Tony and the Tower of London

We wandered down to the Thames River and went to visit one the most popular London Attrations - The Tower of London.

This was a fort going back practically to the days of the Roman fortification that was built on this location. You can still see parts of the Roman walls that originally surrounded the settlement.






The Tower grew over the years and became the fortification we see today. Inside the tower is the keep. This is the oldest part of the Tower, and you have to climb to the second floor to get inside. It has its own well, and would have been a great last refuge in times of danger.


The Tower also houses the "Crown Jewels". This is where you can see the crowns worn by the different monarchs over the years including the current crown which the queen wore to the ceremonial reopening of Parliament shortly after the current election. It is quite large and has a huge Saphire in the middle of it.

The tour takes you inside what amounts to a giant vault with a moving pathway so you pass by the crowns and the different scepters and other sources of regal authority.

We also saw the spot where so many historic people were put to death: Anne Bolelyn, Sir Thomas Moore, Lady Jane Grey etc. Tony and I are huge fans of the TV series "The Tudors", and the second season followed the rise and fall of Anne Bowlyn - Great Series.




We also saw the infamous "Traitors Gate" where Queen Elizabeth I would have been brought in to the Tower by boat when she was imprisoned here.

There was a great display of Armour in the Keep. Some of it is incredibly detailed and beautiful. It's amazing to think that people actually were able to maneuver and fight in these things.

I'd highly recommend seeing it. Henry VIII's personal armor was one of the most impressive pieces.


We felt fortunate that the crowds were small and we were able to walk around and see a lot.