United Kingdom - Monday

Tower of London   1077-1097

The tower of London is a stone fortress on the river Thames which gave view to hostile forces.  The tower has housed the Royal Mint, The Crown Jewels and served as a feared prison.  It has been an armory for warlike provisions and a general conserver of the records of the king’s courts of justice.

 

This is the building where the crown jewels are on display today.

It is inside the busy modern city of London and is surrounded today by much taller buildings. We wouldn’t think of it today as an imposing fortress and tower, however it’s tallest building is on a small hill and would have been an impressive site to an invader and the local residence in olden days. Successors  recognized its value and extended it until it occupies 18 acres.

The oldest part of the original walls.

 

The chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, is the burial place of dukes and two of Henry VIII’s queens, beheaded in the Tower.  Two young princesses were murdered there to keep them from the throne. The edifice is cared for by Yeoman Warders that act as guards and caretakers of this old stone palace that has some parts that are 1000 years old.  These warders were called Beefeaters because one of their jobs was to taste the food of the King to make sure it was not poisoned.

Traitors Gate was a main entrance and was later used for secret access.  The fortress has a grim reputation of torture, death and imprisonment and also a royal palace, powerful fortress and a menagerie of animals that have been gifted to kings.
 

Traitors gate - where criminals were brought in from the river side - for their own protection so that the local population didn't attack them. 

 

There is a double wall - The outer wall and the citadel wall - between was the mote.  The mote has drained and grass remains.  It was drained because it was foul, filthy and feted - not a nice atmosphere for royalty.