The Tower Of London Is One Of Britains Most Visited Tourist Attractions And Its Crammed With So Many Sites Of Historical Interest That It Can Take All Day To Get Around It And Make The Most Of It. Heres A Guide To The Most Popular Parts Of The Tower.White TowerThis Is The Original Part Of The Fortress, Built At The Behest Of William The Conqueror In 1078 To Protect The Norman Rulers From The Inhabitants Of The City. Its A Magnificent White Stone Keep, Which Would Have Looked Incredible When First Built As The Norman Style Was Completely Unknown In London At The Time. Its Right At The Heart Of The Complex, Surrounded By Towers, Walls And A Moat. From The Mid 16th Century It Was The Main Arsenal In The Fortress And Today It Houses A Fascinating Museum Of Arms And Weapons The Royal Armouries.Crown JewelsRoyal Treasures Have Been Kept At The Tower Since The 1300s, And Have Been Opened To The Public As The Crown Jewels Collection Since The 18th Century. The 17th Century Crown And Regalia Used For Queen Elizabeth IIs Coronation In 1953 Are On Display, As Are Other Sceptres, Orbs, Crowns, Swords, Jewels And Robes.Bloody TowerThis Building Certainly Lives Up To Its Gruesome Name. Its Where Most Of The Towers Prisoners Were Held. The Two Boy Princes Were Thought To Have Been Kept Here Until Their Mysterious Disappearance When Its Popularly Believed Their Uncle, King Richard III, Had Them Killed. Other Famous Prisoners Include Sir Walter Raleigh, Who Was Incarcerated Here For 13 Years On Suspicion Of Plotting Against King James I. Today One Of The Rooms In The Bloody Tower Has Been Turned Into A Recreation Of Raleighs Study.Scaffold Site And Tower GreenIf Bloody Tower Is Infamous For The Incarceration Of Prisoners, Tower Green Is Even More Notorious As The Site Of Their Execution. Its A Large Open Space In The Middle Of The Complex, With The Chapel Royal Of St Peter Ad Vincula At Its North End. Most Prisoners Met Their End On A Scaffold Erected On Tower Hill On The Green, Although Some Were Given Private Executions In The Tower Itself. Many Of The Executed Were Important Or Illustrious Figures, And Were Subsequently Laid To Rest In The Chapel. Three Queens Are Among The Incumbents Here, All Of Whom Lost Their Heads On The Green Lady Jane Grey And Two Of Henry VIIIs Wives, Anne Boleyn And Catherine Howard.Traitors GateThis Water Gate At The Foot Of St Thomas Tower Gave Access To The River Thames. Its So Called Because Of The Number Of Prisoners Accused Of Treason Who Are Thought To Have Been Brought Into The Tower Via This Entrance.Medieval PalaceThis Ancient Part Of The Tower Was Built By Two Medieval Kings, Henry III And His Son Edward I, Who Resided And Held Court Here. The Palace Has Been Reconstructed As A 13th Century Royal Residence, Complete With Sounds, Smells And Light. The Vaulted Halls And Elaborate Bedchambers Are Beautifully Laid Out As They Would Have Been During The Reigns Of These Monarchs.Beauchamp TowerAnother Of The Towers Prison Blocks, The Beauchamp Tower Was Used Mainly To Hold Well Known And High-ranking Figures. There Are Some Fascinating Old Inscriptions Adoring Its Walls, Which Were Engraved By The Various Captives Held Here Over The Centuries.Yeoman WardersThis Regiment Of Tower Guardians, Also Commonly Known As Beefeaters, Was Established Over 500 Years Ago. The Guards Distinctive Uniforms Consist Of A Long Navy Blue Tunic With Red Piping And The Queens Insignia, A Matching Cape And A Box Shaped Hat With Decorative Rosette. They Are All Retired Army Officers Of High Rank, But Their Duties Today Are Mainly Ceremonial And Theyre A Popular Tourist Attraction. They Provide Informative Guided Tours Of The Tower Several Times A Day. Some Of Their Traditional Rituals Include The 700-year-old Ceremony Of The Keys, The Nightly Locking Up And Securing Of The Fortress, Which Has Never Been Missed Over All These Centuries.RavensNo Visit To The Tower Would Be Complete Without Seeing Some Of The Famous Ravens Who Live There. According To An Old Legend, The Royal Astronomer To King Charles II Complained That The Large Black Birds Were Obscuring The Views From His Observatory And Requested That They Be Killed. However, Its Said That The King Was Told By Someone That The Tower Would Fall And The Kingdom Would Be Destroyed If The Ravens Ever Left, Upon Which He Insisted That A Few Remain. To This Day They Wander Around The Tower Grounds, With Their Wings Clipped To Ensure That No Catastrophe Can Befall The Tower. There Are Currently Six Ravens, Which Are Housed In The Wakefield Tower And Looked After By Their Own Yeoman Warder Who Holds The Title Of Ravenmaster.
