The History Of The Tower of London

The Tower: British Icon

If you watch a British entertainer on their home soil make a joke about the Royal Family, you'll probably see them follow it up with a quip like "oh, they’ll take me to the Tower!" They don't need to say which tower. Everyone growing up in the mainstreams of British culture hears about 'The Tower', a building as famous and central to the national myths of England as the White House is to the United States.

Built on the north bank of the River Thames in London and once a home of royalty, a jail for prisoners, a site for executions and a storehouse for an army, the Tower of London now contains the Crown Jewels, guardians called 'Beefeaters' and legend securing ravens. Don't be confused by the name: the 'Tower of London' is actually a huge castle-complex formed by centuries of addition and alteration. Described simply, the nine hundred-year-old White Tower forms a core surrounded, in concentric squares, by two sets of powerful walls. Studded with towers and bastions, these walls enclose two inner areas called 'wards' that are full of smaller buildings.

This is the story of its origins, creation and the near continual development which has kept it at the center of an, albeit changing, national focus for nearly a millenia, a rich and bloody history that easily attracts over two million visitors every year.

Origins of the Tower of London

While the Tower of London as we know it was built in the eleventh century, the history of fortification on the site stretches back into Roman times, when stone and wooden structures were built and marshland reclaimed from the Thames. A massive wall was created for defence, and this anchored the later Tower. However, the Roman fortifications declined after the Romans left England.

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William’s Stronghold

When William I successfully conquered England in 1066 he ordered the construction of a castle in London, using the site of the old Roman fortifications as a base. In 1077 he added to this stronghold by ordering the construction of a huge tower, the Tower of London itself. William died before it was completed in 1100.

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The Tower of London as Royal Castle

Over the next few centuries monarchs added ever more fortifications, including walls, halls and other towers, to an increasingly complex structure which became referred to as The Tower of London. The central tower became known as the ‘White Tower’ after it was whitewashed. Several monarchs had need to shelter behind these imposing walls, and the castle remained nationally important.

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From Royalty to Artillery

During the Tudor period the use of the Tower began to change, with visits from the monarch declining, but with many important prisoners held there and an increase in the use of the complex as a storehouse for the nation’s artillery. The number of major modifications began to decline, although some were spurred on by fire and naval threats, until changes in warfare meant the Tower became less important as an artillery base.

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The Tower of London as National Treasure

As the military and government use of the Tower declined, parts were opened up to the general public, until the Tower evolved into the landmark it is today, welcoming over two million visitors annually.

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More on the Tower of London

The Tower of London Ravens
Ravens are kept at the Tower of London, in part to fulfil the demands of an old superstition…

The Beefeaters / Yeoman Warders
The Tower of London is guarded by people called Yeoman Warders, but they’re better known by a nickname: the Beefeaters. Visitors to the Tower should keep an eye out for, what by modern standards, are their unusual uniforms.