London, United Kingdom

Summary of Tower of London

photo by gusto

Tower of London

Tower Hill
London, United Kingdom EC3N 4AB
44 87 0756 6060

www.historicroyalpalaces.org

If any landmark symbolizes historic London, it must be the Tower of London. This fortress has been a prison, palace and barracks for more than 900 years and is home to the famous Yeoman warders, the Beefeaters. First established by William the Conqueror in 1066, the White Tower that gives the present site its name was completed by 1100. As a prison, it sheltered Richard II from the Peasants Revolt, held two murdered princes until 1483, saw two wives of Henry VIII executed on its lawn and temporarily imprisoned Queen Elizabeth I. The star attractions are the Crown Jewels, a priceless collection that has been stored in the Tower for more than 600 years. On display is the massive solid gold St. Edward’s Crown, still worn by the Queen on State occasions. The infamous Koh-i-Noor diamond is also here, all 105 carats of it, resplendent in the platinum crown of the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. When Colonel Blood attempted to steal the Jewels in 1671, he just knocked out a guard; today, security is very tight indeed! The Tower staff works hard to bring history to life. In addition to the famous Beefeater guided tours, there are staged reconstructions as well as permanent exhibitions depicting life in the Tower over the ages. The Medieval Palace interiors show what life was like for King Edwards (1272-1397), while the Bloody Tower looks as it did for the imprisoned Sir Walter Raleigh. The Tower is very popular, so chances are you’ll have to queue for a view of the Royal bling, and at $30 each, you’ll want to take in as many other parts of the building as possible too.

Reviews

Worth the $

Reviewed by miamizkitten on January 15, 2008

miamizkitten's rating:

"The Tower of London is one of the more expensive sights, but with all the money you save with London museums, this place is worth the splurge. Take your time looking at the Crowned Jewels, see them twice at least to capture their beauty. I was proud to meet the first ever woman Beefeater while I was there. Its also a close walk to Monument and to St. Pauls."

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Wonderful!

Reviewed by BrideOfBritBoy on February 17, 2007

BrideOfBritBoy's rating:

"Taking a Beefeater-guided tour of the Tower of London is a great experience – not only is there so much incredible stuff to see (everything from torture devices to priceless jewels,) but you learn a great deal about the history of London as well. The Crown Jewels are breathtaking, the Beefeaters are entertaining, and the Tower itself is mysterious and exciting. Definitely one of the best tours in London!"

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Fascinating

Reviewed by m8888888 on February 14, 2007

m8888888's rating:

"This was quite expensive, but it was so fascinating that it was definitely worth it. It’s amazing to be able to see the place where such famous, important people have been imprisoned. The reenactments are great if you can catch them, and the whole place is full of information! You can spend a long time here! & of course the crown jewels are beautiful. & the weapons and torture machines are scary. It’s really cool that people actually live there, too- the “beefeaters” and their families (an interesting fact I learned on the tour It’s such an interesting place!"

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Impressive!

Reviewed by am-van on January 31, 2007

am-van's rating:

"The Tower of London is quite an impressive fortress. Walking through all of the old buildings and seeing all of the places where such-and-such in history actually happened is amazing. There is so much history there. I saw the Crown Jewels when I was there. Talk about brilliant! Everything at the Tower is amazing. I will go there every time I get to London. I highly recommend it."

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Tower of London review

Reviewed by family on November 04, 2005

family's rating:

"The girls were not super thrilled with a tour of the Tower of London; to them it’s dark, old and ugly. I, however, found it fascinating. It’s hundreds of years old, holds so much history and is creepy enough to keep you interested. Of course, my in-love-with-all-things-sparkly daughters perked right up when we got to the Crown Jewels. They really are breathtaking; you glide by on a moving floor thing so that you’re never standing still. If you’ve got girls with you, be prepared to go back again and again and again."

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