Tower of London Tour | A Virtual Walk through the Inside of the Tower
Free Tours by Foot - London・51 minutes read
The Tower of London, a historic complex dating back to the 11th century, offers tours of the outer and inner wards, showcasing the crown jewels, ravens, and dark historical events within its walls. Notable figures, legends, and artifacts like the Crown Jewels are highlighted, along with the tower's role as a royal residence, prison, and execution site throughout history.
Insights
- The Tower of London, built in the 11th century, has served various roles throughout history, including as a royal residence, observatory, and prison, showcasing a diverse and complex history.
- The legend of the ravens at the Tower of London, believed to protect the kingdom, highlights the intertwining of myth and history within the site, emphasizing the significance of these symbolic animals.
- The Crown Jewels housed in the Tower, including the iconic Imperial State Crown and the historic Black Prince's Ruby, represent a rich and storied collection of regalia with deep ties to British monarchy and history.
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What is the Tower of London?
A historic complex of towers and buildings.
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Summary
00:00
Tower of London: Medieval history and legends.
- The Tower of London is a complex of towers, turrets, walls, and buildings dating back to the 11th century.
- The tour begins in the outer ward, exploring the history of the Beefeaters.
- Visitors then enter the old medieval palace to see how kings and queens lived.
- The tour continues along the battlements, learning about the legend of the ravens and other animal inhabitants.
- The inner ward showcases the burial place of saints, queens, and a rebellious nephew.
- The crown jewels are explored before delving into the White Tower, which holds the royal armories.
- Exiting via the Bloody Tower, visitors learn about dark history before returning to the present day.
- The Tower of London was initially designed to keep people out with guarded entrances and a surrounding moat.
- The Yeoman Warders, known as Beefeaters, are members of the sovereign's bodyguard and have a long history at the Tower.
- Beefeaters must be retired armed forces members with specific ranks and service requirements, living on-site with their families and conducting ceremonial duties.
14:01
"The Tower of London's Raven Legend"
- The ravens at the Tower of London are allowed to roam freely within the complex.
- Legend states that if the ravens ever leave the tower, the kingdom will fall.
- King Charles II, feeling insecure about his throne, was warned by a wise woman about the ravens.
- Charles II ordered that at least six ravens should always reside at the tower.
- The ravens are cared for by the Raven Master, currently Chris Scafe.
- The ravens are fed a diet of raw meats like chicks and mice, along with biscuits soaked in blood.
- The Norman White Tower from the 11th century stands alongside modern city buildings.
- The Lanthan Tower displays objects from 13th-century court life.
- The New Armories, originally built in 1663, was used to test and produce armaments.
- The Tower of London was successfully breached only once during the Peasants' Revolt in June 1381.
28:34
Tower of London: History and Legends
- George, Duke of Clarence, was allegedly murdered in 1478 in the Bowyer Tower by drowning in a vat of malmsey wine, a legend popularized by Shakespeare in his play Richard III.
- The Bowyer Tower experienced a severe fire on October 30, 1841, caused by the overheating of a flu, resulting in the destruction of the Bowyer Tower and the Brick Tower, with damage to the White Tower and Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula.
- The Constable of the Tower during the fire was the Duke of Wellington, who led a campaign to rebuild parts of the complex in a Victorian neo-Gothic style, creating the Waterloo Barracks to house over 1,000 men and converting the Bowyer Tower into a meat and bread store for soldiers.
- The Tower of London, known as a tourist attraction by the 20th century, continued its role as a prison, garrison, and execution site, with 1,300 men from London joining the City of London Battalion during World War I.
- In 1914, the Tower resumed its role as a prison, garrison, and execution site, with 11 spies executed by firing squad within its walls by 1916, marking the first executions in over 170 years.
- Notable figures buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula include Saint John Fisher, Sir Thomas More, Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, and James, Duke of Monmouth, with the chapel serving as a resting place for England's famous and tragic figures.
- The Tower Green was the site of executions for nobility, with private executions held behind the Tower walls, while public executions took place outside the walls on Tower Hill.
- The White Tower, built by William the Conqueror in the 1080s, is considered the most complete 11th-century palace in Europe, serving as a military stronghold and royal residence.
- The Waterloo Barracks, constructed by the Duke of Wellington, houses the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, a collection of 142 objects containing 23,578 stones, last used during Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1952.
- The Crown Jewels are the only working set in Europe, with the collection believed to be the most historically complete regalia globally, including the Imperial State Crown worn during the monarch's coronation.
42:47
British Crown Jewels: A Royal Legacy
- The Black Prince's Ruby, a 170-carat red spinel, was given to King Edward III's eldest son in 1367.
- Three pearls believed to have belonged to Queen Elizabeth I are part of the collection.
- The Koh-i-Noor diamond, over 105 carats, was mined in India and given to Queen Victoria in 1849.
- The Cullinan diamond, weighing 3106.75 carats, produced nine major stones, with the largest known as Cullinan One.
- The Sovereign Scepter with Cross, topped by Cullinan One, is handed to the monarch during their coronation.
- The monarch also receives a scepter topped by a dove and a golden orb during the coronation.
- Saint Edward's Crown, weighing 2.2 kilograms, is used to officially crown the monarch.
- The oldest item in the collection is the Coronation Spoon, dating from the late 12th century.
- The Crown Jewels belong to the institution known as the Crown, not personally to the wearers.
- The White Tower, with a circular turret, was used as the royal observatory before being moved to Greenwich in the 1670s.
58:11
Tower of London: Dark History and Torture
- The spiral staircase leads to a basement where prisoners were chained and tortured in the 15th and 16th centuries, including Guy Fawkes, who was tortured in the Tower of London for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot.
- The basement now serves as a storehouse for ammunition, displaying huge cannonballs and cannons dating back to the 1700s, showcasing the tower's historical weaponry.
- The Bloody Tower houses a torture exhibition with instruments like the Scavenger's Daughter, the Rack, and Manacles, detailing the brutal methods used to extract confessions from prisoners in the 16th and 17th centuries.
- Despite its fearsome reputation, only 10 people were executed inside the Tower of London until the turn of the 20th century, with 48 prisoners recorded to have been tortured, often to reveal co-conspirators, in the tower's dark history.
