Tower of London Her Majesty ' s Royal Palace and Fortress , more commonly known as the Tower of London , is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London , England . 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 . It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England . The White Tower , which gives the entire castle its name , was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 , and was a resented symbol of oppression , inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite . The castle was used as a prison from 1100 ( Ranulf Flambard ) , until 1952 ( Kray twins ) although that was not its primary purpose . A grand palace early in its history , it served as a royal residence . As a whole , the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat . There were several phases of expansion , mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart , Henry III , and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries . The general layout established by the late 13th century remains despite later activity on the site . The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history . It was besieged several times and controlling it has been important to controlling the country . The Tower has served variously as an armoury , a treasury , a menagerie , the home of the Royal Mint , a public records office , and the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom . From the early 14th century until the reign of Charles II , a procession would be led from the Tower to Westminster Abbey on the coronation of a monarch . In the absence of the monarch , the Constable of the Tower is in charge of the castle . This was a powerful and trusted position in the medieval period . In the late 15th century the castle was the prison of the Princes in the Tower . Under the Tudors , the Tower became used less as a royal residence , and despite attempts to refortify and repair the castle its defences lagged behind developments to deal with artillery . The peak period of the castle ' s use as a prison was the 16th and 17th centuries , when many figures who had fallen into disgrace , such as Elizabeth I before she became queen , were held within its walls . This use has led to the phrase " sent to the Tower " . Despite its enduring reputation as a place of torture and death , popularised by 16th - century religious propagandists and 19th - century writers , only seven people were executed within the Tower before the World Wars of the 20th century . Executions were more commonly held on the notorious Tower Hill to the north of the castle , with 112 occurring there over a 400 - year period . In the latter half of the 19th century , institutions such as the Royal Mint moved out of the castle to other locations , leaving many buildings empty . Anthony Salvin and John Taylor took the opportunity to restore the Tower to what was felt to be its medieval appearance , clearing out many of the vacant post - medieval structures . In the First and Second World Wars , the Tower was again used as a prison , and witnessed the executions of 12 men for espionage . After the Second World War , damage caused during the Blitz was repaired and the castle reopened to the public . Today the Tower of London is one of the country ' s most popular tourist attractions . Under the ceremonial charge of the Constable of the Tower , it is cared for by the charity Historic Royal Palaces and is protected as a World Heritage Site . Architecture . Layout . The Tower was oriented with its strongest and most impressive defences overlooking Saxon London , which archaeologist Alan Vince suggests was deliberate . It would have visually dominated the surrounding area and stood out to traffic on the River Thames . The castle is made up of three " wards " , or enclosures . The innermost ward contains the White Tower and is the earliest phase of the castle . Encircling it to the north , east , and west is the inner ward , built during the reign of Richard the Lionheart ( 1189 – 1199 ) . Finally , there is the outer ward which encompasses the castle and was built under Edward I . Although there were several phases of expansion after William the Conqueror founded the Tower of London , the general layout has remained the same since Edward I completed his rebuild in 1285 . The castle encloses an area of almost with a further around the Tower of London constituting the Tower Liberties – land under the direct influence of the castle and cleared for military reasons . The precursor of the Liberties was laid out in the 13th century when Henry III ordered that a strip of land adjacent to the castle be kept clear . Despite popular fiction , the Tower of London never had a permanent torture chamber , although the basement of the White Tower housed a rack in later periods . Tower Wharf was built on the bank of the Thames under Edward I and was expanded to its current size during the reign of Richard II ( 1377 – 1399 ) . White Tower . The White Tower is a keep ( also known as a donjon ) , which was often the strongest structure in a medieval castle , and contained lodgings suitable for the lord – in this case the king or his representative . According to military historian Allen Brown , " The great tower [ White Tower ] was also , by virtue of its strength , majesty and lordly accommodation , the donjon " par excellence " " . As one of the largest keeps in the Christian world , the White Tower has been described as " the most complete eleventh - century palace in Europe " . The White Tower , not including its projecting corner towers , measures at the base , and rises to a height of at the southern battlements . The structure was originally three storeys high , comprising a basement floor , an entrance level , and an upper floor . The entrance , as is usual in Norman keeps , was above ground , in this case on the south face , and accessed via a wooden staircase which could be removed in the event of an attack . It was probably during Henry II ' s reign ( 1154 – 1189 ) that a forebuilding was added to the south side of the tower to provide extra defences to the entrance , but it has not survived . Each floor was divided into three chambers , the largest in the west , a smaller room in the north - east , and the chapel taking up the entrance and upper floors of the south - east . At the western corners of the building are square towers , while to the north - east a round tower houses a spiral staircase . At the south - east corner there is a larger semi - circular projection which accommodates the apse of the chapel . As the building was intended to be a comfortable residence as well as a stronghold , latrines were built into the walls , and four fireplaces provided warmth . The main building material is Kentish rag - stone , although some local mudstone was also used . Caen stone was imported from northern France to provide details in the Tower ' s facing , although little of the original material survives as it was replaced with Portland stone in the 17th and 18th centuries . As most of the Tower ' s windows were enlarged in the 18th century , only two original – albeit restored – examples remain , in the south wall at the gallery level . The tower was terraced into the side of a mound , so the northern side of the basement is partially below ground level . As was typical of most keeps , the bottom floor was an undercroft used for storage . One of the rooms contained a well . Although the layout has remained the same since the tower ' s construction , the interior of the basement dates mostly from the 18th century when the floor was lowered and the pre - existing timber vaults were replaced with brick counterparts . The basement is lit through small slits . The entrance floor was probably intended for the use of the Constable of the Tower , Lieutenant of the Tower of London and other important officials . The south entrance was blocked during the 17th century , and not reopened until 1973 . Those heading to the upper floor had to pass through a smaller chamber to the east , also connected to the entrance floor . The crypt of St John ' s Chapel occupied the south - east corner and was accessible only from the eastern chamber . There is a recess in the north wall of the crypt ; according to Geoffrey Parnell , Keeper of the Tower History at the Royal Armouries , " the windowless form and restricted access , suggest that it was designed as a strong - room for safekeeping of royal treasures and important documents " . The upper floor contained a grand hall in the west and residential chamber in the eastboth originally open to the roof and surrounded by a gallery built into the walland St John ' s Chapel in the south - east . The top floor was added in the 15th century , along with the present roof . St John ' s Chapel was not part of the White Tower ' s original design , as the apsidal projection was built after the basement walls . Due to changes in function and design since the tower ' s construction , except for the chapel little is left of the original interior . The chapel ' s current bare and unadorned appearance is reminiscent of how it would have been in the Norman period . In the 13th century , during Henry III ' s reign , the chapel was decorated with such ornamentation as a gold - painted cross , and stained glass windows that depicted the Virgin Mary and Holy Trinity . Innermost ward . The innermost ward encloses an area immediately south of the White Tower , stretching to what was once the edge of the River Thames . As was the case at other castles , such as the 11th - century Hen Domen , the innermost ward was probably filled with timber buildings from the Tower ' s foundation . Exactly when the royal lodgings began to encroach from the White Tower into the innermost ward is uncertain , although it had happened by the 1170s . The lodgings were renovated and elaborated during the 1220s and 1230s , becoming comparable with other palatial residences such as Windsor Castle . Construction of Wakefield and Lanthorn Towers – located at the corners of the innermost ward ' s wall along the river – began around 1220 . They probably served as private residences for the queen and king respectively . The earliest evidence for how the royal chambers were decorated comes from Henry III ' s reign : the queen ' s chamber was whitewashed , and painted with flowers and imitation stonework . A great hall existed in the south of the ward , between the two towers . It was similar to , although slightly smaller than , that also built by Henry III at Winchester Castle . Near Wakefield Tower was a postern gate which allowed private access to the king ' s apartments . The innermost ward was originally surrounded by a protective ditch , which had been filled in by the 1220s . Around this time , a kitchen was built in the ward . Between 1666 and 1676 , the innermost ward was transformed and the palace buildings removed . The area around the White Tower was cleared so that anyone approaching would have to cross open ground . The Jewel House was demolished , and the Crown Jewels moved to Martin Tower . Inner ward . The inner ward was created during Richard the Lionheart ' s reign , when a moat was dug to the west of the innermost ward , effectively doubling the castle ' s size . Henry III created the ward ' s east and north walls , and the ward ' s dimensions remain to this day . Most of Henry ' s work survives , and only two of the nine towers he constructed have been completely rebuilt . Between the Wakefield and Lanthorn Towers , the innermost ward ' s wall also serves as a curtain wall for the inner ward . The main entrance to the inner ward would have been through a gatehouse , most likely in the west wall on the site of what is now Beauchamp Tower . The inner ward ' s western curtain wall was rebuilt by Edward I . The 13th - century Beauchamp Tower marks the first large scale use of brick as a building material in Britain , since the 5th - century departure of the Romans . The Beauchamp Tower is one of 13 towers that stud the curtain wall . Anti - clockwise from the south - west corner they are : Bell , Beauchamp , Devereux , Flint , Bowyer , Brick , Martin , Constable , Broad Arrow , Salt , Lanthorn , Wakefield , and the Bloody Tower . While these towers provided positions from which flanking fire could be deployed against a potential enemy , they also contained accommodation . As its name suggests , Bell Tower housed a belfry , its purpose to raise the alarm in the event of an attack . The royal bow - maker , responsible for making longbows , crossbow s , catapult s , and other siege and hand weapons , had a workshop in the Bowyer Tower . A turret at the top of Lanthorn Tower was used as a beacon by traffic approaching the Tower at night . As a result of Henry ' s expansion , St Peter ad Vincula , a Norman chapel which had previously stood outside the Tower , was incorporated into the castle . Henry decorated the chapel by adding glazed windows , and stalls for himself and his queen . It was rebuilt by Edward I at a cost of over £300 and again by Henry VIII in 1519 ; the current building dates from this period , although the chapel was refurbished in the 19th century . Immediately west of Wakefield Tower , the Bloody Tower was built at the same time as the inner ward ' s curtain wall , and as a water - gate provided access to the castle from the River Thames . It was a simple structure , protected by a portcullis and gate . The Bloody Tower acquired its name in the 16th century , as it was believed to be the site of the murder of the Princes in the Tower . Between 1339 and 1341 , a gatehouse was built into the curtain wall between Bell and Salt Towers . During the Tudor period , a range of buildings for the storage of munitions was built along the inside of the north inner ward . The castle buildings were remodelled during the Stuart period , mostly under the auspices of the Office of Ordnance . In 1663 just over £4 , 000 was spent building a new storehouse ( now known as the New Armouries ) in the inner ward . Construction of the Grand Storehouse north of the White Tower began in 1688 , on the same site as the dilapidated Tudor range of storehouses ; it was destroyed by fire in 1841 . The Waterloo Barracks were built on the site , and remain to this day , housing the Crown Jewels . Outer ward . A third ward was created during Edward I ' s extension to the Tower , as the narrow enclosure completely surrounded the castle . At the same time a bastion known as Legge ' s Mount was built at the castle ' s north - west corner . Brass Mount , the bastion in the north - east corner , was a later addition . The three rectangular towers along the east wall apart were dismantled in 1843 . Although the bastions have often been ascribed to the Tudor period , there is no evidence to support this ; archaeological investigations suggest that Legge ' s Mount dates from the reign of Edward I . Blocked battlements ( also known as crenellations ) in the south side of Legge ' s Mount are the only surviving medieval battlements at the Tower of London ( the rest are Victorian replacements ) . A new moat was dug beyond the castle ' s new limits ; it was originally deeper in the middle than it is today . With the addition of a new curtain wall , the old main entrance to the Tower of London was obscured and made redundant ; a new entrance was created in the south - west corner of the external wall circuit . The complex consisted of an inner and an outer gatehouse and a barbican , which became known as the Lion Tower as it was associated with the animals as part of the Royal Menagerie since at least the 1330s . The Lion Tower itself no longer survives . Edward extended the south side of the Tower of London onto land that had previously been submerged by the River Thames . In this wall , he built St Thomas ' Tower between 1275 and 1279 ; later known as Traitors ' Gate , it replaced the Bloody Tower as the castle ' s water - gate . The building is unique in England , and the closest parallel is the now demolished water - gate at the Louvre in Paris . The dock was covered with arrowslit s in case of an attack on the castle from the River ; there was also a portcullis at the entrance to control who entered . There were luxurious lodgings on the first floor . Edward also moved the Royal Mint into the Tower ; its exact location early on is unknown , although it was probably in either the outer ward or the Lion Tower . By 1560 , the Mint was located in a building in the outer ward near Salt Tower . Between 1348 and 1355 , a second water - gate , Cradle Tower , was added east of St Thomas ' Tower for the king ' s private use . Foundation and early history . Victorious at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066 , the invading Duke of Normandy , William the Conqueror , spent the rest of the year securing his holdings , by fortifying key positions . He founded several castles along the way , but took a circuitous route toward London ; only when he reached Canterbury did he turn towards England ' s largest city . As the fortified bridge into London was held by Saxon troops , he decided instead to ravage Southwark before continuing his journey around southern England . A series of Norman victories along the route cut the city ' s supply lines and in December 1066 , isolated and intimidated , its leaders yielded London without a fight . Between 1066 and 1087 William established 36 castles , although references in the Domesday Book indicate that many more were founded by his subordinates . The new ruling elite undertook what has been described as " the most extensive and concentrated programme of castle - building in the whole history of feudal Europe " . They were multi - purpose buildings , serving as fortifications ( used as a base of operations in enemy territory ) , centres of administration , and residences . William sent an advance party to prepare the city for his entrance , to celebrate his victory and found a castle ; in the words of William ' s biographer , William of Poitiers , " certain fortifications were completed in the city against the restlessness of the huge and brutal populace . For he [ William ] realised that it was of the first importance to overawe the Londoners " . At the time , London was the largest town in England ; the foundation of Westminster Abbey and the old Palace of Westminster under Edward the Confessor had marked it as a centre of governance , and with a prosperous port it was important for the Normans to establish control over the settlement . The other two castles in London – Baynard ' s Castle and Montfichet ' s Castle – were established at the same time . The fortification that would later become known as the Tower of London was built onto the south - east corner of the Roman town walls , using them as prefabricated defences , with the River Thames providing additional protection from the south . This earliest phase of the castle would have been enclosed by a ditch and defended by a timber palisade , and probably had accommodation suitable for William . Most of the early Norman castles were built from timber , but by the end of the 11th century a few , including the Tower of London , had been renovated or replaced with stone . Work on the White Tower – which gives the whole castle its name – is usually considered to have begun in 1078 , however the exact date is uncertain . William made Gundulf , Bishop of Rochester , responsible for its construction , although it may not have been completed until after William ' s death in 1087 . The White Tower is the earliest stone keep in England , and was the strongest point of the early castle . It also contained grand accommodation for the king . At the latest , it was probably finished by 1100 when Bishop Ranulf Flambard was imprisoned there . Flambard was loathed by the English for exacting harsh taxes . Although he is the first recorded prisoner held in the Tower , he was also the first person to escape from it , using a smuggled rope secreted in a butt of wine . He was held in luxury and permitted servants , but on 2 February 1101 he hosted a banquet for his captors . After plying them with drink , when no one was looking he lowered himself from a secluded chamber , and out of the Tower . The escape came as such a surprise that one contemporary chronicler accused the bishop of witchcraft . The " Anglo - Saxon Chronicle " records that in 1097 King William II ordered a wall to be built around the Tower of London ; it was probably built from stone and likely replaced the timber palisade that arced around the north and west sides of the castle , between the Roman wall and the Thames . The Norman Conquest of London manifested itself not only with a new ruling class , but in the way the city was structured . Land was confiscated and redistributed amongst the Normans , who also brought over hundreds of Jews , for financial reasons . The Jews arrived under the direct protection of the Crown , as a result of which Jewish communities were often found close to castles . The Jews used the Tower as a retreat , when threatened by anti - Jewish violence . The death in 1135 of Henry I left England with a disputed succession ; although the king had persuaded his most powerful barons to swear support for the Empress Matilda , just a few days after Henry ' s death Stephen of Blois arrived from France to lay claim to the throne . The importance of the city and its Tower is marked by the speed at which he secured London . The castle , which had not been used as a royal residence for some time , was usually left in the charge of a Constable , a post held at this time by Geoffrey de Mandeville . As the Tower was considered an impregnable fortress in a strategically important position , possession was highly valued . Mandeville exploited this , selling his allegiance to Matilda after Stephen was captured in 1141 at the Battle of Lincoln . Once her support waned , the following year he resold his loyalty to Stephen . Through his role as Constable of the Tower , Mandeville became " the richest and most powerful man in England " . When he tried the same ploy again , this time holding secret talks with Matilda , Stephen had him arrested , forced him to cede control of his castles , and replaced him with one of his most loyal supporters . Until then the position had been hereditary , originally held by Geoffrey de Mandeville ( a friend of William the Conqueror ' s and ancestor of the Geoffrey that Stephen and Matilda dealt with ) , but the position ' s authority was such that from then on it remained in the hands of an appointee of the monarch . The position was usually given to someone of great importance , who might not always be at the castle due to other duties . Although the Constable was still responsible for maintaining the castle and its garrison , from an early stage he had a subordinate to help with this duty : the Lieutenant of the Tower . Constables also had civic duties relating to the city . Usually they were given control of the city and were responsible for levying taxes , enforcing the law and maintaining order . The creation in 1191 of the position of Lord Mayor of London removed many of the Constable ' s civic powers , and at times led to friction between the two . Expansion . The castle probably retained its form as established by 1100 until the reign of Richard the Lionheart ( 1189 – 1199 ) . The castle was extended under William Longchamp , Richard ' s Lord Chancellor and the man in charge of England while he was on crusade . The Pipe Rolls record £2 , 881 1s 10d spent at the Tower of London between 3 December 1189 and 11 November 1190 , from an estimated £7 , 000 spent by Richard on castle building in England . According to the contemporary chronicler Roger of Howden , Longchamp dug a moat around the castle and tried in vain to fill it from the Thames . Longchamp was also Constable of the Tower , and undertook its expansion while preparing for war with Richard ' s younger brother , Prince John , who in Richard ' s absence arrived in England to try to seize power . As Longchamp ' s main fortress , he made the Tower as strong as possible . The new fortifications were first tested in October 1191 , when the Tower was besieged for the first time in its history . Longchamp capitulated to John after just three days , deciding he had more to gain from surrender than prolonging the siege . John succeeded Richard as king in 1199 , but his rule proved unpopular with many of his barons , who in response moved against him . In 1214 , while the king was at Windsor Castle , Robert Fitzwalter led an army into London and laid siege to the Tower . Although under - garrisoned , the Tower resisted and the siege was lifted once John signed the Magna Carta . The king reneged on his promises of reform , leading to the outbreak of the First Barons ' War . Even after the Magna Carta was signed , Fitzwalter maintained his control of London . During the war , the Tower ' s garrison joined forces with the barons . John was deposed in 1216 and the barons offered the English throne to Prince Louis , the eldest son of the French king . However , after John ' s death in October 1216 , many began to support the claim of his eldest son , Prince Henry . War continued between the factions supporting Louis and Henry , with Fitzwalter supporting Louis . Fitzwalter was still in control of London and the Tower , both of which held out until it was clear that Henry ' s supporters would prevail . In the 13th century , Kings Henry III ( 1216 – 1272 ) and Edward I ( 1272 – 1307 ) extended the castle , essentially creating it as it stands today . Henry was disconnected from his barons , and a mutual lack of understanding led to unrest and resentment towards his rule . As a result , he was eager to ensure the Tower of London was a formidable fortification ; at the same time Henry was an aesthete and wished to make the castle a comfortable place to live . From 1216 to 1227 nearly £10 , 000 was spent on the Tower of London ; in this period , only the work at Windsor Castle cost more ( £15 , 000 ) . Most of the work was focused on the palatial buildings of the innermost ward . The tradition of whitewashing the White Tower ( from which it derives its name ) began in 1240 . Beginning around 1238 , the castle was expanded to the east , north , and north - west . The work lasted through the reign of Henry III and into that of Edward I , interrupted occasionally by civil unrest . New creations included a new defensive perimeter , studded with towers , while on the west , north , and east sides , where the wall was not defended by the river , a defensive ditch was dug . The eastern extension took the castle beyond the bounds of the old Roman settlement , marked by the city wall which had been incorporated into the castle ' s defences . The Tower had long been a symbol of oppression , despised by Londoners , and Henry ' s building programme was unpopular . So when the gatehouse collapsed in 1240 , the locals celebrated the setback . The expansion caused disruption locally and £166 was paid to St Katherine ' s Hospital and the prior of Holy Trinity in compensation . Henry III often held court at the Tower of London , and held parliament there on at least two occasions ( 1236 and 1261 ) when he felt that the barons were becoming dangerously unruly . In 1258 , the discontented barons , led by Simon de Montfort , forced the King to agree to reforms including holding regular parliaments . Relinquishing the Tower of London was among the conditions . Henry III resented losing power and sought permission from the pope to break his oath . With the backing of mercenaries , Henry installed himself in the Tower in 1261 . While negotiations continued with the barons , the King ensconced himself in the castle , although no army moved to take it . A truce was agreed with the condition that the King handed over control of the Tower once again . Henry won a significant victory at the Battle of Evesham in 1265 , allowing him to regain control of the country and the Tower of London . Cardinal Ottobuon came to England to excommunicate those who were still rebellious ; the act was deeply unpopular and the situation was exacerbated when the cardinal was granted custody of the Tower . Gilbert de Clare , 6th Earl of Hertford , marched on London in April 1267 and laid siege to the castle , declaring that custody of the Tower was " not a post to be trusted in the hands of a foreigner , much less of an ecclesiastic " . Despite a large army and siege engines , Gilbert de Clare was unable to take the castle . The Earl retreated , allowing the King control of the capital , and the Tower experienced peace for the rest of Henry ' s reign . Although he was rarely in London , Edward I undertook an expensive remodelling of the Tower , costing £21 , 000 between 1275 and 1285 , over double that spent on the castle during the whole of Henry III ' s reign . Edward I was a seasoned castle builder , and used his experience of siege warfare during the crusade s to bring innovations to castle building . His programme of castle building in Wales heralded the introduction of the widespread use of arrowslit s in castle walls across Europe , drawing on Eastern influences . At the Tower of London , Edward filled in the moat dug by Henry III and built a new curtain wall along its line , creating a new enclosure . A new moat was created in front of the new curtain wall . The western part of Henry III ' s curtain wall was rebuilt , with Beauchamp Tower replacing the castle ' s old gatehouse . A new entrance was created , with elaborate defences including two gatehouses and a barbican . In an effort to make the castle self - sufficient , Edward I also added two watermill s . Six hundred Jews were imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1278 , charged with coin clipping . Persecution of the country ' s Jewish population under Edward began in 1276 and culminated in 1290 when he issued the Edict of Expulsion , forcing the Jews out of the country . Later medieval period . During Edward II ' s reign ( 1307 – 1327 ) there was relatively little activity at the Tower of London . However , it was during this period that the Privy Wardrobe was founded . The institution was based at the Tower and responsible for organising the state ' s arms . Margaret de Clare , Baroness Badlesmere became the first woman imprisoned in the Tower of London after she refused Queen Isabella admittance to Leeds Castle and ordered her archers to fire upon Isabella , killing six of the royal escort . Generally reserved for high - ranking inmates , the Tower was the most important royal prison in the country . However it was not necessarily very secure , and throughout its history people bribed the guards to help them escape . In 1322 Roger Mortimer , 1st Earl of March , was aided in his escape from the Tower by the Sub - Lieutenant of the Tower who let Mortimer ' s men inside . They hacked a hole in his cell wall and Mortimer escaped to a waiting boat . He fled to France where he encountered Edward ' s Queen . They began an affair and plotted to overthrow the King . One of Mortimer ' s first acts on entering England was to capture the Tower and release the prisoners held there . For three years he ruled while Edward III was too young to do so himself ; in 1330 , Edward and his supporters captured Mortimer and threw him in the Tower . Under Edward III ' s rule ( 1312 – 1377 ) England experienced renewed success in warfare after his father ' s reign had put the realm on the backfoot against the Scots and French . Amongst Edward ' s successes were the battles of Crécy and Poitiers where King John II of France was taken prisoner , and the capture of the King David II of Scotland at Neville ' s Cross . During this period , the Tower of London held many noble prisoners of war . Edward II had allowed the Tower of London to fall into a state of disrepair , and by the reign of Edward III the castle was an uncomfortable place . The nobility held captive within its walls were unable to engage in activities such as hunting which were permissible at other royal castles used as prisons , for instance Windsor . Edward III ordered that the castle should be renovated . When Richard II was crowned in 1377 , he led a procession from the Tower to Westminster Abbey . This tradition began in at least the early 14th century and lasted until 1660 . During the Peasants ' Revolt of 1381 the Tower of London was besieged with the King inside . When Richard rode out to meet with Wat Tyler , the rebel leader , a crowd broke into the castle without meeting resistance and looted the Jewel House . The Archbishop of Canterbury , Simon Sudbury , took refuge in St John ' s Chapel , hoping the mob would respect the sanctuary . However , he was taken away and beheaded on Tower Hill . Six years later there was again civil unrest , and Richard spent Christmas in the security of the Tower rather than Windsor as was more usual . When Henry Bolingbroke returned from exile in 1399 , Richard was imprisoned in the White Tower . He abdicated and was replaced on the throne by Bolingbroke , who became King Henry IV . In the 15th century , there was little building work at the Tower of London , yet the castle still remained important as a place of refuge . When supporters of the late Richard II attempted a coup , Henry IV found safety in the Tower of London . During this period , the castle also held many distinguished prisoners . The heir to the Scottish throne , later King James I of Scotland , was kidnapped while journeying to France in 1406 and held in the Tower . The reign of Henry V ( 1413 – 1422 ) renewed England ' s fortune in the Hundred Years ' War against France . As a result of Henry ' s victories , such as the Battle of Agincourt , many high - status prisoners were held in the Tower of London until they were ransomed . Much of the latter half of the 15th century was occupied by the Wars of the Roses between the claimants to the throne , the houses of Lancaster and York . The castle was once again besieged in 1460 , this time by a Yorkist force . The Tower was damaged by artillery fire but only surrendered when Henry VI was captured at the Battle of Northampton . With the help of Richard Neville , 16th Earl of Warwick ( nicknamed " the Kingmaker " ) Henry recaptured the throne for a short time in 1470 . However , Edward IV soon regained control and Henry VI was imprisoned in the Tower of London , where he was probably murdered . During the wars , the Tower was fortified to withstand gunfire , and provided with loopholes for cannons and handguns : an enclosure was created for this purpose to the south of Tower Hill , although it no longer survives . Shortly after the death of Edward IV in 1483 , the notorious murder of the Princes in the Tower is traditionally believed to have taken place . The incident is one of the most infamous events associated with the Tower of London . Edward V ' s uncle Richard Duke of Gloucester was declared Lord Protector while the prince was too young to rule . The 12 - year - old Edward was confined to the Tower of London along with his younger brother Richard . The Duke of Gloucester was proclaimed King Richard III in July . The princes were last seen in public in June 1483 ; the most likely reason for their disappearance is that they were murdered late in the summer of 1483 . Bones thought to belong to them were discovered in 1674 when the 12th - century forebuilding at the entrance to the White Tower was demolished . Opposition to Richard escalated until he was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 by the Lancastrian Henry Tudor , who ascended to the throne as Henry VII . Changing use . The beginning of the Tudor period marked the start of the decline of the Tower of London ' s use as a royal residence . As 16th - century chronicler Raphael Holinshed said the Tower became used more as " an armouries and house of munition , and thereunto a place for the safekeeping of offenders than a palace roiall for a king or queen to sojourne in " . The Yeoman Warder s have been the Royal Bodyguard since at least 1509 . During the reign of Henry VIII , the Tower was assessed as needing considerable work on its defences . In 1532 Thomas Cromwell spent £3 , 593 on repairs and imported nearly 3000 tons of Caen stone for the work . Even so , this was not sufficient to bring the castle up to the standard of contemporary military fortifications which were designed to withstand powerful artillery . Although the defences were repaired , the palace buildings were left in a state of neglect after Henry ' s death . Their condition was so poor that they were virtually uninhabitable . From 1547 onwards , the Tower of London was only used as a royal residence when its political and historic symbolism was considered useful , for instance each of Edward VI , Mary I , and Elizabeth I briefly stayed at the Tower before their coronations . In the 16th century , the Tower acquired an enduring reputation as a grim , forbidding prison . This had not always been the case . As a royal castle , it was used by the monarch to imprison people for various reasons , however these were usually high - status individuals for short periods rather than common citizenry as there were plenty of prisons elsewhere for such people . Contrary to the popular image of the Tower , prisoners were able to make their life easier by purchasing amenities such as better food or tapestries through the Lieutenant of the Tower . As holding prisoners was originally an incidental role of the Tower – as would have been the case for any castle – there was no purpose - built accommodation for prisoners until 1687 when a brick shed , a " Prison for Soldiers " , was built to the north - west of the White Tower . The Tower ' s reputation for torture and imprisonment derives largely from 16th - century religious propagandists and 19th - century romanticists . Although much of the Tower ' s reputation is exaggerated , the 16th and 17th centuries marked the castle ' s zenith as a prison , with many religious and political undesirables locked away . The Privy Council had to sanction the use of torture , so it was not often used ; between 1540 and 1640 , the peak of imprisonment at the Tower , there were 48 recorded cases of the use of torture . The three most common forms used were the infamous rack , the Scavenger ' s daughter , and manacles . The rack was introduced to England in 1447 by the Duke of Exeter , the Constable of the Tower ; consequentially it was also known as the Duke of Exeter ' s daughter . Among those held and executed at the Tower was Anne Boleyn . Although the Yeoman Warders were once the Royal Bodyguard , by the 16th and 17th centuries their main duty had become to look after the prisoners . The Tower was often a safer place than other prisons in London such as the Fleet , where disease was rife . High - status prisoners could live in conditions comparable to those they might expect outside ; one such example was that while Walter Raleigh was held in the Tower his rooms were altered to accommodate his family , including his son who was born there in 1605 . Executions were usually carried out on Tower Hill rather than in the Tower of London itself , and 112 people were executed on the hill over 400 years . Before the 20th century , there had been seven executions within the castle on Tower Green ; as was the case with Lady Jane Grey , this was reserved for prisoners for whom public execution was considered dangerous . After Lady Jane Grey ' s execution on 12 February 1554 , Queen Mary I imprisoned her sister Elizabeth , later Queen Elizabeth I , in the Tower under suspicion of causing rebellion as Sir Thomas Wyatt had led a revolt against Mary in Elizabeth ' s name . The Office of Ordnance and Armoury Office were founded in the 15th century , taking over the Privy Wardrobe ' s duties of looking after the monarch ' s arsenal and valuables . As there was no standing army before 1661 , the importance of the royal armoury at the Tower of London was that it provided a professional basis for procuring supplies and equipment in times of war . The two bodies were resident at the Tower from at least 1454 , and by 16th century they had moved to a position in the inner ward . Political tensions between Charles I and Parliament in the second quarter of the 17th century led to an attempt by forces loyal to the King to secure the Tower and its valuable contents , including money and munitions . London ' s Trained Bands , a militia force , were moved into the castle in 1640 . Plans for defence were drawn up and gun platforms were built , readying the Tower for war . The preparations were never put to the test . In 1642 , Charles I attempted to arrest five Members of Parliament . When this failed he fled the city , and Parliament retaliated by removing Sir John Byron , the Lieutenant of the Tower . The Trained Bands had switched sides , and now supported Parliament ; together with the London citizenry , they blockaded the Tower . With permission from the King , Byron relinquished control of the Tower . Parliament replaced Byron with a man of their own choosing , Sir John Conyers . By the time the English Civil War broke out in November 1642 , the Tower of London was already in Parliament ' s control . The last monarch to uphold the tradition of taking a procession from the Tower to Westminster to be crowned was Charles II in 1660 . At the time , the castle ' s accommodation was in such poor condition that he did not stay there the night before his coronation . Under the Stuart kings the Tower ' s buildings were remodelled , mostly under the auspices of the Office of Ordnance . Just over £4 , 000 was spent in 1663 on building a new storehouse , now known as the New Armouries in the inner ward . In the 17th century there were plans to enhance the Tower ' s defences in the style of the " trace italienne " , however they were never acted on . Although the facilities for the garrison were improved with the addition of the first purpose - built quarters for soldiers ( the " Irish Barracks " ) in 1670 , the general accommodations were still in poor condition . When the Hanoverian dynasty ascended the throne , their situation was uncertain and with a possible Scottish rebellion in mind , the Tower of London was repaired . Gun platforms added under the Stuarts had decayed . The number of guns at the Tower was reduced from 118 to 45 , and one contemporary commentator noted that the castle " would not hold out four and twenty hours against an army prepared for a siege " . For the most part , the 18th - century work on the defences was spasmodic and piecemeal , although a new gateway in the southern curtain wall permitting access from the wharf to the outer ward was added in 1774 . The moat surrounding the castle had become silted over the centuries since it was created despite attempts at clearing it . It was still an integral part of the castle ' s defences , so in 1830 the Constable of the Tower , the Duke of Wellington , ordered a large - scale clearance of several feet of silt . However this did not prevent an outbreak of disease in the garrison in 1841 caused by poor water supply , resulting in several deaths . To prevent the festering ditch posing further health problems , it was ordered that the moat should be drained and filled with earth . The work began in 1843 and was mostly complete two years later . The construction of the Waterloo Barracks in the inner ward began in 1845 , when the Duke of Wellington laid the foundation stone . The building could accommodate 1 , 000 men ; at the same time , separate quarters for the officers were built to the north - east of the White Tower . The building is now the headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers . The popularity of the Chartist movement between 1828 and 1858 led to a desire to refortify the Tower of London in the event of civil unrest . It was the last major programme of fortification at the castle . Most of the surviving installations for the use of artillery and firearms date from this period . During the First World War , eleven men were tried in private and shot by firing squad at the Tower for espionage . During the Second World War , the Tower was once again used to hold prisoners of war . One such person was Rudolf Hess , Adolf Hitler ' s deputy , albeit just for four days in 1941 . He was the last state prisoner to be held at the castle . The last person to be executed at the Tower was German spy Josef Jakobs who was shot on 14 August 1941 . The executions for espionage during the wars took place in a prefabricated miniature rifle range which stood in the outer ward and was demolished in 1969 . Restoration and tourism . Over the 18th and 19th centuries , the palatial buildings were slowly adapted for other uses and demolished . Only the Wakefield and St Thomas ' Towers survive . The 18th century marked an increasing interest in England ' s medieval past . One of the effects was the emergence of Gothic Revival architecture . In the Tower ' s architecture , this was manifest when the New Horse Armoury was built in 1825 against the south face of the White Tower . It featured elements of Gothic Revival architecture such as battlements . Other buildings were remodelled to match the style and the Waterloo Barracks were described as " castellated Gothic of the 15th century " . Between 1845 and 1885 institutions such as the Mint which had inhabited the castle for centuries moved to other sites ; many of the post - medieval structures left vacant were demolished . In 1855 the War Office took over responsibility for manufacture and storage of weapons from the Ordnance Office , which was gradually phased out of the castle . At the same time , there was greater interest in the history of the Tower of London . Public interest was partly fuelled by contemporary writers , of whom the work of William Harrison Ainsworth was particularly influential . In " The Tower of London : A Historical Romance " he created a vivid image of underground torture chambers and devices for extracting confessions that stuck in the public imagination . Harrison also played another role in the Tower ' s history , as he suggested that Beauchamp Tower should be opened to the public so they could see the inscriptions of 16th - and 17th - century prisoners . Working on the suggestion , Anthony Salvin refurbished the tower and led a further programme for a comprehensive restoration at the behest of Prince Albert . Salvin was succeeded in the work by John Taylor . When a feature did not meet his expectations of medieval architecture Taylor would ruthlessly remove it ; as a result , several important buildings within the castle were pulled down and in some cases post - medieval internal decoration removed . Although only one bomb fell on the Tower of London in the First World War ( it landed harmlessly in the moat ) , the Second World War left a greater mark . On 23 September 1940 , during the Blitz , high - explosive bombs damaged the castle , destroying several buildings and narrowly missing the White Tower . After the war , the damage was repaired and the Tower of London was reopened to the public . The Tower of London has become established as one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country . It has been a tourist attraction since at least the Elizabethan period , when it was one of the sights of London that foreign visitors wrote about . Its most popular attractions were the Royal Menagerie and displays of armour . The Crown Jewels also garner much interest , and have been on public display since 1669 . The Tower steadily gained popularity with tourists through the 19th century , despite the opposition of the Duke of Wellington to visitors . Numbers became so high that by 1851 a purpose - built ticket office was erected . By the end of the century , over 500 , 000 were visiting the castle every year . In the 21st century tourism is the Tower ' s primary role , the remaining routine military activities , under the Royal Logistic Corps , having wound down in the latter half of the century and moved out of the castle . However , the Tower is still home to the ceremonial regimental headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers , and the museum dedicated to it and its predecessor , the Royal Fusiliers . Also , a detachment of the unit providing the Queen ' s Guard at Buckingham Palace still mounts a guard at the Tower , and with the Yeomen Warders , takes part in the Ceremony of the Keys each day . On several occasions through the year gun salutes are fired from the Tower by the Honourable Artillery Company , these consist of 62 rounds for royal occasions , and 41 on other occasions . In 1974 , there was a bomb explosion in the Mortar Room in the White Tower , leaving one person dead and 35 injured . No one claimed responsibility for the blast , but the police investigated suspicions that the IRA was behind it . The Tower of London is cared for by an independent charity , Historic Royal Palaces , which receives no funding from the Government or the Crown . In 1988 , the Tower of London was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites , in recognition of its global importance and to help conserve and protect the site . However , recent developments , such as the construction of skyscrapers nearby , have pushed the Tower towards being added to the United Nations ' Heritage in Danger List . The remains of the medieval palace have been open to the public since 2006 . Visitors can explore the chambers restored to their former glory , once used by past kings and queens . Although the position of Constable of the Tower remains the highest position held at the Tower , the responsibility of day - to - day administration is delegated to the Resident Governor . At least six ravens are kept at the Tower at all times , in accordance with the belief that if they are absent , the kingdom will fall . They are under the care of the Yeomen Warders . The earliest known reference to a Tower raven is a picture from 1883 . As well as having ceremonial duties , the Yeoman Warders provide guided tours around the Tower . According to Historic Royal Palaces , over 2 . 4 million people visited the Tower of London in the year to March 2011 . Crown Jewels . The tradition of housing the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London probably dates from the reign of Henry III . The Jewel House was built specifically to house the royal regalia , including jewels , plate , and symbols of royalty such as the crown , sceptre , and sword . When money needed to be raised , the treasure could be pawned by the monarch . The treasure allowed the monarch independence from the aristocracy , and consequently was closely guarded . A new position for " keeper of the jewels , armouries and other things " was created , which was well rewarded ; in the reign of Edward III ( 1312 – 1377 ) the holder was paid 12d a day . The position grew to include other duties including purchasing royal jewels , gold , and silver , and appointing royal goldsmiths and jewellers . In 1649 , during the English Civil War , the contents of the Jewel House were disposed of along with other royal properties . Metal items were sent to the Mint to be melted down and re - used , and the crowns were " totallie broken and defaced " . When the monarchy was restored in 1660 , the only surviving items of the coronation regalia were a 12th - century spoon and three ceremonial swords . The rest of the Crown Jewels had to be recreated . In 1669 , the Jewel House was demolished and the Crown Jewels moved into Martin Tower where they could be viewed by the paying public . This was exploited two years later when Colonel Thomas Blood attempted to steal them . Blood and his accomplices bound and gagged the Jewel House keeper . Although they laid their hands on the Imperial State Crown , Sceptre and Orb , they were foiled when the keeper ' s son turned up unexpectedly and raised the alarm . The Crown Jewels are currently stored in the Waterloo Barracks at the Tower . Menagerie . The Royal Menagerie is first referenced during the reign of Henry III . In 1251 , the sheriffs were ordered to pay fourpence a day towards the upkeep for the King ' s polar bear ; the bear attracted a great deal of attention from Londoners when it went fishing in the Thames . In 1254 , the sheriffs were ordered to subsidise the construction of an elephant house at the Tower . The exact location of the medieval menagerie is unknown , although the lions were kept in the barbican known as Lion Tower . The royal collection was swelled by diplomatic gifts including three leopards from Frederick III , the Holy Roman Emperor . By the 18th century , the menagerie was open to the public ; admission cost three half - pence or the supply of a cat or dog to be fed to the lions . In 1828 there were over 280 animals representing at least 60 species The last of the animals left in 1835 , relocated to Regents Park , after one of the lions was accused of biting a soldier . The Keeper of the Royal Menagerie was entitled to use the Lion Tower as a house for life . Consequently , even though the animals had long since left the building , the Lion Tower was not demolished until the last keeper ' s death in 1853 . During 2011 an exhibition was hosted at the Tower with fine wire sculptures by Kendra Haste . Ghosts . The ghost of Anne Boleyn , beheaded in 1536 for treason against Henry VIII , allegedly haunts the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula , where she is buried , and has been said to walk around the White Tower carrying her head under her arm . Other ghosts include Henry VI , Lady Jane Grey , Margaret Pole , and the Princes in the Tower . In January 1816 , a sentry on guard outside the Jewel House claimed to have witnessed an apparition of a bear advancing towards him , and reportedly died of fright a few days later . In October 1817 , a tubular , glowing apparition was claimed to have been seen in the Jewel House by the Keeper of the Crown Jewels , Edmund Lenthal Swifte . He said that the apparition hovered over the shoulder of his wife , leading her to exclaim : " Oh , Christ ! It has seized me ! " Other nameless and formless terrors have been reported , more recently , by night staff at the Tower . References . Notes Footnotes Bibliography