The tower of London and its defences

The Tower of London, officially Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, is a
very famous castle that has been developed over nine hundred years. It has
had various uses and functions during this time and the existing structures
and artefacts show the history, development and importance of this castle.
Being nearly a millennium old, this castle is not only the most ancient prison
in England but the oldest fortress and royal palace as well. It is surprising
that it mostly unscathed; this is due to its tactical concentric defences.

Aerial photograph of The Tower of London today

Type of Castle
The Tower of London could fit into three categories of types of castle:
Concentric, Norman Stone Keep and Motte and Bailey. The castle has
developed over time to include the three categories. It started off its journey
as a humble Motte and Bailey before it was developed using stone. Once
progression was made to do with the material, it adopted the style of a
Norman Stone Keep. The White Tower which stills stands today was the
central keep. Over time, the walls around the tower became robust and
plentiful. This meant it could be classified as a concentric castle.

The History
The castle was built by William the Conqueror after he was crowned. The
very first foundations were laid in 1078, based on a plan introduced in 1066,
following the Norman invasion of England. William chose this place because
the remains of a previous castle, built 1000 years earlier by a Roman
Emperor were a key defence structure. Furthermore, his choice of location,
in central London, was to make a statement to the riotous peasants that he
was now King; he had gained this title through power and destruction and
he was determined to keep England under his control until they accepted
defeat. The function of the castle has been very versatile through the ages,
stretching from a prison to a museum, from a palace to a fortress. The castle
was first used as accommodation for the wealthy and a refuge for nobility
when there was trouble in the area. King Henry the Third adopted the castle
as his home in 1240 and added a menagerie (a zoo for exotic animals). After
this, in the year 1279, a Royal mint was installed into the building by Edward
the First.
The Tower has held the Crown Jewels since the seventeenth century along
with many other personal belongings, such as jewellery from the royal
family and other nobility.
The palace mainly prospered as a prison and although it was deemed a cruel
and unforgiving fate, wealthy prisoners, if they were favoured by the
monarch, lived in luxury. Executions also took place there, including the
famous Anne Boylen’s beheading and Guy Fawkes’ hanging.
Throughout the World Wars the castle was not badly damaged. The site was
used for executing the opposition’s spies. This tower is now used today by
the keeper of the infamous ravens. The ravens themselves are kept at the
Tower of London because of a superstition that the castle will fall along with
the Commonwealth of England if the ravens leave. Not only are they kept
there but their wings are clipped so they are unable to escape.

Last person executed at the Tower of London

The Development
William the Conqueror first commissioned a Motte and Bailey castle to be
built on this site. Soon after, the first defensive structure was built. It was a
timber fence-like wall called a palisade. This was built on the north and west
side of the Motte and Bailey. The east and south sides occupied a wall built
by the Romans thousands of years earlier. This was the first enclosure of the
Motte and Bailey and a good layer of defence for anyone residing in it.

Photograph of part of the original Roman Wall

In 1078, William the Conqueror demolished the motte and bailey and
changed it into a Norman Stone Keep. This was a very key development
because the castle now had stone walls rather than timber ones making it
harder to invade as the walls couldn’t be burnt or penetrated easily. They
called this tower the ‘Great Tower’. This tower is the central keep that still
stands today.
 Primary Source: William from the Bayeux Tapestry

Later, in 1097, the Great Tower was finished, just ten years after William the
Conqueror died. The tower was designed and directed by Norman masons,
but the hard labour was done by the English.
The next significant developments were undertaken in 1190. Two curtain
walls, which were defensive walls between two turrets, were built. These
made the keep safer because the invaders would have to get through the new
wall before they could reach it. Alongside this was a great ditch, which
enclosed the tower; a curtain wall, which extended off the original Roman
wall; another ditch, which was supposed to be made a moat from the Thames
but failed; a second curtain wall, which was on the north side of the tower.
All these things added other layers of defence onto the castle as they stopped
attackers reaching the inside efficiently.
The castle was developed further in the same year; the Wardrobe Tower was
completed, and the Bell Tower work commenced. The Wardrobe Tower kept
clothes and jewellery belonging to the monarch. The Bell Tower is quite
famous because of Mary Queen of Scots’ long imprisonment there. It housed
a bell, hence the name, which rang as an alarm for an attack. Fortunately,
nowadays that doesn’t happen, and the bell is only used for the closing time
of the museum.
From 1199, eight years after the first siege of the Tower of London, a
menagerie was installed to keep all the exotic pets that his esteemed guests
brought him.
 Primary Source: People looking at the animals in The Menagerie © New York Library Public

Six years before the Bell tower was completed, St Peter’s church was finished
and in use. This was completed in 1204.
Henry the Third made many advancements to the defences of the castle.
First, he ordered a new wall on the west side. The new wall was another
defence that attackers would need to get through to have a chance of
besieging the main tower. He then made space for more accommodation in
the White Tower by renovating the Great Hall and the kitchens.
From 1238-1272, ten new towers were built including the very famous
Bloody Tower! The Bloody tower is closely associated with deaths and gore.
One of the most famous deaths in the tower is that of Edward the Fifth. He
and his younger brother mysteriously disappeared from the tower and were
never found. There are more deaths too as this tower also held Tudor
prisoners. An example of this is Sir Walter Raleigh. Keeping prisoners in a
well-defended castle was a defensive advantage because not only would the
prisoners not be able to escape but it would intimidate anyone who dared
revolt.
The Great Tower was whitewashed in 1240, around the same time Henry the
Third took the castle as his home. The White Tower is the oldest tower
building and would have originally been the central keep. When it was in use
as a palace, the first royal observatory was housed here. The White Tower
now contains rooms displaying torture devices, weapons and instruments.
 Photograph of the White (Great) Tower

Luxurious lodgings were also built during this time period: the Wakefield
Tower for the King and the Lanthorn Tower for the Queen. The Wakefield
Tower is associated with death as it is the place where Henry the Sixth was
brutally murdered in the Wars of the Roses. In 1471, the King was stabbed
multiple times in the chapel whilst praying. Lanthorn (lantern) Tower was
called this because it was used as a sort of lighthouse for navigation. The
towers that were built, were not only used as accommodation but were
vantage points above the rest of the city. This was useful because if there was
a siege, the people in the tower could see three-hundred and sixty degrees,
which meant they could be ready for anything and prepared for a battle.
A new entrance was also built. Although it had a drawbridge which would
have been protecting the way in, this could be a disadvantage. It was another
way for the attackers to easily get through one of the many defences.
A great curtain wall was built along the north, east and west sides of the
castle. The wall would have been a vital defence when the castle was under
siege because of its great length and its strong stone material. This was also
an advantage because it doubled the amount of space inside the grounds of
the castle which meant room for more vantage points and accommodation.
In addition, the moat was successfully flooded which meant that it was
almost impossible to get past without the drawbridge or a boat.
In 1272-1307, another two curtain walls and a great ditch were added.
As 1275 commenced, the building of St Thomas Tower, Beauchamp Tower
and the Well Tower began. Built by King Edward the First, St Thomas Tower
had many purposes over time. It could have been a prison, a fortress or
accommodation. There is an important gate that this tower is furnished by:
Traitor’s Gate. This was also built by King Edward the First. The view of this
water gate could be a devastating one for many. Originally a harbour, this
was the last sight any traitor would see before heading to their execution,
which was quite often a beheading. Beauchamp Tower is the tower where
they kept the richer and higher-class prisoners. For example, Lady Jane
Grey’s husband was kept here before being executed with Lady Jane Grey
herself. The Well Tower had reinforced edges for better resistance against
battering rams, arrow loopholes for archers and was near an essential well
that was used in times of siege. It was a very strong tower and therefore
added massively to the defence of the Tower of London. At this time, the
moat was also completed.

Primary Source: Painting of the Execution of Lady Jane Grey - Photograph of Traitor’s Gate

The National Portrait Gallery

Another tower was built: the Develin Tower. This was built between 1275-
1285. Originally a post to a grand door that is now demolished, the tower is
one of the lesser known towers of the castle. It was built on the outer defence
of the south east wall, situated on the very edge of the moat.
More defensive curtain walls were built between 1307-1327. These added
to the defensive features of the castle and protected the people inside.
Unfortunately, 73 years after the moat was completed, it had to be emptied
again on account of the Black Death. The Black Death was a horrible disease
killing around 20 million people in Europe. It devastated London too and the
rest of England killing nearly half the population.
The next three advancements happened between 1360-1377. A new
gatehouse was built which meant the it was harder to get to the main
entrance of the keep. The Bloody Tower was rebuilt and another vantage
point - Cradle Tower – was started.

Primary Source: Image of The Tower of London 1400’s Charles, Duke of Orléans (British Library, MS
Royal) (1391–1465)

Edward the Fourth maintained the tower’s defences during his reign.
During the Wars of the Roses, an outer defence was built past the western
entrance. This was good because not only did it add another layer of defence
it covered up a way do get in easily to the castle.
1515 marked the start of the White tower’s roof being strengthened. It was
originally meant to have held a cannon, for an attacking point, but the
strengthening of the roof was a good defensive technique anyway.
15 years later, the work began on building the onion-shaped domes on the
Tower of London’s central keep (the White Tower). These are possibly one
of the most famous features for attraction nowadays.
 Primary Source: A map based on a survey in 1597

The Lion Tower was demolished, and the animals were moved to London
Zoo. This event took place in 1834.
During the First World War, the castle was not too damaged. A bomb hit the
moat but didn’t do too much damage to many towers.
Unfortunately, in the Second World War, the castle was unluckier. Many of
the towers were damaged but it was not too devastating and was not beyond
repair.

A photograph of The Tower of London during the war

Between 1995 and 1999, excavations took place. They unearthed the
Beauchamp Tower’s remains and some of the 13th century defences that had
been damaged by the war.
 Map of The Tower of London showing The Different Towers

This castle has had extra-ordinary development since its first foundations in
1066. In addition, it had so many features that strengthened it as a fortress
and has unbelievably survived over the long period of time it has taken to
become the majestic castle that is worldwide known today.

Sieges
As you can see in the development of the castle, many defences and security
measures were built in order to keep this place from sieges and revolts in
London. However, when the security of the castle was breached, this was due
to human judgement.
The most famous siege at the Tower of London is that of 1381.
The Peasants’ Revolt was sparked by a rise in tax that was unfair according
to the poverty of the peasants at the time. It was not too long after the Black
Death and people were just recovering the money they needed to survive.
Primary Source: The Peasants Revolt Detail of British Library dated: 1385-1400

Around 10,000 men with various jobs led an uprising originating from the
South East. They blamed the governors who did taxing and accounts for
Richard the Second. The servants and nobility of Richard and his mother
found refuge in the Tower of London as it was the strongest fortress. King
Richard, on the 14th of June, stood up to the peasants outside of the Tower of
London. They managed to break into the tower and kill the Archbishop of
Canterbury.
Although the tower was broken into, it is suggested that there was some
loyalty inside the tower gates: the guards. This is shown when Jean Froissart
writes: “The king had ridden out to meet the rebels at Mile End. The Tower’s
drawbridges and portcullis gates had not been raised behind him, and a mob
of at least 400 men stormed the castle. The men-at-arms guarding the Tower
put up no resistance, and the peasants shook their hands as brothers and
stroked their beards in a friendly fashion…” Therefore, we cannot tell how
good the defences of the castle were through this incident.

Main Features of the Castle’s Defence

The main features of the Castle’s defence included concentric defences, many
vantage points, thick stone walls and moat. These combined structures
meant the castle was almost impenetrable through the ages.
The Concentric Walls:
The Tower of London has concentric defences, which is when there is more
than one wall circling the central keep for defence. This was very useful for
defending the castle because once any attackers had got through the first
wall, they still would have had another wall to penetrate before they have a
chance of getting into the central keep. Also, high up on the battlements,
were archers who could fire in either direction and shoot down attackers
whether on the inside of the walls or on the streets of London outside the
walls.

The Many Vantage Points:

With twenty-one towers circling three hundred and sixty degrees around the
castle, it is no surprise that you can see over almost all of London. This meant
people living in the castle could be prepared for attacks and if the invaders
managed to get through the concentric defences, then archers could fire off
the battlements on the towers.

Thickness of the Walls:

The walls of the castle are up to 15 feet thick. Imagine trying to get through
that! If you wanted to go over the walls, then they are up to 30 feet high. This
was a key defence because it was almost impossible to scale the wall or
smash your way through it. Therefore, the walls were virtually undefeatable.

Moat:
Although the moat had to be drained a few times, it was also key to the
defence of the castle. There were only two way to access, thanks to the water:
by a barge or a drawbridge. The drawbridges could only be opened from the
inside and this narrowed it down for many invaders. The barge went in
through another gate, which would have been closed and guarded by
Yeomen.

Living in the Tower of London in the Middle Ages?

This is my interpretation of what it was like to live in the prison, in the Tower
of London in the 1100’s. I have based my diary entry on factual information
on the first prisoner to be held there.

May 1101
Dear diary,
I am Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham, first prisoner ever to live in the
Tower of London. I will not be here long though, because I have a plan formed.
It is a very luxurious prison and if I wasn’t a prisoner, I might stay and
enjoy the indulgence I receive. I am going to escape and be done with this
place, because although it is a nice way to live it keeps playing on my mind,
that I am stuck here, not in my homeland Normandy and not in my
rightful place as Bishop. My plan is simple. If I smuggle in a rope, from a
wine barrel perhaps (I can actually hold a feast with the guards) or by some
other sneaky means I shall be out before you can shout the words ‘Guards,
escapee’. This will be so easy if I time it just right. I do not know what I plan
to do next. Maybe I will flee to Normandy or recover my title here.

Ranulf Flambard

Summary
The Tower of London, located in the centre of the city, is a concentric castle
with a Norman Stone Keep. William the Conqueror commenced the building
of the castle in 1066 but it was not finally finished, as we know it today, until
the 1530’s. There has been huge development over time with many changes,
new robust structures and different functions. Some of these functions
included a fortress, a Royal Mint, a zoo and a prison. The main features of the
castle’s defence have been concentric walls, many vantage points and the
sheer thickness of the walls and the surrounding moat. Although there have
been a few sieges, such as the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381, the castle’ defences
have stood strong and untested as most of the success of entry to the castle
was due to insider loyalty. The Tower of London has been a successful,
secure, robust military fortress which is now known world-wide.