On Sundays, the Tower doesn't open until 10, so we enjoyed sleeping in a bit. On our way to the tube station, we walked through Trafalgar Square and took a few photos since it was relatively empty.
Then, it was on to the Tower. The Tower of London is a very historic place. Building of the White Tower began in 1078(!). It was the residence of many monarchs as well as a prison for the nobles. Two of Henry VIII wives were beheaded here as well (Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard).
The first thing we did when we got there was visit the Crown Jewels in the Jewel House before the lines and crowds got bad. Of course, photos aren't allowed inside, but it was pretty amazing. Most notable was the 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond in crown of Queen Elizabeth.
Then we took the 11 am Yeoman Warder (aka Beefeater) tour.The tour guide was quite funny and very informative. All the tours are a little different, and it's very much worth the hour.
Once our tour was over, we went in different parts of the castle. Like the Beauchamp Tower, where you can view the carvings of various prisoners.
This view is looking towards the Jewel House from inside the Beauchamp Tower.
This memorial on Tower Green marks the spot where Anne Boleyn was beheaded for treason. She is buried in the chapel behind it.
And across is where she spent her last nights at the Queens House.
We went in the Bloody Tower, where it's said that the Two Princes were murdered.
There are many displays inside the White Tower,
including lots of weaponry and royal armor. This armor belonged to King Henry VIII in his later years.
Before leaving, we walked along the walls of the Tower and peeked in some of the rooms.
From the tower walls there is a great view of the Thames and Tower Bridge (our next stop).
We spent about 3 hours there and loved it! I had been there before, but it's still my favorite thing to see in London.
No comments:
Post a Comment