History And Trivia - Tower Of London
One of the most amazing things you must see when visiting London is the Tower of London. There is an entry fee, but it is well worth the cost. Tour guides will give a great and knowledgeable history of the building as well as general history on Great Britain.
The Tower of London has been around since King William I (William The Conqueror) around 1088 CE. After William the Conqueror crossed the English Channel in September 1066, he made himself the king of the English and built this fort to show to all his stronghold over the land. The site he chose was the same one on which Claudius, the Roman Emperor, had built a fort more than a thousand years earlier; traces of the Roman wall can still be seen in the Tower.
This rare building has been preserved throughout all this time. It has had many additions and renovations, but all the originals are still intact.
One of the things you will first notice on the tour, aside from all the other tourists, is the view of the River Thames and the Tower Bridge nearby. If you have the extra time in this area, hire a boat cruise.
When you step into the Tower grounds, you may notice a few ravens wandering about. There is a legend that should the ravens ever leave the Tower of London the White Tower will crumble and a great disaster shall befall England. There is a raven keeper that tends to these birds to see they are well, happy, and have what they need to survive. The only recorded time that there were no ravens at the Tower was in 1946. As this was just after World War II and England had come perilously close to falling.
There are many sections to the Tower of London. One of my favourite, and possibly one of the most famous, is the Bloody Tower, the place where the infamous were imprisoned to face punishment and even execution. For this reason, people believe it is haunted by the ghosts of Anne Boleyn, Thomas A. Becket, Lady Jane Grey and Sir Walter Raleigh.
One of the cool features on the tour of the Bloody Tour is the display of weaponry and defense equipment which date far back into history. Some of the most notable features is a plate of armour made for the very young king, Edward V.
The Tower of London contains a feature that is well worth the wait - the Crown Jewels, which are kept under strict guard. It is strictly hands off, look but don't touch in this area. One of the famous gems include The Star of Africa which is the largest diamond in the world (530 carats.) Other items on display with the jewels include silver and dining ware, some lined in gold and precious gems.
Another building focuses mostly on the military history. You will see different sections for some of the most important battles fought that include the brief history, uniforms and weapons used in battle and trivial notes.
The White Tower was meant to be the residential suite and fortress ideally suited for a king or queen. The medieval kings of England lived with their families and their court. There are residents who live within the Tower of London, most it mostly consists of the staff who take care of the area, the guards, and other essential roles.
Visitors are encouraged to attend services in the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula, which take place every Sunday, excluding the month of August and during the annual London Marathon.
If you are lucky enough to attend at least one of the ceremonies, you will want to see the Ceremony of the Keys which is the tradition of locking up the Tower each night. It is one of the oldest surviving ceremonies which has been enacted every night without fail for about 700 years. you must obtain tickets in advance, due to security restrictions they can't let just anyone into the Tower after dark.
The Tower structure is very old, therefore it does have accessibility issues. There are many places where wheelchair access is impossible. It also makes it harder if you are using a stroller for small children. The Jewel House, however, is a relatively new structure and completely accessible.
Visit the the Tower of London before 11 am and after 3 pm when it is less crowded. Make sure you get a lot of rest and you may want to make a plan to break up your visit to the Tower with other nearby attractions, or to go to one of the nearby pubs or restaurants.
The campus of the Tower of London is so huge that your best bet is to get the London Pass which will give you free access. It will probably take at least a good 2-3 days to see it all, that is if you don't want to rush through. If you sign up with the Big Bus Tour, you can also get into the Tower as part of the tour while you see other local attractions. Some companies offer weekend passes, and you can also get a seasonal pass at the ticket office which are ideal if you are not hooked up with a touring group and want to be free to take it in at your own pace over a few days.