LONDON WALK NO 51 GROUP 3 TOWER OF LONDON ORGANISED BY CAROLE ANGEL & JENNIFER CHAPLIN 20 th February 2013 Twenty-three of us alighted at London Bridge, having met up as usual at Tonbridge Station for the 09.32 a.m. train, or joined en route from Tunbridge Wells. The sky was grey, and the air was freezing as we made the short walk to find a coffee shop. Ian became temporary leader as he showed us to cafés in the More London area where we had been before, which were cheaper and more accessible than Hays Galleria. A warming drink did nothing to prepare us for the freezing cold we experienced as we walked along to the river and over Tower Bridge to the Tower of London, passing Traitor s Gate. Reaching the Pay Booths we sorted ourselves into two s to take advantage of the Train 2-for-1 entrance. Being an odd number we had contributed 50p. extra each so that nobody had to pay the full price of 19.00. We had already realised during our journey that it was school half term, and the hoards of children were very obvious here too. Making our way down to the entrance, we passed a display of lions amongst ancient walls. For a long time, powerful rulers tried to impress each other by exchanging living gifts. The exotic animals kept at the Tower showed the wealth and strength of the king. Animals were sent to London from the furthest corners of the known world. In 1235, King Henry III received three lions (or leopards) from Emperor Frederick II. The animals matched the three lions on the King s shield, which still appear on the badges of the English football and cricket teams. Eventually the Tower had its own menagerie, representations of which we came across as we walked around the Tower a polar bear, elephant, and baboons. We chose to take the Yeoman Warder guided tour to begin with, and afterwards to go our separate ways for lunch and tours of other parts of the Tower site. Our Beefeater was called Richard, and was not that tall, and with a huge number of people waiting for the tour, we all crammed in together to try and hear what he was telling us. He told us there were 20 towers, on an 18-acre site. The original moat had been below the level of the river Thames, and therefore became a natural sewage area as it didn t get the clean water provided by the tides. He had us laughing about the outer walls becoming inner walls, and the inner walls becoming outer walls, and then he tested us on some of the information he had previously told us. The term "Beefeaters" was given to the Warders of the Tower of London in 1670. The term originates from the beef & meat rations given to them daily as Warders, in medieval times. Moving on through the outer area, Richard gave us more information, and had us shouting out in response the best of the week so far, he said.
Stopping beside Traitor s Gate, we learnt that its stairs once led directly into the river, although now 50 ft. away. Charged with treason and brought to the Tower by barge, Sir Thomas More, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I, Catherine Howard, the Duke of Monmouth and countless others passed beneath the heavy iron and wood gate, hearing it shut behind them and knowing they were doomed to die. Behind us was the Garden Tower (later to become known as the Bloody Tower), and we were told about the two Princes who were purported to have been murdered there in 1483, and whose bones were found beneath a staircase in the White Tower. Ironic that as we stood there wondering whether in fact it was indeed Richard III who had them killed, his bones had only recently been identified by DNA testing as those found in a Leicester carpark. (Leicester and York are now arguing over who should lay claim to his skeleton Richard III being the last monarch of the House of York, growing up in the Yorkshire Dales.) As we glanced up towards the Tower, some faces peered out at us from the windows above more prisoners, ghosts or just visitors we wondered! With so much history, numerous monarchs, scandals, and tales taking important roles in the future of our country, I will refrain from producing the history lesson that this writeup could easily develop into. Our Yeoman Warder (wearing his informal headgear ceremonial headgear shown here) moved us on through the arch to the inner ward. From the look on Ian s face, you could be forgiven for thinking he was being sent to the block to be beheaded! Passing the White Tower, we stopped again on the stairs leading up to the Chapel of St.Peter ad Vincula. To our right was a large bird cage and wandering casually around the grounds were the ravens. The warders also take care of the six ravens that, according to legend, must continue to live in the fortress, otherwise the Tower and the Kingdom of England will fall. The wings of the ravens are clipped to ensure they do not fly away and one of the warders is given the title of Raven Master. For safety s sake, they now keep 8 ravens on site, and all the ravens at least in the modern era have had names. According to various sources, past birds have been called Baldrick, Bran, Branwen, Cedric, Charlie, Edgar Sopper, George, Grip, Grog, Gundulf, Gwyllum, Hardey, Jim Crow, Mabel, Marley, Odin, Rhys and Thor. Grog escaped "On Saturday 13th September 1986, Raven George, enlisted 1975, was posted to the Welsh Mountain Zoo. Conduct unsatisfactory, service therefore no longer required." and was last seen outside an East End pub called the 'Rose and Punchbowl' in 1981. George received his marching orders in 1986 after he developed an unhealthy taste for TV aerials. Ravens can live to a very ripe age. The oldest raven to live at the Tower was called Jim Crow who died at the age of 44. The current group is purported to consist of Erin, Hugine, Merlin, Munin, Pearl, & Porsha (all females) and the one male, Rocky (lucky Rocky and why is Merlin female!!). The warders comment that the "real beefeaters" at the Tower of London are the Ravens, as they receive a daily ration of beef.
Moving us all on, and thankfully out of the cold, Richard guided us in to the Chapel. The Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula is a Tudor chapel containing monuments to residents of the Tower and its prisoners, including those executed on Tower Green. Originally a parish church, the Chapel was incorporated into the walls of the castle during Henry III s expansion. It has been rebuilt at least twice, once in the reign of Edward I, and then again in its present form in Henry VIII s reign. Three queens of England - Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Grey, and two saints of the Roman Catholic Church, Sir Thomas More and John Fischer, are buried here. Their headless bodies were buried under the nave or chancel without memorial until the 19th century when remains found in the nave were re-interred in the crypt. Richard told us the stories of those buried there was it really Anne Boleyn s coffin? Anne was granted special dispensation to be beheaded by an expert French swordsman, and was buried with her head included with her body in a make-shift coffin of a wooden arrow chest by her ladies, as no special coffin arrangements had been made as Anne was so sure she would be spared! Also the tomb of Sir Richard Cholmondeley, now standing in the middle of the Chapel, provided an interesting story. Although not buried here, one of the oldest monuments in the chapel is the alabaster tomb-chest of Sir Richard Cholmondeley and his wife. He was Lieutenant of the Tower during the reign of Henry VIII but lost favour by firing some of the Tower's artillery at the City, during rioting between Londoners and Lombards. When opened in 1876 during the Victorian restoration, the tomb revealed a Tudor font cut into four sections and is believed to have been hidden there during the Commonwealth. It has now been reassembled and can be seen by the west entrance. A brass plaque on the entrance wall shows a list of those buried in the Chapel. The modern Tower Monument marks the site of the scaffold (now understood to be a short distance away from the actual scaffold site) where seven famous prisoners were privately executed. Public executions were on Tower Hill. On the 19th May 1536, Anne was the first woman to suffer death by beheading for treason. She was followed by four other women: Margaret Pole the Countess of Salisbury (1541), Katherine Howard (1542), Jane- Viscountess Rochford (1542) and Lady Jane Grey (1554). The two men were William Hastings (1483) and Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex (1601). The poem written on the monument reads: With our guided tour ending here, we split up to go our separate ways to look round the many other displays available. Some of us made our way to the Crown Jewel display, housed in the new Jewel House, now part of the Waterloo Barracks. The queue wound up and down towards the entrance, but Gentle visitor pause awhile, where you stand death cut away the light of many days. Here jewelled names were broken from the vivid thread of life, may they rest in peace while we walk the generations around their strife and courage under these restless skies. it kept moving and the mood was jovial as we waited our turn. I am pleased to say that Ian obviously was not beheaded! Entering the Jewel House, we enjoyed the displays of ceremonial swords, sceptres, orbs, robes and of course the crowns and also the warmth from the heating! A moving
walkway either side of the display cabinets ensured that we all got a turn to see these wonderful pieces of history. (No photography allowed, so these are all official photos.) Crowns of Princes of Wales, Frederick & George The most famous diamond in the Crown Jewels, the 105.6 carat Koh-i-Noor diamond is set today in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (1937). It is said to be unlucky for men to wear this diamond as it has a long and bloody history. It will be worn by Kate, when Prince William becomes King. This legendary diamond, originating in the Golconda mines in central southern India, has passed through the hands of conquering Mughal princes, Iranian warriors, Afghan rulers and Punjabi Maharajas before coming to Britain as the spoils of Empire. The Koh-i-Noor, (meaning Mountain of Light in Persian), was surrendered in 1849 to Queen Victoria s representatives following the Anglo-Sikh wars in the Punjab. During David Cameron s recent visit to India, he was asked to return it to India. "I don't think demanding it back is the right approach," Cameron said. "We stole it fair and square, so it's ours." I can hear the Indian Helpdesks now - "When you return our diamond, I will help you with your computer. Call again!!!!! " The Coronation Spoon Cullinan I diamond, or Great Star of Africa, on top of the Sovereign s Sceptre with Cross The Imperial State Crown is set with over 3,000 precious stones, including the Cullinan II diamond worn by the Queen at the State Opening of Parliament The crown of Queen Victoria on display is no more than 10 cms diameter. It was made for her to wear after the death of Albert when she would not wear anything but black (and diamonds!). Leaving the Jewel House, some of us tried to get some lunch, but the café was teeming with children, so we decided to go round the White Tower. The White Tower was the original Tower of London. Begun by William the Conqueror around 1080, it would have made a safe and impressive home for the newly crowned Norman invader. During its long life - it is almost as old as the Millennium - it has served many purposes including Royal residence, Royal Observatory, Public Records Office, State Prison, gunpowder store and is still home to the Royal Armouries. Suits of armour in all shapes and sizes are on display tiny ones belonging to the Princes, and one belonging to Henry VIII, complete with codpiece to enhance his crown jewels. Of course, I had to have a photo. In addition there was a long row of horses, belonging to
the kings of England. The Line of Kings has been restored and is now on display after an absence of over 100 years. Several of the horses were stored beneath Whitehall during the war and following a direct hit from a bomb are now encased in rubble. Only a wooden head representing Elizabeth I was salvaged and this is now in the new display of heads. Some were obvious, like Henry VIII. During our tour of the White Tower, our group searched for some means of beheading me! Nothing came to hand, as it was all screwed down. At the top of the Tower was a new exhibition called Power House displaying a great dragon constructed using objects and materials that represent ten institutions which were housed in the Tower - Ordnance Office, Menagerie, The Royal Mint, Royal Observatory, Ordnance Survey, Record Office, Jewel House, Constables, & Royal Armouries. The dragon is fittingly named Keeper, following a naming competition run in association with TV channel History. Other displays covered previous uses, such as the Royal Mint. The Tower housed the Royal Mint for over 500 years. When local mints were abolished during Henry VIII s reign the Tower became England s only centre for coinage production. In 1662 the old-fashioned, hammered processes were replaced by introducing screw presses and horse-driven rolling mills. By the 19th century the Royal Mint had expanded to occupy a large area in the Tower s outer ward. Short of space and unable to modernise any more, the decision was taken to leave the Tower. In 1810 it moved to new premises nearby on Little Tower Hill. In 1978 the Royal Mint transferred to Llantrisant, South Wales. We had to make our way even further upstairs in order to come down, using the very narrow staircase. This had been designed so that intruders could only come up in single file, and their swords would have to be put in their left hands a disadvantage generally. The protectors would be above, and have swords in their stronger hand. The steps were also designed to hamper intruders with a deeper trip step being added intermittently. I tripped down one of them so they do work! We eventually left the White Tower and made our way back to the café as we were all very hungry by 3pm. Thankfully the café was a little quieter, so we grabbed some food, found a table, and relaxed for half an hour. With only a short time before we all had to meet up again, we made our way towards the exit, passing an elephant and a polar bear en route. Sadly we had not had time to visit a lot of the Richard III angel coin made in the Tower Mint En route we passed a large canon, and some actors entertaining the groups of visitors. The canon was both a weapon of war, but also a piece of art and faith. It was a canon made for the Knights of St. John, the Hospitallers and has scenes from Paul's shipwreck on Malta (where the knights were based) in the Book of Acts of the Apostles, a papal banner, and other Christian symbols.
displays, and the Menagerie Royal Beasts Exhibition in the Brick Tower had been missed by some of us due to its popularity with the children. Other group members had seen the Rack in the Wakefield Tower. Contrary to public belief, the Tower of London was originally built as a Palace and not a prison, and torture was not generally used. Every night the Tower of London is locked up by the Chief Warder who makes his way to the gates from the Byward Tower at exactly 9.53pm for the Ceremony of the Keys. Once all the Tower gates are locked, the Last Post is sounded by a trumpeter and the ceremony is concluded. This ceremony represents a 700-year-old tradition and lasts no more than 10 minutes. Tickets are free but you have to book several months in advance. The Byward Tower is believed to have been built adjacent to the Warder's Hall and from this derived its name (By the Warders). Taking a picture of some of us, I hung on in the middle of the path to catch a picture of a large Beefeater striding towards me. I didn t realize he had a group of Guards marching behind him, until he bellowed at me to get out of the way! Before joining the rest of the group back outside the Tower grounds, by the ticket office, some of us went into the Tourist Office where I quickly took the chance to have my head cut off, thanks to Julie spotting the block and axe.
We realised that no group photo had been taken, so a passing tourist obliged (minus Ros & Jeremy who had already left us). Then we took the short walk to the bus stop for the ride to Charing Cross Station, and the train home. As we stood and looked up towards the road, several of us commented on a building, wondering what it was. Research shows that it is one of the most iconic buildings in the City of London, 10 Trinity Square, now being sympathetically transformed into a luxury hotel, and due to open in 2014. The landmark building, originally the headquarters of the Port of London Authority, opened in 1922. Walking down towards the bus stop, on our left was the Tower Hill Memorial. This is a national war memorial commemorating those from the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets who died during both world wars and have "no grave but the sea". But we were all too ready to get back to Charing Cross to do any more than notice it.
The No.15 bus arrived, but was quite full, and to our glee the old Classic Routemaster bus pulled up behind, so we all jumped on. Some of these buses have been restored and operate on the Heritage routes. Arriving at Charing Cross, we continued to cause chaos, as those upstairs proceeded to get off a stop before those of us on the ground floor. But we all made it to the train, and a seat for the warm journey home. Thank you to Carole and Jennifer for organising another great day in London inspite of it being Half Term. What could have been a very serious day turned out to be one of great hilarity, with the Beefeaters making sure we all took part in their amusing anecdotes. Ian and Mary subsequently sent round a link to some You-Tube videos of an amazing Beefeater who treated his visitors as if they were in the Army and he was their Sergeant-Major!! Scary. So I will end on the same vein, with a great sign produced by Leicester City Council. Long live the great British sense of humour.