Beginning a castle weekend - Friday 7/8

After a quiet morning in office, I decided to go to the Tower of London. There were also several students in the program who wanted to go along, so we met up and headed to what was the heart of medieval London, the Tower. The tower is a large castle that was started right after William the Conqueror won England from the Anglo-Saxon king at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. In order to consolidate his power and to display his intent to stay in power, William had a series of castles built in the Norman French (where he was from) style all over England. However, he started in London. The part of the castle he had built incorporated several of the still standing Roman walls from Roman fort that had been in London and was finished about the year 1080. It was a tall tower painted white, and called appropriately enough, the White Tower. The name has stuck ever since. The Tower has served many roles over the centuries. At first, it was a garrisoned defense outpost and residence for the king. Then across time it has been a prison, an armory, a zoo, and now is a living museum and very well guarded repository for the Crown Jewels of England. It has become a symbol for London, and a symbol of the monarchy. It is still listed as one of the official residences of the monarch, though the Queen doesn't actually reside there. Still, to this day, the night before  a monarch is crowned, he or she stays in the Tower and then makes the trip to Westminster Abbey from the Tower, through the streets of London. Basically, the Tower is a poignant and lasting symbol of the traditions that the monarchy and England are founded on.

Now, here are some pictures.

the White Tower built by William I in 1080

EC Study Abroad - London students who went to the Tower of London with me

another view of the White Tower with a segment of Roman wall in the foreground and the Jewel House in the background

the chapel of the White Tower with classic Norman rounded arches

a recreation of what the king's bedroom might have looked like during the reign of Henry III when he built his palace in the castle, but not in the White Tower

a memorial placed at the spot where noblity would have been executed in the Tower - these included Queen Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, and others

this is the view from the memorial looking across Tower Green, inside the Tower of London, at the house that Anne Boleyn stayed in while waiting for her execution - today, these houses are used for some of hte senior members of the castles garrison and Queen's Guard - the Yeoman Warders

this is the infamous Water Gate, also called the Traitor's Gate - where the noble persons who were sentenced to death would arrive for their final stay at the Tower while awaiting their execution

Well, on that somewhat morbid note, I'll end this posting for today.