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The Tower of London is one of the most familiar and unique
structures found inBritain. It is a symbol of the great power of
the English state and holds much of Englands history was well. Many
famous figures have spent some time at theTower of London, however
not all have had pleasant stays.
The White Tower was the first building of the Tower of London.
It was built as a residentialpalace and fortress for the king or
queen. Although the official title of the Tower is 'HerMajesty's
Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London', there is not
actually a Tower ofLondon. Over the years, the Tower of London has
become the term used for the entirecomplex. Since it was built in
1078, the White Tower has been used as a prison, a storehouse,and a
museum. Until recently it was home to the national collection of
arms and armour thatbelong to the Royal Armouries.
The Tower of London was protected by London Bridge, which served
as an entrance to the fortress. It was
much easier to defend the Tower when there was one clear path in
and out. The bridge also provided two very
tall towers in the middle of the bridge, which were perfect for
looking out over the Thames River; this is
sometimes why London Bridge is also referred to as Tower Bridge.
The London Bridge was started in 1176
and completed in circa 1209, the bridge took over thirty years
to construct and claimed the lives of about one
hundred and fifty young men.
The Tower of London has a rich history, one that cannot be
equaled or surpassed by any other European
structure. There have been many tales that have originated from
the Tower of London, stories of murder,
beheadings, imprisonment, treason, and oddly enough ravens. One
of the best known lures in London is that
of the raven on the Tower of London. Legend has it that ravens
have been protecting the Tower for nine
hundred years, if they are ever to leave the crown and the Tower
will fall. Legend has it that if a raven can
be heard croaking, someone will die shortly. There was much
controversy between the observation tower and
the ravens.
Nothing made the Tower as famous as those who were imprisoned
and executed there. Although there were
many criminals that were executed outside of the Tower, usually
at a public execution site, the high profile
prisoners were publicly executed on Tower Hill. The only privacy
that occurred during executions was
mainly reserved for ladies.
