BE A CAPTIVE TO HISTORY
There can be few buildings in London, if not the whole of Britain, with a richer and more fascinating history than the Tower of London.
Grim, mysterious and awe-inspiring,this fortress has dominated the London skyline and the pages of English history ever since William the Conqueror ordered its construction in the wake of his Norman invasion of 1066.
It is, without doubt, one of London’s most important buildings, as well as one of the City’s most visited attractions. So much so that, if you arrive here on a busy day, you’ll have an almighty wait as you join the line, pay for your ticket, and then queue up to get through security.
No Queueing, No Kidding!
Unless, that is, you join our Tower of London Tour.
You see, Blue Badge Guides are held in such high esteem that, they are not only the only external guides allowed to guide inside the Tower of London, but they are also allowed to bypass the line and get you straight in via their own entrance located far from the madding crowd! In addition to the time saved on getting in, your guide will also get you a discount on the regular admission.
Then, once inside this mighty fortress, our Tower of London tour will steer you clear of the crowds with military precision as we explore the lesser known and secret aspects of a building that has helped shape the history of this land.
A Truly Gripping Story
In the course of the tour you really will get beneath the skin of the Tower and uncover its fascinating, gripping and,at times (many times), bloody story.
It really is difficult to list the highlights on a tour on which every step taken, every corner turned and every tower entered, is crammed with highlights.
A Jaunty Time Machine of a Tour
From the moment we gaze down at Traitors Gate and imagine the number of unfortunate people who sailed in through its sinister bulk, never again to set eyes on the outside world; to our final few steps as – having enjoyed a journey through the ups, downs, twists and turns of the Tower’s past – we shake the dust of its history from our shoes and leave it to its memories and its shadows – you’ll find yourself on a jaunty time-machine of a tour on which the past and present frequently collide, with fascinating results.
A Masterpiece of Defensive Construction
One of the first things you will explore as you enter is just how impregnable the Tower of London is. It is nothing short a masterpiece of defensive construction. Your guide will cast you in the role of a would-be group of invaders intent on storming the fortress and show you what a formidable task such an endeavour would have been. This part of the tour really does get our client imaginations soaring as they gain a true understanding of the true genius behind the various phases of the Tower of London’s construction.
We’ll Unlock the Secrets of the Past
However, unlike armies of the past, you guide is in possession of the keys that will unlock the secrets of the Tower’s past for you.
The Ravens – Jet Black Guardians
So, having breached the defences and gained entrance, we’ll make straight for the most famous residents – the Ravens. These birds are up there at the top of the A-list of the Tower’s celebrities. You’ll see them strutting proudly around their domain, the very survival of which depends on them staying put and never leaving. Your guide will tell you all about the history, and the legends, that surround these birds, will show you their hotel, and will tell you how they are prevented from leaving, and what, according to tradition, will happen if they do!
The White Tower – The Beating Heart of the Fortress
From here, you’ll move on to gaze up in awe-inspired wonder at the mighty bulk of the White Tower, the oldest of the Tower’s towers. Your guide will regale you with its gripping story with a commentary that will breathe life into that history.
Princes, Princesses and Executed Queens
Of course, the Tower of London is best known the world over as a place of imprisonment and execution, and the names of those who have found themselves locked up within its imposing walls reads like a Who’s Who of English history.
Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth 1st); Guy Fawkes; the little Princes, Edward and Richard (the so-called Princes in the Tower); Sir Walter Raleigh; and Sir Thomas More (the Man For All Seasons) are just a few of those whose names and, in most cases, fates were linked to the Tower of London: whilst Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey are just some of the famous names who faced their executioners within its walls.
We’ll End With The Crown Jewels
Of course, for many people, one of the major attractions of the Tower of London is that it is where the Crown Jewels are kept. So our tour will end at the Crown Jewels where you will then have the opportunity to go in and admire them, spending as much, or as little, time as you wish gazing in wonder at them!
So, if you want to really explore and experience London’s foremost visitor attraction, and want to really get a feel for its history whilst, at the same time, hearing the stories, tragic or otherwise, of those to whom this was a home or/and prison, then join your Blue Badge Guide for a breathtaking journey through 1,000 years of the captivating and fascinating history of the Tower of London.
