What is the Tower of London?
It's a castle in London that was established in 1066 after the Norman Conquest, when William the Conqueror built the White Tower. It was extended over the years and used as a royal home, a prison, an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the Royal Mint, a public record office, and the home of the Crown Jewels.
What's the Tower of London like?
It's hugely historic - the list of people in history who have been incarcerated in the Tower is very long, from the future Queen Elizabeth I to Guy Fawkes. If you then add the Crown Jewels on to that, plus the Beefeaters and the ravens, it's a fascinating day out.
Where is the Tower of London?
London, England
When did we go?
October 2019
How did we get there?
I took my godsons - we went on the Tube.
Worth noting
Ronnie and Reggie Kray were held at the Tower in 1952 for failing to report for military service. One of the last people to be actually imprisoned there as a state prisoner was Rudolf Hess, the second in command to Adolf Hitler in the Nazi Party. He was captured in 1941 when he parachuted into Scotland and was held at the Tower for a few days. A German spy called Josef Jakobs was the last man to be executed at the Tower, by firing squad in 1941.
Where was the Tower of London in the 2015 edition of the Lonely Planet Ultimate Travel List?
467. It went up 184 places.
Does the Tower of London deserve its place in the 2020 top 500?
Yes, definitely.
