The Tower of London

Since we had such a short time in London and a lot of places to visit, I knew we would not be able to go on tours at many of the sites. Shannon narrowed the possibilities down to three, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London. On previous trips I have spent significant time at each of these locations; it took me no time at all to choose the Tower of London. It had been a highlight in the past.

After visiting the bridges we made our way over to the Tower and still had plenty of time. Just before the entrance there was a Starbucks where we made a quick stop. Here I introduced Shannon to the wonderful taste of caramel hot chocolate. We then headed to the ticket booth

We then headed through the ticket entrance and meet our Beefeater Tour Guide.
The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. In principle they are responsible for looking after any prisoners at the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides and are a tourist attraction in their own right, a point the Yeoman Warders acknowledge. There are conflicting reports on how the Yeomen Warders got the nickname Beefeater – but it There are conflicting reports on how the Yeomen Warders got the nickname Beefeater – has stuck. It is actually a very prestigious position…All warders are retired from the Armed Forces of Commonwealth realms and must be former senior non-commissioned officers with at least 22 years of service. They must also hold the Long Service and Good Conduct medal.

Our tour started outside the outer wall of the tower of London. This is where to mote once was. There are lots of stories of how this area was once used including as a sewer deposit and a zoo. It was funny as the Beefeater started the narrative about the Tower of London, I had forgotten how morbid and graphic some of the details were and how it focused so much on all the deaths at the tower.

Here is our guide leading us towards the Byward Tower – our entrance into the Tower of London. This is the entrance to the complex.

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower), is a historic fortress and scheduled monument in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames. It is located within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and is separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It is the oldest building used by the British government.
The Tower of London is often identified with the White Tower, the original stark square fortress built by William the Conqueror in 1078. However, the tower as a whole is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and moat.

The tower's primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison (particularly for high status and royal prisoners, such as the Princes in the Tower and the future Queen Elizabeth I). This last use has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower" (meaning "imprisoned"). It has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.

Some of the most famous people kept and executed here were the wives of King Henry VII.

Our tour guide led us through the gate to the space between the outer and inner rings. Here is a gate from the River Thames in the St. Thomas Tour.
Under an arch to some of the inner buildings. The Wakefield Tower The Bloody Tower The White Tower The Bell Tower This is the Tower where the crown jewels are kept. Don’t you love the modern glass building in the background between these two ancient towers. More Towers There is gift shop in this building
This is Mint Street – looks like they are doing some renovations. The Beefeaters actually live inside of the tower – this is where they and their families live. Here is the Tower Bridge from inside the Tower of London. After the tour ended we went to go see the Crown Jewels, but were not allowed to take pictures of them. Shannon mentioned that she expected them to be more then what they were – I remember that from my first visit. We also looked at the special exhibit, Henry VIII – Dressed to Kill – which was a collection of armor. It was a bit drizzly while we while were walking around some of the different Towers. At one point we were climbing up an old, narrow, wet, wood, spiral staircase and I tripped and fell. On my way down I hit Shannon in the rear and hurt her. I landed on one knee and it really hurt (the bruise lasted for months.) I quickly got up and started laughing – that is what happens when I wear sensible shoes like tennis shoes. Put me in my strappy sandal heals and I am good to go.

After we had our fill of the Towers we headed to the gift shop. I found this fake tabloid that made me laugh.
I also found the giant beefeater teddy bear I had my picture taken with 10 years before. I can’t believe I am doing this, but here is the original picture (it was 1999 and the whole matching outfit is just a coincidence – although that backpack on the floor – brought the same one with me on this trip!! It has been all over the world!) Here is my new picture with the bear.