One of the things I feel embarrassed about when I include must-see choices is adding sites that are so obvious. This includes The Tower of London. It simply has to be seen if you are visiting London. Furthermore it one site that I am certain will not disappoint even the most scenical traveler. This is probably because no other castle in Europe is so rich in history.
The Tower of London was begun as simply the White Tower, which sits in the middle of the Castle complex, in 1076. The rest of the walls and barracks that surround the barracks were built up over the centuries since then, mostly in the 13th century by Edward I. In your tour of the Tower you can also visit the Tower Green, just west of the White Tower, where numerous English notables met there end to axeman that beheaded them. The White Tower itself possesses a rather large collection of medieval weaponry. To the north of the White Tower is the Waterloo Barracks where you can visit the Crown Jewels, another key reason on why you probably visited the Tower in the first place. Your can also visit the castle walls and towers where various historical characters were at times imprisoned.
The picture you see here, is of the changing of guard, which like the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, is performed at 11:00 daily. It obviously is not as elaborate as the former presentation but I enjoyed the pageantry just the same.
Of note, the line up to get into the Tower is very long. This was the case for me even thought I visited first thing in the morning. However like other long lines in London, you will be rushed through the line very swiftly, so do not be deterred from visiting the Tower by it. The Tower of London is worth the wait of 15 minutes or so that you will spend in the line.
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Phone: +44 (0)870 756 7070
Address: HM Tower of London, London. EC3N 4AB, England
Directions: Near the Tower Hill tube station. East of the Central City District of London
Website: www.hrp.org.uk
on Mar 7, 2003
