In London, travelling with CAMarchand.

Spent the day with a tour of the Tower.  When William of Normandy came over to this island to increase his real-estate holdings he first of all defeated the Saxon army at Hastings. The defeated army retreated to the old Roman town of London, so William (now the Conquerer) followed them to complete his hold.  He immediately razed some of the old Roman walls on the bank of the River Thames, and began to build the white tower. The first construction at the assembly of buildings known as “the Tower”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

William moved in immediately.  This construction soaring over the town of one or two story buildings was meant to communicate the wealth and power of the new overlords.

Here is a picture of William’s private chapel, still being used after 900 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now a major World Heritage tourist site, the Tower is regarded along with Westminster as the soul of England.  It has housed royalty, the mint, an armory, a repository for the crown jewels, and served as a prison .. for which it  is mostly remembered.

The white tower today houses an exhibition of weapons and armor from the past 500 years.  The crown jewels and gold plate etc. are also exhibited in the Tower.

Most of the executions at the Tower (actually up the hill at the site of the current Tower tube station) occurred in the 1500’s during the period when England vacillated back and forth between Catholics and Protestants who killed one another.

Here is some graffiti carved during the 1500’s by religious captives waiting for torture and the axe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Famous persons may or may not have been treated better.  Thomas Beckett languished here for years but had his own apartment with his books and papers and food and servants.

Sir Walter Raleigh had his own rooms. Here is his office.

 

 

 

 

 

Henry the Eighth, of 6 wives, had two of them beheaded here.  For both he did them the courtesy of allowing the beheading to take place more privately inside the Tower grounds. He even imported a special swordsman from France each time who could take their head with one stroke, axes being more hit and miss.

Perhaps appropriately the Tower is permanently inhabited by Ravens.