A brief history of the Tower of London

Visit Tower of London dominates the London landscape and the pages of English history.

Today, we focus on this part of English history.

Here we go!

History of the Tower of London: article summary

History of the Tower of London: the arrival of William the Conqueror

After defeating and killing the last Anglo-Saxon king of England at the Battle of Hastings, William acted swiftly... to consolidate its hold on its newly conquered domain.

He had invaded a country of 2 to 3 million inhabitants with a force of just 10,000 men, and speed was of the essence.

He understood that, to take total control of England, he would first have to take control of London, the financial powerhouse of commerce that held the nation's purse strings.

William realized that trying to take the well-fortified city by force would be a costly and probably futile undertaking.

A triumphant market

So he proposed a deal to the rulers of the day. If they accepted him as King of England, he would grant their city certain rights that would make it a state within a state.

The city fathers realized that resisting a Norman siege would be costly and perhaps futile.

So they agreed to the terms, and on Christmas Day 1066, William of Normandy became King William 1ᵉʳ of England to Westminster Abbey.

The start of tower construction

Having achieved his goal, William set about securing his kingdom and ordered a program of castle construction. This involved the construction of nine castles encircling London.

On a huge mound on the eastern edge of the city, he ordered the construction of a mighty stone fortress that would become the Tower of London.

History of the tower of london: expansion over the centuries

Over the centuries, the original structure was added to, so that what we now call the Tower of London was a vast complex of 22 separate towers.

However, there were three main construction phases. The massive tower at the center of the complex, topped with gray turrets and a flagpole, is the White Tower.

This is the Tower built by William the Conqueror around 1078 and whitewashed for give it a shiny, gleaming, imposing appearance.

Two further historical expansions

In the 1200s, another medieval king, Henry III, who reigned for more than 50 years, built the tower's first major extension.

The final expansion took place around 1300 or so under the command of King Edward Iᵉʳ. The extent of its expansion is marked by the outer wall of the complex.

Edward also added the moat, which was emptied in the 19ᵉ century when the water was has become horribly polluted.

Filled with water, the moat would have prevented attackers from approaching. They were also a source of food, as fishing was practiced in their waters.

The Tower of London through history

The Tower of London has represented many things in the course of its existence.

It has always been a royal palace. It once housed the Royal Mint where the kingdom's coins were produced or minted.

Until the 19th century, it housed the Royal Menagerie in the Lion Tower, a tower that has now disappeared and stood where the Tower's gift store is today.

But the Tower is best known the world over as a place of imprisonment, torture and execution. Among the most famous executions are :

• Sir Walter Raleigh
• Princes Edward and Richard
• Guy Fawkes
• Lady Jane Grey
• Henry VIII's wives
• Anne Boleyn
• Catherine Howard

The Tower of London has an important history that has shaped the face of London. On your vacation, I advise you to make a detour. 

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