We are today at Tower of London as per our plan.
Where it is located?
This was my desire to see this place and ultimately it fulfilled in 2022. We were staying in Tramway in Central London and and took local bus and changed the local subway two times to reach this place. The last subway station is just a stones throw from the outer wall of fort. That way London provides amazing infrastructure of transport to tourists.
My last impression about this fort
It took 5 hours to see this fort in detail and after I came out I felt it is not a palace in anyway but was used as prison, beheading, torture, mint , treasury and an arms storage place. The kings and queens stayed here for few days or weeks only and basically it was looked after by powerful and trusted chief constable or Lieutenants even today. This tower was also used to keep an eye on Londoners and commercial ships traffic in Thames river side by.
But my dream fulfilled. I could now understand the psychology and thinking of British kings who ruled the entire world from 17th to 20th century. They had the will and will power, respect for family hierarchy, root, discipline, navigational explorations and quest for wealth.
Ghosts in Folklore?
Anne Boleyn was beheaded in 1536for adultery against Henry VIII. Her ghost is said to haunt even today around church of St. Peter ad Vincula in the fort where she is buried and has been said to walk around the White Tower carrying her head under he arm. Often reported ghosts include Henry VI, Lady Jane Grey, Margret Pole and the Princess in the Tower. Other nameless and formless terrors have been reported, more recently, by night staff at the tower.
Architecture of tower
Innermost part is earliest, inner ward west moat and wall by Richard I, inner ward North and East moat by Henry III, finally outer ward around the castle was built by Edward I (1272-1307).
History of Fort
Let us come to history of this UNESCO world Heritage site (declared in 1988). Earliest tradition associated with the tower is that it was originally founded by Julius Caesar.
Due to weak stake of Anglo Saxons claim on throne, William I the Conqueror overpowered England and founded the first building here known as White Tower.
King Louis VI of France seeded the idea to conquer England in 966. He sent Dukes from France and eventually William I, The Conqueror became powerful and staked claim on England He accomplished the mission successfully and finally in last phase he moved towards London city. He cutoff civil supplies as food and water and Londoners submitted to Williams overnight without resistance. William would think that if already great buildings like West Minster and Windsor caste existed in London he should make something bigger than that. There was already some old fortification by Romans in form of wall in East. To provide additional protection he dug a moat. He also used timber as palisade (fence) and built grand accommodation and prayer church for him.
St. John’s chapel was built by William the Conqueror in 1077-97.
He Constructed white tower from white stones brought from France and this tower is oldest construction in the fort. It was later decorated by Henry III. It was designated as strong room for safekeeping of royal treasure and important documents. As per information on signage boards William wanted to portray himself as religious man so he constructed chapel in this tower.
Earlier Normans built castles using timber but in white tower first time they used stone. It was probably the strongest castle of Britain that time. He founded the first building White tower to consolidate his empire and to commemorate his victory over Anglo Saxon English king Edward, the Confessor’s successor Harold I in battle of Hastings.. From here Norman kingdom started in England and also it is taken a start of medieval England. William brought the French culture in England and Feudal system in England where the society was divided in classes.
In absence of king the tower of London was looked after by trusted constables.. He was responsible for maintaining the castle and its galleries. From an early stage he had a subordinate to help called Lieutenant of the tower.
Expansion of Fort
The story of expansion of site is interesting. It has the deep prints of Medieval England, the story of battles, feudal England, treachery, prison, punishments, thefts, instability, revolt by barons, attack by peasants and World was bombing. This tower is eyewitness.
As a whole today Tower of London is a fort of two concentric buildings and a moat on three sides and river Thames in South. It was mainly rebuilt by Richard I, Henry III and Edward I from 12th to 13th centuries.
John succeeded Richard I in 1199 but his reign was not popular and barons of feudal England united and revolted against him, sieged the tower. He was forced to sign “Magna Carta” which disowned many powers of Monarch and made him answerable to parliament. In spite of signing the barons did not leave tower and they controlled London.
John was deposed in 1216 and barons offered the English throne to Prince louis, the eldest son of king of France. But after the death of John in 1216 many started supporting John’s eldest son Henry III as king. Finally Henry III was enthroned though still few barons were not satisfied with new throne. Henry III and his son Edward I (1042-1066 AD)took all measures to make this fort stronger as safety from recurring barons rage, discontent and disconnect.
Famous prisoners in Fort
Norman bishop Ranulf Flambard (1100 AD) was first recorded prisoner for the reason of levying excess tax, extortion and was perhaps the first to escape from prison. William also brought so many Jews with him for financial reasons and they all lived around tower these days. Sometimes locals intimidated Jews and they took shelter in tower.
famous sir Walter Raleigh was one of the most famous prisoner in this tower during Elizabeth I period. He was imprisoned on account of marrying the queen’s “closest fried” without queen’s permission. He is credited with starting establishing the first English colony in North America. And second time he was imprisoned for plotting against Elizabeth I’s successor king James I. He was beheaded for this act for treachery in 1618. His tomb can be seen in St. Margaret’s church in Westminster abbey.
James I of Scotland 1408 AD, Henry VI of England was imprisoned and murdered, two sons of Edward V known as “prices of Tower” went missing in White tower and were found murdered in 1481. Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII of England was beheaded here on charge of adultery, incest and witchcraft.
Let us take a round inside the fort
The tower has served variously as an armory, a treasury, punishment, jail, a menagerie (dangerous animals taming), the home of royal mint, a public record office and home of the Crown Jewels of England.
St. Peter as Vincula (S. Peter in chains) is the oldest chapel royal in England. In this chapel the 220+ most who died on obscured and wiped out Tower Hill (a place adjacent to tower of London) and six of the seven out of them executed in Tower of London were laid to rest under flagstone without any final ceremony. Between the chapel and Tower green is a small paved area. A scaffold
was erected here to execute the VIP and public figures whose execution on Tower Hill could incite the public to riots. The names of the six executed on this fateful spot are inscribed in this board here. They include Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard (both wives of Henry VIII) and Lady Jane Grey who claimed throne but was beheaded at the age of 17.
Other attractions in Fort
King Henry III and his son Edward I in 13th century first half. This chamber is in St. Thomas Tower. Here Edward I stayed in 1294 for few days. This is recreated model of same room.
I see a lot of visitors in this room with all curiosity. The interest is so much that all fort is flooded with
people from all corners of world.
In 1279 due to lot of forged coins clipping Edward I ordered centralized mint in Tower of London. He also ordered severe punishment for forgery and due to this many Jews were ordered expulsion form country or were killed. I saw beautiful show of old mint process and audio guide. This part is one the highlighted part in fort.
Torture tools in Tower
Here are the terrible and fearful tools to kill the prisoners. As per display signage board in this tower the – the torture was rare case but many were executed without any record these days. Torture was ordered for 81 prisoners so far in history. Sometimes prisoners were brought from other jail and punished here. The records are available from 1540 to 1640. They were punished for murder, robbery and later torture tools were used on political prisoners accused of political treason. Edward I period in 1278 saw 600 Jew prisoners in tower for clipping and forgery of coins.
In Rack tool hands of prisoners were tied on upper rack and legs on lower rack. Then both sides of racks were pulled apart to pull the joints of victim in pieces slowly.
There are many such hair-raising tool found in basement of St. Thomas Tower. On first floor there was king’s bed room.
Epilogue
The impact of these kingdoms good or worse was immense in the lives of people in entire globe.
Their thinking redefined travels, technology, politics and culture. British Empire has earned its place in the global history books. In 17th century all the British kings contributed and supported towards colonization in world to gain wealth and spread English culture.
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