The Tower of London is a castle on the Thames that actually contains several towers. When William the Conqueror and his Norman soldiers breached the Saxon defensive lines in November 1066, he wanted a fortress built to withstand a counterattack. The tower was completed in 1097. Today that tower is known as the White Tower. An exhibit inside displays royal armor worn over the last 500 years, including armor custom made for Henry VIII to celebrate his marriage to Katherine of Aragon, along with a suit of Japanese armor presented as a gift from Japan's Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu to King James I in 1613.
Many other towers surround the White Tower. Among them are the Bloody Tower and the Beauchamp Tower. The Bloody Tower was given its name because Prince Edward and Prince Richard simply disappeared from there in 1483 and their bodies were never found. Many historians believe that they were murdered, but the mystery remains unsolved. Some visitors claim to see their ghosts wandering through the tower. In the Beauchamp Tower, tourists can see graffiti that prisoners during the Tudor era carved in the walls.
Tower of London
202-203 Grange Rd.
London
England
SE1 3AA
hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon
Victoria Tower is the tallest tower at the Palace of Westminster. It was built in 1834 after a fire in Westminster Palace nearly decimated palace records that were stored there. When building the Victoria Tower, renowned architect Sir Charles Barry used cast-iron framework to make it an elegant yet fireproof vault to house the same documents. Since the 323-foot tall tower was completed under Queen Victoria's reign, it was named in her honor. Architectural details include her monogram as well as other royal emblems such as the Tudor rose. The tower's main entrance is called Sovereign's Entrance, and it was designed to fit the queen's carriage. The tower's location is makes it a political symbol; during the yearly State Opening of Parliament, England's monarch walks through the famous Sovereign's Entrance.
Victoria Tower
Parliament Square
Westminster
England
SW1A 2NE
westminster.gov.uk
Unlike England's many towers rooted in history or instilled with political significance, the Blackpool Tower is part of England's kitschy vacation culture. The town of Blackpool has been a seaside hamlet since roughly the 18th century. As its popularity as a vacation oasis grew, the town added a promenade, piers, theater and, in 1894, the Blackpool Tower. According to a 2008 BBC article, the tower was the brainchild of Blackpool native John Bickerstaff who, after visiting Paris and standing in awe of the Eiffel tower declared, "I want one of those--that is just what Blackpool needs".
The miniature Eiffel Tower replica houses an Inca-inspired indoor playground known as Jungle Jim's Towering Adventureland, a ballroom where Shakespeare's "Venus and Adonis" quote "Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear" is scrolled above the floor, an aquarium and a tower-top, vertiginous view that lets visitors see the ocean and the landscape from North Wales to the Lake District.
Blackpool Tower
The Promenade
Lancashire
England
FY1 4BJ
theblackpooltower.co.uk
