century, a water ditch was dug on the borders of the Tower, and three centuries later two bastions were built - Ledges Mount and Brass Mount.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the tower-bastion complex was used as a nursery where lions, leopards, elephants and even polar bears were kept. Anyone who wanted to visit the makeshift zoo had to pay admission or bring a cat or dog as a “treat” for the inhabitants of the enclosures.

In 1843, the Tower underwent its first full reconstruction and landscaping. About ten years later, entrance to the territory became subject to a fee, since tourist excursions to the mint and the tower with the royal regalia were already in full swing. In 1894, the Tower Bridge itself was built.

During World War II, prisoners of war were kept here. In 1940, after being hit by a bomb, the architectural heritage was reconstructed for several years.

The last prisoners to serve their sentences in a London prison were the Kray brothers, leaders of a criminal group in London's East End, in 1952.

Now the Tower is only a tourist and historical important object London, within the walls of which there are museums and several apartments for staff.

London Walls Hoaxes

Like most castles in England, the Tower is the stuff of legends. A favorite theme of locals and tourists is the ghosts of the towers. There are dozens of them, but only the most famous and popular stories are worth mentioning.

The most talked about ghost of the Tower is the spirit of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. He was a close associate of King Henry II, but after a conflict with the ruler he was captured and brutally executed in Canterbury Cathedral. It is said that his spirit still haunts the castle to this day and frightens visitors.

Margaret Paul is considered the most terrible ghost. She was the Countess of Salisbury and became disliked by the ruling dynasty because of her family tree. Fearing that the countess might interfere with the royal family, the decision was made to execute her. And so, in 1541, the 70-year-old countess was brought to the chopping block, but, for unknown reasons, they could not be beheaded right away. She died only after the third blow from the executioner. The keepers of the castle gossip that Margaret's spirit returns to the walls of the Tower every anniversary of her death with a desire for revenge.

How to get there and what to see?

More than two million tourists visit the Tower every year. If you want to join them, take care of your visa.

You will need: both passports, one photo, application form, document on solvency, certificate from place of work or university, document on movable/immovable property, marriage/divorce certificate, confirmation of place of residence or ordered tour.

For a mandatory visit to the Tower, you will have to pay, for example, about $340 for 3 days.

If you go to the foggy capital on your own, then you will visit the Tower at a time convenient for you. Getting around London on foot is not always convenient, as frequent rain and fog cause discomfort. Therefore, you can use a taxi (50-100 pounds) or the metro (0.7-4 pounds).

In summer, the complex is open from 10 to 17, in winter - from 10 to 16.30. For those who like pre-New Year trips, please note that on December 24-26 and January 1, the entrance to the fortress is closed.

For adults admission ticket costs 24.5 pounds, for children - 11 pounds, for students and pensioners - 18.7 pounds. You can take group excursions, but more often tourists use an audio guide, which even tells fascinating stories about the Tower in Russian. The cost of such a guide is 4 pounds.

Walking through the fortress, you can’t help but look at various exhibitions and museums. The most popular exhibitions are two of them - “Row of Kings” and “Kings and Coins”.

The Row of Kings represents 10 equestrian statues in full uniform, collected back in 1688 as an attempt to raise the status of the Stuart dynasty.

Kings and Coins tells the history of coinage and shows rare coins that were created during the operation of the mint in the years 1279-1812.

Experienced tourists are advised to take a closer look at the ravenmasters - the caretakers who take care of the eight ravens living on the territory of the Tower. The British believe that if the ravens leave the Tower, England will fall. The birds are watched and cared for with special diligence. About 100 pounds are allocated for each bird per month. Every day the raven receives 200 grams of meat, and once a week raw eggs and rabbit meat. Even the pets of the most loving owners will envy such content.

Tourists travel to London with interest to see with their own eyes the subject of legends and controversy. To wander the towers and feel like a part of British history. To take a few photos with the guards in colorful uniforms or witness the occasional cannon fire. And the British themselves say: “if you haven’t seen the Tower, then you don’t know anything about Great Britain.”

The Tower of London is the oldest building in Great Britain and its main fortress. During its almost thousand-year existence, it has experienced a lot and contains many interesting stories. Read about what treasures the Tower is rich in and what legends shroud the fortress in our material

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Photo: commons.wikimedia.org 3

The fortress is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Tower of London is guarded by beefeaters - the guards of the fortress have been called that way since the middle of the 15th century, although officially they are called yeoman guards. The nickname took root during times of famine, when Londoners were malnourished, and the fortress guards received rations of beef. Formally, the beefeaters are responsible for protecting the royal regalia, but in fact they simply conduct excursions and are a tourist attraction themselves. Each uniform is valued at 7 thousand pounds, as they contain gold thread.

The Tower still remains the official residence of the monarch. On its territory there is The Queen’s House, in which Elizabeth II could live if she wanted.

The fortress houses the jewels of the British Empire, the total value of which is estimated at 20 billion pounds. The most expensive stone is the Cullinan, which costs £250 million and is the world's largest cut diamond.

Every evening, at exactly 21:53, the Key Ceremony takes place in the Tower. The King's Guard soldiers make a tour of the entire area to lock the gates. Then the guard asks the convoy: “Who is coming?” - to which he receives the answer: “Keys.” “Whose keys?” “Queen Elizabeth’s keys,” the convoy replies. This procedure has been going on for hundreds of years and is the oldest military ceremony in the world.

In the Tower of London there live six ravens, whose names are given in honor of the Scandinavian and Celtic gods, as well as mythical characters: Hugin, Munin, Thor, Branwen, Gwillum and Baldrick. According to legend, when the ravens leave the Tower, the fortress, and with it the entire British monarchy, will collapse. To avoid this, crows regularly have their wings clipped.

There are many monuments in the world, the very name of which breathes medieval history. In Paris it is Notre Dame Cathedral; Moscow is proud of its Kremlin. The past can tell a lot Tower, or Tower of London(English) HerMajesty'sRoyalPalaceandFortress,TowerofLondon) is a fortress located in historical center London on the north bank of the River Thames. Over the long centuries of its existence, Tower Castle has served as a palace, a mint, a fortress, a prison, a treasury for royal regalia and jewelry, a zoo, an arsenal, and an observatory. Now the Tower is a historical monument and symbol of London, attracting numerous tourists from all over the world. Since 1988, the Tower has been protected by UNESCO.

What is the Tower of London famous for? More on this below.

History of the Tower.

The emergence of the fortress dates back to the time of the conquest of England by the troops of William I, Duke of Normandy. To intimidate the inhabitants of London, a temporary wooden fort was erected in 1078 on the ruins of ancient Roman fortifications. Subsequently, its walls were replaced with stone ones, and by 1097 the construction of the Tower of London was completed.

The new fortress was rectangular in shape with walls 32 and 36 meters long, which rose to a height of almost 30 meters. A little later, following the order of one of the rulers of England, the structure was whitewashed, and the fortress acquired a second name - the White Tower. Construction was continued by King Richard the Lionheart, who ordered the construction of additional defensive towers of the Tower, erecting two rows of walls and digging a deep ditch. Thanks to this, the Tower of London became one of impregnable fortresses Old World.

Prisoners of the Tower.

Information about the first prisoner held in the Tower dates back to 1190. From that moment on, it became a place of detention for people of high position, belonging to noble families, as well as royalty. During the troubled times of the Reformation, the fortress acquired ominous fame. Within its walls, many royals who could pose a threat to the peace of the English throne were imprisoned, severely tortured and subsequently executed. This cup did not pass over Anne Boleyn and her brothers, Mary Stuart, Walter Raleigh and other famous personalities.

Despite the fact that thousands of people were prisoners of the Tower, only five persons with royal blood flowing in their veins were executed on its territory. The rest lost their lives on Tower Hill, in front of a large crowd of onlookers. The bodies were buried in the basements of the fortress chapel. The last beheading occurred in 1747. After the gangsters Kray brothers left the fortress in 1952, it ceased to serve as a prison.

Zoo.

For several centuries, there was a zoo in the fortress, which began with animals donated by Emperor Frederick II. The menagerie was constantly replenished with new animals. During the reign of Elizabeth I, any citizen could visit it on any day except Sunday for a nominal fee. In the 30s of the 19th century, the zoo moved to a new location.

Mint.

For almost five centuries, a mint operated in the fortress, where silver coins were minted. Trusting the strong and impregnable walls of the Tower, weapons were manufactured and stored there, and in its vaults there were very important documents of national importance.

Tower guards.

The prisoners of the Tower and the valuables stored in the fortress needed good protection. Almost until the end of the 15th century, this was done by ordinary soldiers, and only from 1485 did these functions pass to specially trained palace guards. The position of a guard at the Tower of London still exists today. Dressed in the uniforms of the guards from the reign of Queen Victoria, they not only guard the castle, but also give visitors tours of the castle grounds.

The Tower Ravens are a legend.

Since ancient times there has been a legend according to which England is safe as long as black crows live in the fortress - Tower symbol. As soon as they leave it, misfortune will befall the country. To prevent this, the ravens of the Tower of London have their wings specially clipped, and there is a special position of bird keeper to look after them. All birds have their own “personal business” and are officially employees of Her Majesty the Queen. In total, 6 ravens live in the Tower, plus 2 in reserve. Each bird has its own name. Like any employee, a bird can be fired from its position, for example, for bad behavior that is not consistent with its status as a “royal raven”.

Tower of London at present.

Time has no power over this symbol of Great Britain. The Tower Fortress has remained virtually unchanged over the past centuries. Today, as many years ago, it belongs neither to the residential areas of the city nor to the working outskirts, but is the property of the crown, as one of the royal residences.

Castle Tower - excursions.

Tourists visiting the Tower Fortress are offered various excursion options. Can be done walking along the fortress walls and listen to a guide talk about the history of the construction of the structures and how they were used since the 13th century. Looking into the White Tower, the first tower of the complex, which served to protect members of the royal family, you can get acquainted with a unique collection of medieval armor and tools that were used to torture Tower prisoners.

Treasures of the Tower.

A mandatory part of all excursions is a visit to the repository of treasures belonging to the British Crown. After viewing the collection, you can get acquainted with the regalia and jewelry of the royal family, which they still use today.

Interesting fact: in the Martin Tower, visitors will find an exhibition of diamonds that are used to make royal jewelry, including the Cullinan, the largest cut diamond in the world.

The living conditions of the English rulers of the 13th century can be seen in medieval palace. There is also an exhibition here that tells about the stages of restoration of the royal premises. Taking a walk along Vodny Lane and the Western Entrance, visitors will learn about methods of defending the fortress during an enemy attack. They can also follow the path of the prisoners who entered the Tower Fortress.

All excursions include a visit to Tower Meadow. This is an ominous place where more than one thousand residents of England lost their lives. Nearby is the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, where services are held for those executed on this site.

And to visit the Fusiliers Museum, you will have to pay an additional fee. It will introduce visitors to the history of the Royal Regiment.

Order in the Tower is maintained by the Constable, to whom the guards hand over the keys to the fortress every evening. To view this ceremony, you need to register several months in advance.

After visiting the Tower of London, you can buy souvenirs in a shop located nearby.

Have you been to the Tower? Tell us about it in your comments!