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The Tower of London functioned as a fortress, prison, and royal palace. It consists of the Inner Ward and Outer Ward. This entry focuses on features of this UNESCO World Heritage site’s Inner Ward except for the White Tower.
History
The Inner Ward was created during the reign of Richard the Lionheart in the last decade of the 12th century. The original Tower of London consisted only of the White Tower and the yard immediately to the south (the Innermost Ward), but Richard’s expansion effectively doubled its size. Henry III built the north and east walls in the middle of the 13th century, giving the Inner Ward the shape it has today.
Wakefield Tower
To access the Inner Ward, visitors pass under the Bloody Tower. Immediately to the right is the entrance to the basement of the Wakefield Tower, which contains Torture at the Tower, an exhibition featuring Medieval torture devices. The upper floor of the Wakefield Tower made up part of the Medieval Palace.
Coldharbour Gate
Just past the Wakefield Tower are the ruins of a defensive wall. The wall was connected to the Coldharbour Gate, which protected the entrance to the Innermost Ward. The gate was demolished in the 1670s.
Bloody Tower
The Bloody Tower was the most infamous prison at the Tower of London. It was built between 1238 and 1272 by Henry III, and was originally the river entrance to the castle until the Outer Ward was built. It sits next to the Wakefield Tower, which served for a brief time as the king’s apartment.
The most famous prisoner to occupy the Bloody Tower was Sir Walter Raleigh, who was arrested and charged with treason on July 19, 1603. He was imprisoned on the ground floor until 1616, when he was released to conduct his second expedition to Venezuela in search of El Dorado. Against Raleighs orders, his men attacked a Spanish outpost, therefore violating the terms of his release. He was beheaded on October 29, 1618, at the Palace of Westminster.
On the upper floor was the cell of Edward V and his brother, Richard, Duke of York. Edward V succeeded his father, Edward IV, at the age of 13. He was imprisoned in the tower with his brother by his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, who proclaimed himself King Richard III. The two boys were last seen playing in the garden below the tower in late summer 1483, and their fate is unknown. Many believe Richard III had them murdered, but there’s no solid evidence to prove his involvement.
Raleigh’s Garden
The garden in which the boys were last seen was used by Sir Walter Raleigh. Thanks to his high status, he was able exercise and grow medicinal plants while he was imprisoned. He often treated patients, including the royal family, using herbal elixirs created from plants in the garden. The plants now growing there have been chosen based on research into what Raleigh would have used for his treatments, including rosemary and mint.
Queen’s House
Continuing clockwise from the Bloody Tower is the Queen’s House. It dates back to around 1540 during the reign of Henry VIII. Today, it’s the private home of the Resident Governor of the Tower of London and Keeper of the Jewel House.
Guy Fawkes was imprisoned and tortured in the Queen’s House as he was forced to confess his plot to assassinate King James I during the State Opening of Parliament and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne.
Tower Green
The Queen’s House opens onto Tower Green. In the center is the spot where a scaffold once stood. Over the years, ten people were executed there. Seven were beheaded, including three former queens of England, and three were put to death by firing squad.
A memorial dedicated to those condemned to death by the State sits on the former scaffold site. It was unveiled on September 4, 2006, and designed by Brian Catling.
The seven beheaded on Tower Green were William Hastings (June 1483); Anne Boleyn (May 19, 1536), queen and wife of Henry VIII; Margaret Pole (May 27, 1541); Catherine Howard (February 13, 1542), queen and wife of Henry VIII; Jane Boleyn (February 13, 1542); Lady Jane Grey (February 12, 1554), queen; and Robert Devereux (February 25, 1601). The three executed by firing squad were Malcolm Macpherson, Samuel Macpherson, and Farquhar Shaw, all on July 19, 1743.
Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula
The seven beheaded prisoners are all buried at the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, which dates back to 1519. The chapel is a Royal Peculiar of the Church of England, meaning it’s under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch.
There has been a chapel on the site since before the Norman conquest. It was originally outside the walls of the Tower of London until the Inner Ward was created. Photos are forbidden inside the chapel.
Waterloo Block
The large building next to the chapel is the Waterloo Block, which was built as a barracks and could accommodate 1,000 men. The foundation was laid in 1845 by the Duke of Wellington, who was the Constable of the Tower. It replaced the Grand Storehouse, which was built in 1688 and destroyed by fire in 1841.
The Waterloo Block has functioned as the Jewel House since 1994. The Jewel House is a vault housing the British Crown Jewels, which have been kept at the Tower of London probably since the reign of Henry III in the middle of the 13th century.
The queue can seem long but it moves quickly. Along the way, there are interpretive panels telling several interesting stories about the Crown Jewels as well as some cannons on display. No photos are allowed inside the Jewel House.
Queen’s Guard
The Waterloo Block is the best place to get up close and personal with the Queen’s Guard. These active soldiers are posted outside the Jewel House and work with the Yeoman Warders and Tower Wardens to protect the Crown Jewels.
It’s best to give them space and not get too close to the fence. They will yell if they feel you’re invading their space.
In summer, the soldiers wear red coats, while in the winter they wear long gray coats.
Fusilier Museum
Continuing clockwise around the Inner Ward is the headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and the Fusilier Museum. The regiment was formed on June 20, 1685, by King James II in order to guard the guns at the Tower of London. They later fought in wars in Belgium and Spain as well as in the American Revolution. The Royal Fusiliers moved out of the Tower in 1881, and returned for a brief period of 11 years in 1949. The building was built at the same time as the Waterloo Block and served as the officers quarters.
New Armouries
A storehouse, now know as the New Armouries, was built in 1663 at the southeast corner of the Inner Ward. The building houses the New Armouries Café.
Turkish Cannon
Outside the New Armouries are two cannons. The first is a Turkish bronze cannon cast in 1530 for Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. It was intended for an Ottoman expedition to India to expel Portuguese colonists. The cannon was captured at Aden in 1839 by Captain Henry Smith of the HMS Volage and has been on display at the Tower of London since 1844.
Chinese Cannon
The other cannon is a Chinese bronze cannon captured during the Second China War (1856-1861) from forts guarding Canton (modern-day Guangzhou). It was brought back to Britain by the HMS Nelson and was formerly on display at Upnor Castle in Kent and the Rotunda in Woolwich.
Ravens
Finally, it would be impossible to write about the Tower of London without mentioning its most famous residents, the ravens. Legend has it that the Tower will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave. King Charles II was the first to protect them after he heard this stark warning.
Each raven wears a different colored band on its leg to make them easier to identify, and they have one of their wings clipped to prevent them from flying away. Some of the ravens were specially bred at Somerset. They’re very intelligent, but it’s better to keep your distance because they will bite if they feel threatened.
