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Definition: Tower of London from Collins English Dictionary

n

1 a fortress in the City of London, on the River Thames: begun 1078; later extended and used as a palace, the main state prison, and now as a museum containing the crown jewels

Tower of London

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
ancient fortress in London, England, just east of the City and on the north bank of the Thames, covering about 13 acres (5.3 hectares). Now used mainly as a museum, it was a royal residence in the Middle Ages. Later it was a jail for illustrious prisoners. The Tower is enclosed by a dry moat, within which are double castellated walls surrounding the central White Tower. Although Roman foundations have been discovered, the White Tower was built c.1078 by Gundulf, bishop of Rochester; the exterior was restored by Sir Christopher Wren. Various towers subsequently built were used as prisons; one of them now houses a collection of medieval arms and armor. The crown jewels are displayed in the Waterloo Block, a former barracks. The Traitors' Gate (giving access by water from the Thames) and the Bloody Tower are associated with many historically noted persons, including Queen Elizabeth I (when still princess), Sir Thomas More, Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, the 2d earl of…
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Full text Article Tower of London

From Brewer's Britain and Ireland
A fortress at the eastern edge of the City of London (E1), on the north bank of the River THAMES 1 , in the borough of TOWER HAMLETS , on a site said once to have been occupied by Julius Caesar's fort. Its nucleus is a massive stone keep built in the latter part of the 11th century by Gundulf, …
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Full text Article Tower of London

From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
The historic medieval fortress in London that is reputedly the most haunted spot in the British Isles. Often dubbed the most haunted spot in Great Britain, the historic Tower of London is traditionally haunted by a wide-ranging collection of ghosts – apparently arising from its blood-soaked history…
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Full text Article Tower of London

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Royal fortress on the northern bank of the River Thames. The central keep, or donjon, known as the White Tower because of its limestone, was begun c. 1078 by William I the Conqueror inside the Roman city wall. In the 12th–13th century the fortifications were extended beyond the wall, the White Tower…
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Full text Article Tower of London

From The World's Heritage
The Crown Jewels are on display in the Tower of...
United Kingdom Criteria - Interchange of values; Significance in human history The Tower of London is an imposing fortress with many layers of history. Built on the Thames by William the Conqueror to protect his London base and to assert his power over the newly conquered English, it became one of…
| 215 words , 2 images

Full text Article Tower of London

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
ancient fortress in London, England, just east of the City and on the north bank of the Thames, covering about 13 acres (5.3 hectares). Now used mainly as a museum, it was a royal residence in the Middle Ages. Later it was a jail for illustrious prisoners. The Tower is enclosed by a dry moat, within…
| 225 words
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Full text Article Tower of London

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Fortress on the bank of the River Thames to the east of the City of London, England. William (I) the Conqueror established a camp here immediately after his coronation in 1066, and in 1078 Gundulf of Bec, Bishop of Rochester, began building the White Tower on the site of British and Roman…
| 220 words
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Full text Article Tower of London (White Tower).

From The Oxford Companion to British History
Built by William the Conqueror within the south-east corner of the old Roman walls of London as one of three fortresses intended to secure the city. As London became increasingly important as the centre both of government and of commerce, the castle was enlarged and updated by successive kings, …
| 473 words
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Full text Article The Tower of London (photo)

From Bridgeman Images: Ken Welsh History Collection
The Tower of London (photo)
| 54 words , 1 image
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Full text Article Richard II, Tower of London

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Richard II, Tower of London
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Full text Article The Tower of London from the Thames

From Bridgeman Images: The Bridgeman Art Library
The Tower of London from the Thames
| 51 words , 1 image
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