Tower of London

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St. Thomas's Tower and Traitors' Gate at the waterside entrance to the Tower of London. A political prisoner conveyed through the gate awaited either a long period of incarceration or the (usually public) spectacle of his execution.

The White Tower, the central keep of the Tower of London.

Armour of Henry VIII on display at the Tower of London.

Learn how the Tower of London served as an armory, housed the Crown Jewels, and is tended by the yeoman warder

Listen to a town crier welcome passersby outside the Tower of London and Tower Hill Pageant

For Students

Tower of London summary

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Geography & Travel

Tower of London

tower, London, United Kingdom

Also known as: The Tower

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 21, 2024 • Article History

Category: Geography & Travel

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Mar. 14, 2024, 5:46 PM ET (MSN)

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Tower of London, royal fortress and London landmark. Its buildings and grounds served historically as a royal palace, a political prison, a place of execution, an arsenal, a royal mint, a menagerie, and a public records office. It is located on the north bank of the River Thames, in the extreme western portion of the borough of Tower Hamlets, on the border with the central City of London. Immediately after his coronation (Christmas 1066), William I the Conqueror began to erect fortifications on the site to dominate the indigenous mercantile community and to control access to the Upper Pool of ...(100 of 785 words)

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