Paris1972-Versailles2003

I have been to London several times, more on business than pleasure and we all love it. I guess we do not mind big cities… This is London, and one of the best for us has been the Tower of London. I found me new old pictures not in my blog yet and they should, Therefore, here is my new post with some old text and new to give you another look of the Tower of London, Hope you enjoy it as I.

I will cut short the text as more and the history of it is on my other post on the Tower of London. Visit the White Tower, and the Crown jewels section for sure ; this is a historic fortress located on the north bank of the River Thames next to the tower bridge (see post). The tower is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets east of the City of London in a space called Tower Hill. Its construction began towards the end of the year 1066 as part of the Norman (French) conquest of England. The White Tower, which gave its name to the entire castle, built on the order of William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy) in 1078. It also served as Grand Palace and Royal residence. As a whole, the tower is a complex composed of several buildings surrounded by two concentric defensive walls and a moat.

The tower consists of three ramparts. The inner rampart protects the white tower. The intermediate rampart which encircled it , the castle was extended, with among other things the construction of the Wakefield tower, the Lantern tower and a curtain wall surmounted by nine towers and surrounded by moats. Finally, a third rampart was built under king Edward I. A prison is installed there as well as a division of the Hotel Royal of the Treasury. The fortress is also used to store important goods and documents.

The White Tower is a dungeon, which was often the strongest structure of a medieval castle and the one that housed the dwellings of the Lord, in this case the king and his representatives. As one of the largest dungeons in Christendom the White Tower has been described as the most complete 11C palace in Europe. The White Tower, without taking into account its corner towers, measures 36 × 32 meters at its base and rises to a height of 27 meters at the level of the south rampart. From the stone of Caen was imported from France to form details on the coating of the tower but much of it was replaced by Portland stone in the 17-18C. Since most of the windows in the tower were enlarged in the 18C, there are only two originals, albeit restored on the south side.

The Saint John Chapel occupied one corner, and was accessible only from the Oriental room. The upper level housed a large hall ,and a residential room, both initially open on the roof and surrounded by a gallery built in the wall.

.The inner rampart delineates just by the White Tower and extends to what was the shore of the Thames river. The construction of the Wakefield and Lanthorn Towers, located at the corners of the inner rampart along the Thames river began around 1220 a gate located near the Wakefield Tower allowed private access to the King’s apartments. The Beauchamp tower built in the 13C marked the first use on a large scale of the brick in Britain since the departure of the Romans in the 5C. The Beauchamp Tower is one of the thirteen towers located on the rampart.  The Salt Tower initially gave on the Thames river. Archers settled there to protect the tower and castle. The Broken Arrow Tower takes its name from the spear-iron symbol stamped on the property belonging to the King. From 1669 to 1841, the tower houses the Crown jewels. It was then known as the Jewel Tower. A third rampart was built under king Edward I. A bastion called Legge’s Mount was built at the corner of the castle and a second bastion, Brass Mount, was later added to another corner. In the rampart, it was built the St Thomas Tower between 1275 and 1279; subsequently called Traitors’s Gate, it replaced the bloody Tower as access door from the Thames river. From 1560, the Royal Mint was installed in a building backed by the exterior wall near the Salt Tower. Between 1348 and 1355, a second access gate on the river, the Cradle Tower, was added to the east of the St Thomas ‘Tower for the exclusive use of the King. Got one son’s back below !

The Tower of London had become one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of UK. The London subway/tube/metro station Tower Hill (Mark Lane before 1967) was opened north of the tower, bringing tourists and locals more closer to the Tower of London . The Tower is managed by a Recognized Association of Public Utility, the Historic Royal Palaces, which receives no assistance from the Government or the Crown and is funded by donations and admissions. A must to visit indeed.

The official Historic Royal Palaces management of the Tower of London: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/

The London tourist office on the Tower of London :https://www.visitlondon.com/fr/que-faire-a-londres/endroit/22249-hm-tower-of-london

There you go folks, a wonderful spot to start your London sightseeing ,the Tower of London is a must and a first to go visit, me think. Again, hope you enjoy the post as I.

And remember, happy travels , good health, and many cheers to all !!!