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London Sightseeing Tower area
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Worth seeing in the Tower area
The walk you can follow here takes in the sights one by one:
Start of walk: Tower Hill underground station
End of walk: London Bridge underground station
Distance: 2.5 km
Tower of London
metro: Tower Hill
The first people you will come across are the colourfully dressed guards. Officially the Yeoman Warders, they are much better known as Beefeaters. Nobody knows how they came to be called Beefeaters, but the most likely explanation is that the daily guard was paid with a portion of meat. The ceremonial and workaday uniforms are still very reminiscent of those from the period of Henry VIII. The Yeoman Warders give guided tours in their blue uniform. The ceremonial uniform is reserved for state occasions.
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It would take far too long to describe everything there is to visit here. What you should certainly not forget is the walk along the walls of the fortress. If you like the clang of arms you should visit the central building, the White Tower. It tells the history of the building itself and displays the weapons that were used in the Tower. There is also Tower Green, where most of the famous people were imprisoned. A visit to the mediaeval palace soon reveals that comfort was very primitive in those days. However, a visit to the Tower involves more than admiring the raven and the impressive structure of the building. Since as far back as the 17th century this fortress has been and still is the home of the Crown Jewels - well guarded in a cellar in the Waterloo Block. If you want to savour your visit to the Tower of London you should set aside at least half a day.
It probably won’t escape your attention that there are ravens hanging or flying around the Tower. Charles II was warned that when the raven left the Tower the kingdom would fall. Or, at least, so legend has it. Charles II ordered that a colony of ravens always be kept within the walls. This is done by clipping a wing, which makes them less stable in flight and prevents them from venturing far from the Tower.
Tower Bridge
metro: Tower Hill
Tower Bridge is just about synonymous with London. Opened to traffic in 1894 it is now one of the largest drawbridges in the world. The thousand-ton bridge sections can be raised in a little over a minute. Few large ships pass the bridge these days so it is no longer frequently in use. Never mind, there is an extremely good museum in one of the support pillars, which tells you everything there is to know about this technological wonder of the 19th century.
H.M.S. Belfast
metro: London Bridge
The battle cruiser HMS Belfast, which lies at anchor on the Thames near the Tower, is fitted out as the Royal Navy Museum. It took part in the 1944 landing and now gives a good picture of how hard life was on board.
London Dungeon
metro: London Bridge
This is no place for the sensitive, or the fainthearted, or people prone to nightmares. It is not real, but it’s barely conceivable. The wax images will give you the fright of your life. The light and sound effects transport you to the realm of murder and torture. Calling the London Dungeon a 'house of horrors' is putting it mildly.
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Picture: © Photographer: Lance Bellers | Agency: Dreamstime.com
Text: GVDV - © AT-Europe bvba
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