For nearly 1,000 years the Tower of London has overlooked the River Thames. Today it is largely a museum, and a fascinating look back into English history. Here's a full tour.
Despite its name, the "Tower" refers to the entire castle. Each of the individual towers has its own name. This view is the approach from Tower Hill tube station.
Passing through the first wall, you're greeted by this long building, which at one point housed the Royal Mint around the time it was run by Isaac Newton.
The infamous Traitor's Gate, mentioned in many books of history and fiction, not least Neal Stephenson's epic Baroque Cycle (I saw no signs of Enoch Root anywhere).
You don't even notice you've crossed a bridge over Water Lane to Wakefield Tower. Built by Henry III in the 1220s, it's one of the oldest parts of the castle.
With this view especially, I wonder what the many builders of the Tower would think of London today, and that their castle is now pretty much solely a tourist attraction. (Editor's note: That brick building on the right edge of shot, once a warehouse, used to house CNET's UK offices.)
These ravens are big. The size of cats. They make spooky noises. They do not care about you. Legend has it that should they fly away, the monarchy will fall and Britain with it. Hence their wings being clipped -- they can't fly away.
This space was used for a variety of different things throughout its life. Originally it was likely part of the royal apartments. Later it was used as an armory, magazine and today, a museum.
To round out your day, keep walking towards the Shard (you can hardly miss it), and check out the view from the top. I recommend watching the sun set over the Tower, the bridge and the rest of this amazing city. (This is from my Instagram too.)
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Discuss: Take a tour around the Tower of London
Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion.