Tower of London

The Tower of London is officially Her Majesty's Palace and Fortress, The Tower of London, although the last ruler to reside in it as a palace was King James I (1566-1625). The White Tower, the square building with turrets on each corner that gave it its name, is actually in the middle of a complex of several buildings along the River Thames in London, which have served as fortress, armoury, treasury, mint, palace, place of execution, public records office, observatory, refuge, and prison, particularly for upper class prisoners. This last use has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower" meaning "imprisoned." Elizabeth I was imprisoned for a time in the Tower during her sister Mary's reign; the last use of the Tower as a prison was during World War II, for Rudolf Hess.

Location

The Tower is located at the eastern boundary of the City of London financial district, adjacent to the River Thames and Tower Bridge. Between the river and the Tower is Tower Wharf, a freely accessible walkway with excellent views of the river, tower and bridge, together with HMS Belfast and London City Hall on the opposite bank.

Related Topics:
City of London - River Thames - Tower Bridge - HMS Belfast - London City Hall

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The nearest public transport locations are:

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• Tower Hill tube station (London Underground District and Circle lines)
• Tower Gateway DLR station (Docklands Light Railway)
• Fenchurch Street railway station (National Rail)
• Tower Millennium Pier (river cruise boats)
• St Katherine's Dock (Thames Clipper commuter boats)