The Tower of London is a 900-year-old castle and fortress in central London that is notable for housing the crown jewels and for holding many famous and infamous prisoners. Throughout its history, the tower has served many purposes: it housed the royal mint (until the early 19th century), a menagerie (which left in 1835), a records office, an armory and barracks for troops. read more
The Tower of London, officially Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the square mile of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. read more
The White Tower formed the basis of a residential palace and fortress suited for a king or queen, and the Tower of London became an all-purpose complex. Originally the caps at the top of the White Tower's four turrets were conical, but were replaced by the present onion-shaped ones in the sixteenth century. read more