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The Tower of London has, over the years performed many different functions, but is perhaps best known as a high security prison. From the Scottish rebel William Wallace, to the English explorer and socialite, Walter Raleigh, many souls endured terrible torture and mind-bending loneliness as captives of the Tower.
The Tower’s history can be traced back to William the Conqueror, who initiated its building after the Normans’ victory in the Battle of Hastings. The construction that was built then became known as the White Tower, and its purpose was that of a fortress. Many other buildings of the same nature been built all over England during William’s reign for the same reason. Located on the North bank of the Thames River, the Tower was built on old Roman fortifications; their excellence in constructions was well noticed by the Normans. The White Tower would remain the main tower of the Tower of London complex, when fully built.
Walls were added to the tower, and a moat was built around it, encompassing a large section of land. Indeed, by the end of medieval times (1285), many other buildings had sprung up around the original. The Tower of London was still considered a stronghold, but in a way quite different from that of the all conquering Normans. For example, Richard II sheltered there as a last resort during the peasant’s revolt, when all around him was destroyed.
Of the several other towers that were built within the walls, the most famous are the Bloody Tower, where two kings, Edward V and Richard Plantaganet were murdered, and the Wakefield Tower where various records and valuable items were stored. It is rumoured that the torture chambers were also located in the base of this tower.
It was around the reign of Henry VIII, in an atmosphere of religious persecution that the Tower came to be used most regularly as a prison. As early as 1305, the execution of William Wallace had been performed on Tower Hill, part of the Tower of London’s grounds. In the 1400’s the Tower was used as a prison for Henry VI, Edward V and Richard Plantaganet, who all perished within its confines. But it was after the reign of Henry VIII, that it really began to thrive as a prison and torture chamber proper. Within its walls, gruesome devices such as the rack were used to extract confessions from political and religious activists, such as Guy Fawkes before they were beheaded, usually on Tower Hill.
During the Civil War of 1642-9, the Parliamentarians seized the Tower of London. After it was handed back to the monarchy in 1660, it began to be used as an armoury; many alterations were made to the Tower’s grounds to accommodate such changes, making it look quite different to the Tower of Medieval times.
It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that architects began studying the design of the buildings that made up the Tower of London, and viewed it as an historical location for the first time. They decided to restore it to its former medieval style, so this meant demolishing many of the alterations that had been made after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.
Luckily, the Tower was unharmed during World War One, but the holding and execution of eleven spies during that period served as a grim reminder as to one of the main purposes of the Tower. Several buildings suffered severe bomb damage during the Second World War, but thankfully the whole seven and a half hectare complex was restored to all its former glory.
In modern times, the Tower has attracted in excess of two and a half million tourists per year, and is essentially a museum holding much of its own former history. The Crown Jewels are on display there, and are just one in a series of interesting artefacts that continue to draw visitors interested in the history of England.
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