District 186 || District School Sites || Teacher Resources || Site Map

Elizabethan England

The Tower of London is a visual symbol of the Norman Conquest of England. It was built by William the Conqueror with stone that was brought over from Caen.

The English do not relish the memory and like to think that the Tower went back to Romans and was founded by Julius Ceaser. This is not true, but some parts of the complex rest on Roman foundations. William I, though, brought over a Norman expert as his artificer, Gundulf, who designed the Tower. The Tower of London is considered now by the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments as,"The most valuable monument of Medevil military architecture surviving in England."

The Tower was not only a fortress but eventually became a royal palace, state prison, the Mint, a record office, observatory, and zoo. As a state prison it was used for criminals considered most dangerous to the state, and the Mint was the treasury for the Crown Jewels. It became a zoo, the original Zoo, in 1834 when pets that the king had accumulated over the years were among a great diversity. The zoo consisted of lions, leopards, bears wolves, lynxes, etc.

The general appearance of this complex was much as it is today. Inside the complex,though, there have been many changes.

In front of the White Tower, on the south side, there was a royal palace with private lodgings and great hall. Medieval kings often took refuge in the lodgings. Many historic events took place here too, such as the murder of the princes, Edward IV's sons. It was custom for kings and queens to spend the night, or a few days, before their corontion in these royal apartments. These royal lodgings were eventually swept away, leaving the Tower all alone.

After William the Conqueror the king that left a lasting impression on the Tower was Henry III. By 1236 he had rebuilt the Great Hall and built the Wakefield Tower next to the royal lodgings. He also built the archway to the Bloody Tower and the main angle towers along the wall.

A direct waterway entrance from the Thames onto the Tower was difficult and for a time unachievable. It wasn't until the oratory was built to the martyr St. Thomas that the foundations were ensured for such an entrance. The Water Gate, or entrance from the Thames into the Tower, later became known as Traiter's Gate. Henry III's son, Edward I, finished off the Tower.

Several episodes reveal the general history of these times. In 1244 Griffith, son of Llewelyn, the last independent Prince of Wales, attempted an escape from the Tower by making a rope out of his bedclothes, which resulted in his death after it broke. During the expulsion of the Jews in 1278, hudreds were kept in the Tower. In 1357-8 the Tower served as an arsenal. Edward III made many preparations for the French war here which began with a naval victory of Sluys and ended up as the Hundred Years' War.

The Tower served as a refuge at one point for Richard II, his court, and ministers when the peasants revolted in the summer of 1381. They stayed in the Tower while London burned outside its walls, including John of Gaunt, Richard's uncle's. Among the King's company in the Tower was his mother, Joan of Kent (widow of the Black Prince), the Archbishop of Canterbury, Treasurer Hales, and Richard's other lords and ministers. This revolt came to an end when the leader of the uprising, Wat Tyler, was killed by the Lord Mayor of London, Walworth.

See also "The Tower of London"

*Barker, Felix. London : 2000 Year of a City and Its People. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1955.

This book gives a written and visual history of London. It describes the different phases and eras that London has gone through. It also tells about the influence of each time period on buildings in London.

Davidson, Marshall B.Great Historic Places Of Europe. New York: American Heritage Publishing Co., 1958.

This book is about historical structures throughout Europe and the people who built them. It gives a sense of the architecture and style of the time.

Hibbert, Christopher. London: The Biography of a City. New York: William Morrow, Inc., 1969.

In London: The Biography Of A City, we are introduced to all the men, women, architects, builders, speculators, rich patrons, and entrepreneurs who helped to make London what it was and is today.

*Rowse, A.L. "The Tower of London." In The History of England. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1972.

This book tells about the Tower of London and its history. It discusses how it was built and the events that occurred at it. Among the Tower's historical functions are a royal place, a fortress, and state prison, as well as the original Record Office and Zoo.