Castles · Tour

Tower of London: the Scaffold Site, the Prison and the Crown Jewels

Every Tower tour mentions the executions. This one goes to the places where they happened, with a Blue Badge guide and timed entry that skips the ticket office queue. The guide starts outside the walls with the structure itself, built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s, before the group goes in. Then Tower Green and the Scaffold Site, the official execution ground, the prison the fortress is most notorious for, and the main torture sites. Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, was among those condemned here after three years of marriage. Whether a prisoner died in private or in public depended on the crime and the rank. The Crown Jewels are the other half of the visit: 100 objects set with over 23,000 gemstones, and the Coronation Regalia at the centre of it, used to crown the sovereigns of England since 1661. Along the way there is the Raven House, and the White Tower with the Royal Armouries inside: the Line of Kings, running 350 years, and the royal armours of Henry VIII, Charles I and James II. The Yeomen Warders, in post since the 15th century, go about their duties around you. Meet 15 minutes before departure at Tower Hill Tube Station: take the main exit and find your guide outside, between the Citizen M Hotel and Trinity Square Gardens, next to the Tower Hill Tram refreshment stand.