Britain is one of the most significant and great powers in world history. She always amazed me with her canonicity and tolerance, confidence and greatness. Its towers, castles, cathedrals and bridges are favorite places for tourists on a tour of Europe. And, of course, you can’t come to London without visiting the legendary Tower of London.

Situated on the north bank of the Thames, this truly large complex rises against the gray, often overcast sky of London. In size, reaching 32 meters in length and 36 meters in width, it consists of a number of different buildings. There are 20 towers 30 meters high, 2 bastions, casemates, the Church of St. Peter, the Fusiliers Museum, a hospital, the queen's house, armories, and barracks. As well as a beautiful green meadow and a pier on the banks of the Thames.

In this makeshift tourist town, cafeterias and souvenir shops, which visitors often use as shelter from the constant British rain.

Prison or defensive fortress?

The construction of the Tower is credited to William I, Duke of Normandy and King of England, who reigned from 1066. He, as the organizer of the Norman conquest of England, built defensive fortresses throughout the kingdom. It was in this context that the now standing Tower appeared.

At the beginning it was a simple wooden fort, which was later rebuilt into a stone mass with the possibility of defensive actions. A follower of William I, King Henry III, continued the construction and strengthening of the Tower, erecting 9 new towers (at this moment 7 of them have survived), the courtyard and adapting the Tower to public life. Thus, in the Archery Tower, bows and arrows were made for the knights of the royal army, and one of the towers was used as a lighthouse. By order of Henry III, the walls were whitewashed, which is why the fort began to be called White tower - white tower. Subsequently, the building simply began to be called the Tower.

There is another idea - that in 1077, Bishop Gandalf of Rochester erected the first white tower, which marked the beginning of historical construction. But this version is less popular and does not agree in dates with the historical data of world history.

In 1190, the Tower began to be used as an official prison - the first prisoner appeared here. It is noteworthy that only monarchs or representatives of the highest nobility were prisoners in the tower cells.

Video - History of the Tower of London and its prisoners

King Edward I built a second line of walls in the Tower and equipped the main entrance. And only since the reign of Henry VIII the prison began to fully justify its purpose. Real and imaginary traitors to the king, rebels and conspirators served their sentences here. Two of Henry VIII's wives were executed in the Tower itself: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who were accused of treason. Also, in subsequent years, several more people were executed here, including: Jane Gray, Henry XI and Edward V.

Sometimes people were tortured within the prison walls. Thus, the legendary Guy Fawkes, under severe torture, betrayed his accomplices in the coup attempt.

In the 13th century, a water ditch was dug on the borders of the Tower, and three centuries later two bastions were built - Ledges Mount and Brass Mount.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the tower-bastion complex was used as a nursery where lions, leopards, elephants and even polar bears were kept. Anyone who wanted to visit the makeshift zoo had to pay admission or bring a cat or dog as a “treat” for the inhabitants of the enclosures.

In 1843, the Tower underwent its first full reconstruction and landscaping. About ten years later, entrance to the territory became subject to a fee, since tourist excursions to the mint and the tower with the royal regalia were already in full swing. In 1894, the Tower Bridge itself was built.

During World War II, prisoners of war were kept here. In 1940, after being hit by a bomb, the architectural heritage was reconstructed for several years.

The last prisoners to serve their sentences in a London prison were the Kray brothers, leaders of a criminal group in London's East End, in 1952.

Now the Tower is only a tourist and historically important site in London, within its walls there are museums and several apartments for staff.

London Walls Hoaxes

Like most castles in England, the Tower is the stuff of legends. Favorite topic local residents and tourists are the ghosts of the towers. There are dozens of them, but only the most famous and popular stories are worth mentioning.

The most talked about ghost of the Tower is the spirit of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. He was a close associate of King Henry II, but after a conflict with the ruler he was captured and brutally executed in Canterbury Cathedral. It is said that his spirit still haunts the castle to this day and frightens visitors.

Margaret Paul is considered the most terrible ghost. She was the Countess of Salisbury and became disliked by the ruling dynasty because of her family tree. Fearing that the countess might interfere with the royal family, the decision was made to execute her. And so, in 1541, the 70-year-old countess was brought to the chopping block, but, for unknown reasons, they could not be beheaded right away. She died only after the third blow from the executioner. The keepers of the castle gossip that Margaret's spirit returns to the walls of the Tower every anniversary of her death with a desire for revenge.

How to get there and what to see?

More than two million tourists visit the Tower every year. If you want to join them, take care of your visa.

You will need: both passports, one photo, a questionnaire, a document on solvency, a certificate from your place of work or university, a document on movable/immovable property, a marriage/divorce certificate, confirmation of place of residence or a booked tour.

To with mandatory visit Tower, you will have to pay, for example, about 340 dollars for 3 days.

If you go to the foggy capital on your own, then you will visit the Tower at a time convenient for you. Getting around London on foot is not always convenient, as frequent rain and fog cause discomfort. Therefore, you can use a taxi (50-100 pounds) or the metro (0.7-4 pounds).

In summer, the complex is open from 10 to 17, in winter - from 10 to 16.30. For those who like pre-New Year trips, please note that on December 24-26 and January 1, the entrance to the fortress is closed.

Admission costs £24.5 for adults, £11 for children and £18.7 for students and pensioners. You can take group excursions, but more often tourists use an audio guide, which even tells fascinating stories about the Tower in Russian. The cost of such a guide is 4 pounds.

Walking through the fortress, you can’t help but look at various exhibitions and museums. The most popular exhibitions are two of them - “Row of Kings” and “Kings and Coins”.

The Row of Kings represents 10 equestrian statues in full uniform, collected back in 1688 as an attempt to raise the status of the Stuart dynasty.

Kings and Coins tells the history of coinage and shows rare coins that were created during the work of the mint in the years 1279-1812.

Experienced tourists are advised to take a closer look at the ravenmasters - the caretakers who take care of the eight ravens living on the territory of the Tower. The British believe that if the ravens leave the Tower, England will fall. The birds are watched and cared for with special diligence. About 100 pounds are allocated for each bird per month. Every day the raven receives 200 grams of meat, and once a week raw eggs and rabbit meat. Even the pets of the most loving owners will envy such content.

Tourists travel to London with interest to see with their own eyes the subject of legends and controversy. To wander the towers and feel like a part of British history. To take a few photos with the guards in colorful uniforms or witness the occasional cannon fire. And the British themselves say: “if you haven’t seen the Tower, then you don’t know anything about Great Britain.”

Without a doubt, everyone has ever heard of the Tower of London, because it is one of the oldest fortresses in England, which over its centuries-old history has been a royal residence, a prison, a zoo, a museum, and even a royal observatory!

The Tower is the most recognizable symbol of London and a must-visit for every traveler. It is not simple ancient castle, this is a real treasure trove of the history of London and the entire British Empire.

It is located on the north bank of the Thames and receives many tourists every year. It is interesting that the Tower is still considered a royal residence. The beefeaters live here with their families and the fortress's staff.

Historical reference: beefeater (guardian of the Tower) translated into Russian means “meat eater”. They began to be called that back in the distant 15th century, when during the hungry years the guards were heavily fed meat three times a day, and the rest of the people died of hunger. Beefeater is a very honorable title, and not everyone is accepted into the Tower Guard. At all times, Beefeaters were buried in the basements of the Tower Chapel, a tradition that continues to this day.

History of the Tower of London

The Tower was founded more than 900 years ago by William I, but long before that there was a Roman fort here. The new fortress was supposed to frighten the people, and therefore, in place of the wooden buildings, a stone building grew up - the Great Tower ().

White Tower Tower

Monarchs lived here behind thick walls of gray stone. But London grew quickly, and soon the formidable Tower began to coexist with poor areas. The royal family did not like this neighborhood, and they moved to the Palace of Westminster. The Tower became guard fortress and prison.

Tower - prison

The Tower saw many executions and deaths; the bloody history of London was made here. It is known that the first prisoner was imprisoned in 1190, and since then countless prisoners passed through the Tower casemates until 1941, when a German spy was shot here.


The most influential people in Europe served their sentences and awaited execution in the fortress. The list is quite impressive: there were French kings, Scottish rulers, dukes, and aristocrats... among the most famous prisoners of the Tower are King James of Scotland, the Duke of Orlesia, Anne Boleyn, etc.

Traitors Gate

Guy Fawkes, a famous participant in the Gunpowder Plot, Walter Raleigh, a British navigator and poet, William Penn and many others were executed in the Tower. The reign of Henry VIII can rightfully be considered the darkest period. He was particularly cruel and bloodthirsty and easily sentenced to death all people he disliked, from politicians and priests to his own wives.

Anne Boleyn, his second wife, Catherine Howard, his fifth wife, and Jane Grey, the infamous queen for 9 days, were killed here. They all paid with their lives for not being able to give the bloody monarch a son.

Some executions took place behind closed doors, but most were public and took place on Tower Hill. Here a crowd of onlookers could see how the condemned man's head was cut off, impaled on a stake and put on public display.

The headless bodies were taken to the Tower, where they were buried in the dungeons of the fortress. During the excavations, more than 1,500 skeletons without skulls were found, and this is certainly not the end.

The Tower remained a prison until the middle of the 20th century - the last prisoners were imprisoned there in 1952. These were the Kray gangster brothers.

Peaceful functions of the Tower

Royal Menagerie

At the beginning of the 13th century, a royal menagerie was opened in the Tower. John the Landless kept his lions in the fortress, and his successor Henry III replenished it with leopards, a polar bear and even an elephant. Later it was replenished with other exotic animals, and under Elizabeth I it was even opened to visitors.


The menagerie existed on the territory of the Tower until 1830, after which the animals were transported to the London Zoo, and sculptures of animals were erected in the fortress, immortalizing this part of the history of the Tower.

Tower Treasury

The Tower of London played another important function for the Crown. The main mint of the empire was located here for more than 500 years. Precious coins were minted here, and documents of state importance, military equipment of monarchs and weapons of the royal army were also kept.


The Royal Treasury on the grounds of the Tower still exists and has been open to visitors since the 17th century. This is where the royal jewels are kept, including the world's largest diamond, the Cullian I. This is a truly mesmerizing place that is definitely worth a visit.

You need to walk along the walls and towers of the fortress, turned into a fascinating museum, look at the stone animals and ancient fortifications, and go to the oldest church in London - St. Peter's Chapel, built in 1080.


And today the White Tower is an interactive museum that children will surely enjoy, and, of course, you cannot miss Tower Meadow - the permanent execution site for Tower prisoners. Now there is a memorial there - a crystal pillow on which the names of all the people executed here are engraved.

The Tower has an armory and a military museum.


Tower of London opening hours

There are many legends associated with the Tower, because it is oldest fortress London. It's full of secrets, treasures and ghosts. Every Tower guard has encountered the castle's ghosts at least once in his life, and many of them are very aggressive.

Ravens of the Tower

These legends, as well as the Tower ravens, are a separate discussion.

For nine centuries, the royal Castle Tower was a grim symbol of cruel judging, imprisonment, torture and execution. Apparently, its gloomy reputation is what attracts so many tourists here. Add beefeaters here (guards) in red uniform, legendary ravens and the shine of royal jewels, and you will understand the enormous popularity of the Tower.

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Tower Hill Metro

Construction of the Tower of London began in 1078 by William the Conqueror to control the vital route from the sea to London. The White Tower became England's first stone watchtower. Henry III founded a palace here in the early 13th century, and although no monarch has lived here since Henry VII, the Tower officially remains the Royal Palace.

At various times they were located here astronomical observatory, Royal Archives, Royal Menagerie and Royal Arsenal.

As a result of numerous reconstructions, the Tower turned into an irregular hexagonal fortress, surrounded by a moat and double defensive walls with crenellated towers. The narrow outer courtyard (patrolled area) is guarded by cylindrical towers.

Behind the wall there is a courtyard, a wide space enclosed on all sides. It was here that barracks for soldiers, houses, chapels and other buildings were built over the centuries. In the center rises the donjon - the ancient White Tower, topped with four onion domes on the corner turrets. This is one of the largest dungeons in medieval architecture in Western Europe.

Now the Tower is famous, first of all, for the fact that the treasury of the crown is kept here. However, the Tower's bloody history made it famous, as it remained a prison for torture and execution for centuries.

Legends and stories

Over the 900 years of the Tower's existence, legends and historical facts inextricably intertwined. On the south side of the outer wall is St. Thomas's Tower, and within it is the "Traitor's Gate" overlooking the Thames.

Convicted in Palace of Westminster for high treason they were taken to this entrance to the Tower by boat, which was considered a great shame.

Just outside the "Traitor's Gate" in the inner wall is the Bloody Tower, facing the courtyard. The heir to the throne, Prince Edward, and his younger brother, Prince Richard, were brought here in 1483, immediately after the death of King Edward IV, on the orders of their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester. No one outside the walls of the Tower saw the boys again, and “Humpback Dick” was crowned Richard III that same year. In 1674, the skeletons of two boys were recovered from the ground nearby, which gave even more grounds for speculation that the ambitious duke ordered the death of his nephews. They were not the only royals killed here. Perhaps it was their father who ordered the murder of his predecessor Henry VI, who suffered from mental illness. In 1471 Henry VI was deposed, sent to the Tower and executed, and the people were informed that the king had died of grief.

Torture and execution are an integral part of the Tower's history. Traitors were executed publicly on Tower Hill, the square inside the fortress, but the “privileged” minority lost their heads on the Tower lawn in front of the White Tower. Among them are two wives of Henry VIII: the indomitable six-fingered Anne Boleyn (second wife), mother of Queen Elizabeth I, beheaded by the sword of a French executioner, and the unreasonable Katherine Howard (fifth wife), whose head was also cut off with an ax, like most other traitors.

Beefeaters

The fortress and 2.5 million annual visitors to the Tower are protected by 42 beefeaters - the Tower's Life Guards. The key handover ceremony takes place daily at 21:35 (if you would like to attend the ceremony, please write in advance to the Constable of the Tower, Tower, ESZ). One of them holds the title of keeper of the ravens, and it is he who is responsible for them. According to legend, if the ravens fly away from the Tower, the kingdom will fall, so their wings are clipped!

Waterloo Barracks

You have to queue to get into Waterloo Barracks, where the English Crown Jewels are on display, but it's worth it. Here you will see the crown of Elizabeth II with the famous Kohinoor diamond and the crown made in 1837 for Queen Victoria. It is decorated with the “Small Star of Africa” diamond and a sapphire that belonged to Edward the Confessor.

Throughout its nine-hundred-year history, the Tower of London was a fortress that served as the residence of kings, an armory and treasury, as well as a prison and place of execution.

Tower of London- one of the symbols of Great Britain. It holds a special place in the history of the English nation and is one of the most visited places in the world. The well-known ravens of the Tower, yeoman guards, royal jewels and stories about a gloomy fortress-prison - these are just the very first associations with the name Tower of London. However, this is just a very small part of the history of this famous building.


In 1066, Duke William of Normandy began his conquest of England. Towards the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, London became the dominant city in England, with a rich port located nearby Royal Palace and the main cathedral. Ensuring the safety of the city was William's main goal during his coronation. He gives the order to begin construction of a fortress around the city. Thus, in 1100, the construction of the White Tower was completed. The Tower is protected by huge walls on the north, west and south sides. In 1377, all buildings in the Tower were completed.


The first prisoner was imprisoned in the Tower in 1100. At that time, Tower Prison was intended for people of noble birth and high rank. Among the most honorable and high-ranking prisoners of the Tower were the kings of Scotland and France and members of their families, as well as representatives of the aristocracy and priests who fell into disgrace on charges of treason. The walls of the Tower also remember many executions and murders: Henry VI, as well as 12-year-old Edward V and his younger brother, were killed in the Tower.

The prisoners were kept in those premises that were not occupied at that time. The terms of imprisonment varied widely. Thus, William Penn, founder of the English colony in North America, called Pennsylvania, was imprisoned in the Tower for religious beliefs and spent eight months in the Tower. Charles, Duke of Orleans, nephew of the French king and an outstanding poet, after defeat in battle, spent a total of 25 years within the walls of the castle until an incredible ransom was paid for him. Courtier Walter Raleigh, navigator, poet and playwright, tried to brighten up 13 dreary years of imprisonment by working on the multi-volume work “History of the World.” After his temporary release, he was again imprisoned in the Tower and then executed. In the photo - the main gate of the fortress


The Tower gained its reputation as a sinister place of torture during the Reformation. Henry VIII, obsessed with the desire to have a son-heir, broke off all relations with the Roman Catholic Church and began to persecute all who refused to recognize him as the head of the Church of England. After Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, failed to bear him a son, the king accused her of treason and adultery. As a result, Anna, her brother and four other persons were beheaded in the Tower. The same fate befell Catherine Howard, Henry's fifth wife. Many royals who posed a threat to the English throne were taken to the Tower and then executed.


Henry's young son, the Protestant Edward VI, who ascended the throne, continued the series of brutal executions begun by his father. When Edward died six years later, the English crown went to Henry's daughter Mary, a devout Catholic. Wasting no time, the new queen ordered the beheading of 16-year-old Lady Jane Gray and her young husband, who found themselves pawns in a bitter power struggle. Now is the time for the Protestants to lay down their heads. Elizabeth, Mary's half-sister, spent several anxious weeks within the walls of the Tower. However, having become queen, she dealt with those who refused to betray the Catholic faith and dared to oppose her rule.

Although thousands of prisoners were thrown into the Tower, only five women and two men were beheaded within the fortress, which saved them from the shame of public execution. Three of these women were queens - Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Grey, who lasted only nine days on the throne. Most of the other executions - mainly beheadings - took place on nearby Tower Hill, where huge crowds of fans of such spectacles flocked. The severed head was placed on a stake and displayed on London Bridge as a warning to others. The headless body was taken to the Tower and buried in the cellars of the chapel. A total of more than 1,500 bodies were buried in these cellars.


In some cases, usually only with official permission, prisoners were tortured into admitting their guilt. In 1605, Guy Fawkes, who attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and the King during the Gunpowder Plot, was strung up on the Tower rack before being executed, forcing him to reveal the names of his accomplices.


In the 17th century, England and the Tower were for some time in the hands of Oliver Cromwell and the parliamentarians, but after Charles II was re-enthroned, the Tower prison was not particularly replenished. The last beheading took place on Tower Hill in 1747. However, this was not the end of the Tower's history as a state prison. During the First World War, 11 German spies were imprisoned and executed in the Tower. During World War II, prisoners of war were temporarily held there, among whom Rudolf Hess spent several days. The last victim executed within the walls of the fortress was Josef Jacobs, accused of espionage and executed in August 1941.

At the beginning of the 13th century, John the Landless kept lions in the Tower. However, the royal menagerie arose when John's successor, Henry III, received three leopards as a gift from European monarchs, polar bear and an elephant. Although the animals were kept for the amusement of the king and his retinue, one day all of London witnessed a unique spectacle when a tethered bear rushed into the Thames to catch a fish. Over time, the menagerie was replenished with an even larger number of exotic animals and during the time of Elizabeth I it was open to visitors. In the 1830s, the Tower Zoo was abolished and the animals were moved to a new zoo that opened in London's Regent's Park. Below in the photo is a model Tower of London


For more than 500 years, the main department of the royal mint was located in the Tower. One of its most turbulent periods came during the reign of Henry VIII, when coins were minted from silver requisitioned from ruined monasteries. In addition, important government and legal records were kept in the Tower, and weapons and military equipment of the king and the royal army were also manufactured and stored. The photo below shows the armory.

Effective, isn't it?)


From the very foundation of the Tower, its prisoners and buildings were carefully guarded. But specially selected palace guards appeared in 1485. In those days, prisoners were often brought down the river and brought into the Tower through the “Traitor's Gate.” As the accused was led away from the trial, observers watched to see where the prison guard's ax was pointed. The blade pointed at the prisoner foreshadowed another execution.


Palace guards guard the Tower to this day. Today, their responsibilities also include conducting excursions for numerous visitors. On especially special occasions, they dress in luxurious costumes from the Tudor dynasty: scarlet camisoles trimmed with gold and topped with snow-white padded collars. On ordinary days, they wear dark blue and red Victorian uniforms. English guards are often called beefeaters, or meat-eaters. This nickname most likely arose during times of famine, when Londoners were malnourished and the palace guards received regular rations of beef. In this way, the English crown provided itself with reliable protection.


Keepers of the Royal Treasury guard the famous jewels of the British Empire. The treasury has been open to visitors since the 17th century. Among precious stones, decorating the crowns, orbs and scepters, which are still used by members of the royal family during ceremonies, you can see the world's largest cut diamond High Quality, Cullinan I.

The current Tower no longer bears much resemblance to the formidable fortress it entered into history. Back in 1843, the ditch was filled in, and instead of water, a bright green lawn appeared here, setting off the gray stone of the walls. During numerous restorations, the windows were enlarged, including in the White Tower. A large number of trees have been planted. In the past, such a harsh and literally blood-stained courtyard was largely seeded with grass, and black tower crows walked importantly along it. When the menagerie was moved to Regent's Park in 1831, the ravens were left in the fort. They are surrounded by special care - the state pays the Tower garrison two shillings and four pence a week to feed the birds. The palace “Ravenmaster,” or Raven Keeper, cares for a flock of black ravens. The fact is that, according to legend, the foundations of Britain are unshakable until the ravens leave the Tower. For greater security, however, the birds' wings are clipped.


Today Tower of London- one of the main attractions of Great Britain. It has hardly changed since the past. A symbol of the Tower's sinister past is the site where the Tower Hill scaffold formerly stood. Now there is a small memorial plaque installed there in memory of “the tragic fate and sometimes martyrdom of those who, in the name of faith, homeland and ideals, risked their lives and accepted death.” Currently, the main buildings of the Tower are the museum and the armory, where the treasures of the British crown are kept; officially continues to be considered one of royal residences. The Tower also has a number of private apartments, where mainly service personnel and distinguished guests live.


In the celebratory publication, which was dedicated to the 900th anniversary of the foundation of the Tower, the Duke of Edinburgh wrote that during its history the Tower of London (from the English tower - tower) was both a fortress and a palace, was used as a repository for royal jewels, and was also an arsenal, and a mint, and an observatory, and a zoo, and a state archive, and a place of execution, and a prison, especially for members of the upper class.

The official name of the Tower of London is Her Highness's Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, but the last time rulers used the site as a palace was during the reign of King James I (1566–1625). The White Tower, a square building with small turrets at the top of each corner, gave its name to the Tower as a whole. It is located in the center of the entire complex of several buildings located along the River Thames.

The history of the Tower began in the 11th century, when the green British Isles Duke William of Normandy (later known as William the Conqueror) began to “watch.” 1066 - he and his army crossed the English Channel. On September 28, the Duke landed at Pevensey and immediately gave orders for the construction of the castle.

Two days later he went to Hastings and founded another castle there. Over the next few years, William and the Norman barons covered all of England with stone castles to keep the conquered country in line. For a long time, the Anglo-Saxons could not come to terms with the power of foreigners who spoke French, but the resistance of local residents could no longer change anything. A new page in the history of England has begun.

Most Norman castles in those days had an artificial hill on which the main fortifications were located. The Tower became a completely new type of fortress. Its territory, bounded by the remains of Roman fortress walls, did without artificial embankments.

The Norman donjons, which include the White Tower, had particularly strong walls, since the Normans initially did not surround their castles with other defensive structures. Impressive belts of fortifications with bastions began to be built around the White Tower only in the 13th century after the British became familiar with the practice of building castles in the East and in continental Europe. That is why the thickness of the walls of the White Tower, which was built two centuries earlier, reaches almost 4 meters!


Its dimensions are also unusual - 32.5 × 36 meters - with a height of 27 meters. It is second only to the keep in Colchester (Essex) and is one of the largest medieval donjons in Western Europe.

In terms of its configuration and layout of the premises, the White Tower belongs to a very rare group of dungeons, characteristic specifically for England, and, moreover, only for the 11th–12th centuries. It was built by Norman masons and surrounding Anglo-Saxon laborers, apparently to the design of Gandalf, Bishop of Rochester. It was assumed that the Tower of London would protect the river route from attacks, but first of all, it would rise above the city and protect the ruling dynasty from Anglo-Saxon citizens.

From the east and south, the White Tower was protected by the old walls of the Roman city, and from the north and west - defensive ditches up to 7.5 meters wide and up to 3.4 meters deep, as well as earthen fortifications with a wooden palisade on top.

The White Tower was only half completed when in 1087 its owner, William the Conqueror, died during military operations on the continent. Over the years, it was supplemented with 13 towers. The names of the towers remind of the life of the fortress in those ancient times, of the dark events associated with it.

Bloody Tower - according to legend, the crown princes, the children of Edward IV, were killed in it when Richard III seized power. Kolokolnaya - this is where the alarm sounded. Salt, Well... The huge tower of St. Thomas, straddling the moat on the Thames side, is the main “water gate” of the fortress. Through the Gate of Traitors, located under the tower, his prisoners were brought to the Tower. The Bell Tower is one of the most famous buildings fortresses It was built in the 1190s. For 500 years, the evening bell has been heard from here - a sign for extinguishing light and fire, although the current bell was installed only in 1651.

From the earliest times of the Tower's history, there was a constable's residence next to the Bell Tower. During Tudor times, when the deputy constable was entrusted with guarding Tower prisoners, the Bell Tower became the place of imprisonment for the most important persons. Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth I, was held there in 1554. She was interrogated for 2 months, as she was suspected of plotting against her half-sister Mary I.

Sir Thomas More, the former Chancellor of the Kingdom, author of the famous novel "Utopia", was imprisoned in the Bell Tower on April 17, 1534 for refusing to recognize Henry VIII as the head of the Anglican Church instead of the Pope. He was executed on Tower Hill on July 6, 1535.

The Commandant of the Tower of London lives in the Queen's House (a white building trimmed with ebony next to the Bloody Tower). Many high-ranking prisoners lived here. 1605 - in the Council Chamber, located on the top floor, before and after torture, Guy Fawkes was interrogated, accused of participating in the Gunpowder Plot against James I. Guy Fawkes was later executed.

One prisoner of the Queen's House was able to escape on the eve of his execution. He was the Scottish Earl of Nithsdale, captured after the defeat of the Jacobite uprising trying to overthrow George I. He escaped by disguising himself as a woman and dressing in women's clothing given by his wife. The last prisoner of the Queen's House was Hitler's personal secretary and his deputy in the party, Rudolf Hess, who was here for 4 days in May 1941.

Considering all of the above, it would be strange if ghosts did not wander around the Tower and legends were not told about it. Black crows are not only one of the main legends, but also an important symbol of the fortress. It is known for certain that the first raven appeared in the castle in 1553 during the time of the “nine-day queen” Jane Grey. It was then that the famous “Vivat!” was heard for the first time, foreshadowing bad news - Gray was executed.

But crows became iconic during the time of Queen Elizabeth, on whose orders her favorite Duke of Essex was imprisoned for raising a riot. While waiting for the verdict, a huge black raven knocked on the window of the Duke’s cell with its beak and, looking intently into Essex’s eyes, shouted “Vivat!” three times. The Duke told his visiting relatives about the bad omen, who in turn spread the word throughout London - the sad outcome was obvious to everyone. A few days later, the Duke of Essex was brutally executed. This legend lived for several centuries - the raven appeared doomed to the scaffold, until the fortress lost its status royal prison and did not become a museum.

Since that time, entire dynasties of ravens have settled on the territory of the castle, and their life on the territory of the Tower has acquired many legends. So, one of them lives to this day: it is believed that the Tower and the entire British Empire will collapse as soon as the crows leave it.

Maybe that's why in XVII century King Charles II issued a decree that six black ravens must live in the castle permanently. A special raven guardian was appointed to monitor this, whose duties included the full maintenance of the birds. This tradition still exists today.

Since then, practically nothing has changed: 7 black ravens (one is a spare) live in excellent conditions in the fortress in spacious enclosures. Every year the state allocates a substantial budget for the maintenance of ravens. Thanks to their excellent nutrition, the “Keepers of the Tower” are quite well-fed. Their daily diet includes about 200 grams of fresh meat and blood biscuits; in addition, once a week the birds are given eggs, fresh rabbit meat and fried croutons.

Each raven has its own name and character: Baldrick, Munin, Thor, Gugin, Gwillum and Branwyn. Scientists and restorers often succeed in assessing the significance of black crows in the history of the Tower, finding ancient bird nests in the most unexpected places. In one of these nests, relatively recently, finds were discovered that gave rise to new legends and hypotheses. Historians found a bracelet with the initials of Jane Grey, Elizabeth Tudor's hairpin and a glass with the coat of arms of Essex.

London is considered practically the main world capital in terms of the number of ghosts. According to the stories of residents, ghosts of kings and their entourage can be found everywhere there. The Tower was no exception, during its existence many secrets and scenes of bloodshed accumulated.

One of the frequently described ghosts is the ghost of King George II, who died of a heart attack while awaiting important documents from Germany. According to evidence, in the windows of the castle you can often see the unhappy face of George II, looking out to look at the weather vane.

There is a large amount of evidence of an encounter with a decapitated ghost carrying her head under her arm. She was executed because she did not bear the king a son. To get rid of her and remarry, the king accused her of incest and treason. Anne Boleyn said: “The King is so good to me. First he made me a maid. Then he made the maid a marquise. He made a queen out of a marquise, and now out of a queen he makes me into a holy great martyr!” This woman died without suffering and with a calm heart.

Her head was not hung for public display, as was the custom of those times. She was placed under the right arm of the executed woman and, together with the body, was placed in a forged chest, then hastily buried in the Tower under the floor of the chapel of Saints Peter and Vencula. According to eyewitnesses, the executed wife of King Henry VIII was noticed in various parts of the castle, more often she was seen walking in the park of the fortress.

Another legend claims that for a long time the ghost of the murdered Archbishop Thomas Becket wandered through the corridors of the castle. Considered to be the oldest ghost in England, it disappeared only after the murderer's grandson Henry III built a chapel within the walls of the fortress.

The ghosts of children have been repeatedly seen in the Tower - the murdered 12-year-old King Edward V and his 9-year-old brother Richard. The “little princes,” as they are called, dressed in white robes, holding hands, silently walk along the corridors of the castle.

Another famous ghost is the explorer Walter Raleigh, who was imprisoned twice for his role in the conspiracy and was eventually publicly executed.

The most terrifying vision, according to eyewitnesses, is the scene of the execution of the Countess of Salisbury. Margaret Paul, Countess of Salisbury, was executed in 1541. This elderly lady (over 70) suffered because her son, Cardinal Paul, denounced the religious doctrines of Henry VIII and even did something in the interests of France. When the king realized that he could not get the cardinal, he ordered his mother to be executed.

The Countess escaped from the hands of the executioner and ran around the scaffold with terrible curses. The executioner chased her, striking her with an axe. Wounded, she fell and was executed. This vision often appears before eyewitnesses at the very place where the scaffold was located.

The servants of the fortress claim that the spectacle can be observed every year on the day of execution - the image of the countess and the executioner is clearly visible, wild screams are heard, but after beheading all visions disappear and dead silence sets in.

Ghosts have never been seen in the main tower of the Tower. There is a legend that during the construction of the tower in the 11th century, an animal was sacrificed to drive out evil spirits. To confirm this, during renovation work in the 19th century, the skeleton of a cat was discovered in the masonry of the wall.

One can only guess how many more secrets the Tower of London keeps, but it is clear that more than once more legends of the main royal prison will be revealed and confirmed.

Despite this, about 100 people continue to live directly in the castle, and almost 200 come to the fortress every day to work, and among them is another symbol of the Tower of London - the “free yeomen”, beefeaters, guards of the royal fortress.