The London Tower Built on the north bank of the Thames to face Tower Bridge, the Tower of London was once a safe fortification, a royal residence, and a notorious jail. The White Tower, which lends the fortress its name, was erected by William the Conqueror during the Norman invasion of England in 1066. It is a large stone building with an exterior covered in white plaster.
The first recorded battle between two British kings took place here. In 1066, Harold Godwinson, the Earl of Wessex, defeated his rival for the English throne, Malcolm III of Scotland, at the Battle of Hastings. Although this victory restored peace to Britain, it did not last long; within a few years, both men were dead. According to tradition, their bodies are buried in the churches they built: Westminster Abbey for King Malcolm and Holy Trinity Church for King Harold.
The Tower has been used extensively over the years as a prison. Some of the more famous inmates include Lady Jane Grey, Mary Queen of Scots, and Charles I. Today, it remains a prison, although most prisoners are now incarcerated in prisons in South London or Kent.
The main entrance to the Tower is through the Portcullis Gate, which leads into the Outer Ward. This is a secure area with little to see except for some cannons and an ornamental lake. However, visitors can walk across the ward to the Middle Ward via a raised pathway called the Towery.
The Tower of London is a 900-year-old medieval castle and UNESCO World Heritage Site in London, England. When was the Tower of London constructed? In 1066, the first foundations were erected, which were thought to be a wooden fence made of lumber. However, it has since been rebuilt using stone and mortar several times over. The current structure is the third version. It was built between 1171 and 1220 by King Henry III.
The earliest evidence of there being a settlement at the site of the present-day Tower of London is a Roman coin dated from AD 271. That's about 30 years before Rome officially declared itself a city state. The original settlement may have been much smaller than what we see today, but it's likely that the area was already used for military purposes. After all, the River Thames is only a few hundred meters away!
In 1042, Edward the Confessor became king at age 9. He went on to build up an army of his own people (the English) and fought off a series of attacks from other European countries to prove himself worthy to rule. In 1066, he died before he could fight in the Battle of Hastings, where William the Conqueror defeated his sons Harold Hardrada and Harald Godwinson to become the new king of England.
So, Edward the Confessor built the present-day Tower of London as his palace.
The London Tower is where the British Crown Jewels are kept under guard by the Royal Mint.
They are among the most valuable items in the world and have been used for royal weddings, christenings and state occasions since 1661. The jewels are kept in a secure room on the first floor of the tower with only four people allowed in at any one time: a superintendent of the mint, a deputy superintendent, a keeper of the treasury and a secretary to the treasurer. They are not seen by the public but can be viewed by members of the royal family.
There are several castles in England where you can see the Crown Jewels. The best known is the Royal Jewel House at the Tower of London. It was built in 1662 after Charles II returned from exile and wanted a home for his precious possessions. The building is an elegant structure with walls of white marble and gold and black tiling on the roof. Inside you will find many treasures including a diamond-studded sword that was once owned by King Henry VIII.
Tower Bridge has an interesting and rich history. Built between 1886 and 1894, the bridge has served as a defining landmark for London and the United Kingdom for more than a century. The bridge is located in Southwark, within walking distance of both Borough Market and Waterloo Station.
It is owned by Westminster City Council and operated by Caerphilly County Borough Council through its subsidiary company, London & Regional Bruges Corporation (LRBC). The cost of repairing the bridge would be too high for Westminster to bear alone, so the council entered into a public-private partnership agreement with LRBC to co-operate on maintenance work and the management of the tolls. If Westminster decides to stop paying their share, they can be removed from the contract at any time.
Built as part of the London Bridge Railway (LBR) project, Tower Bridge was designed by Sir John Wolfe-Barry, architect of Liverpool's World Museum, and it was constructed by Burns, Jones and Co. Ltd. It is said that the main reason why Sir John chose to build his bridge in London instead of Liverpool is because buildings in London are higher than those in Liverpool. This makes the bridge look taller and make it easier to see from farther away.
Toll money from the bridge goes to pay for maintenance work of other city bridges and roads.
The Tower Bridge is a distinctive feature in London. Since Roman times, the latter has been known simply as "London Bridge," yet its history has been anything but straightforward. The London Bridge we know today opened to traffic in 1973, when it was just 47 years old. Its previous incarnation had been a stone structure that had been built in 1831-1832.
The original London Bridge was a wooden bridge that crossed the River Thames between Southwark and the City of London. It was built to replace an earlier timber bridge that had been destroyed by fire in 1676. The new bridge was designed by John Rennie and was made out of oak that had been imported from France and Germany. It consisted of eight large arches and two smaller central ones, with a total length of 933 feet (290 m). The total cost of the bridge was approximately £13,000 ($100,000 in modern money).
The new London Bridge was opened on Monday, March 25, 1831. It quickly became one of the most famous bridges in England, due to its elegant design and the innovative design of its traffic lights: each section controlled one of the three main roads crossing the bridge, so that all vehicles could be allowed to cross at once.
In addition to being a commercial success, the new London Bridge had another claim to fame: it was the first pedestrian bridge across the Thames in England.
Tower Bridge is located on the river Thames in the Pool of London, next to the Tower of London. It was the closest river bridge to the sea until recently, despite being nearly 50 miles inland from the North Sea. The current Tower Bridge was built between 1824 and 1825 after the previous one collapsed due to excessive weight loading it during heavy rains. It was designed by Sir John Rennie and is one of the earliest iron bridges in England.
The site where the old bridge once stood is now a public park called Tower Bridge Park. You can access the walkways covering the bridge via three sets of stairs - one each at the north, south and central sections. The lift is for people with disabilities only. There are also two restaurants on the bridge itself as well as an exhibition centre called the Tower Bridge Experience if you want to take in some more of the city's sights while you're here.
If you visit when there are events taking place at the bridge such as music festivals or outdoor exhibitions then this is a great way to see them up close and personal without the crowds that tend to gather elsewhere in the city. There are also several themed walks that can be done around the bridge including one for children and another for birders. Check out our article on recommended walks in London for more information.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 BindleyHardware & Co Inc.
