The Tower of London has been many things over the centuries: a royal palace, a prison, a treasury, and a place of execution. William the Conqueror, the Norman king who invaded England in 1066, began building the White Tower in 1078 as a statement of absolute power. That pale stone keep still dominates the skyline here, just as it was designed to do.
What started as a symbol of royal authority gradually became England's most notorious prison. Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, was arrested, tried, and beheaded here in 1536. Guy Fawkes, the man who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605, was interrogated within these very walls before his execution.
The Tower also holds the Crown Jewels, kept here since 1661 and containing over 23,578 gemstones. The Imperial State Crown alone carries some of the most valuable diamonds and rubies on earth.
Six ravens live here permanently, cared for by a dedicated Ravenmaster. An old legend warns that if they ever leave, the kingdom will fall. The Yeoman Warders, known as Beefeaters, have been guarding this place since the 1400s, their scarlet uniforms still as striking today as ever.
Given everything that happened here, those ravens are probably wise to stay put.
Stop 2 of 8The Old Days of London47 min walk · 8 stories · Free
Sources. Story: en.wikipedia.org Photos: Perituss, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
