The Tower of London: Built by William the Conqueror in 1078

Founder: William the Conqueror (William I of England).

Date begun: 1078 (White Tower keep).

Location: North bank of the River Thames, within the City of London.

Phased Construction

• 1078–1097: White Tower (great keep)—Norman military architecture, Caen stone, 27 m tall.
• 1190s–1285: Inner curtain wall, 13 towers (Bell, Beauchamp, Devereux, etc.) under Richard I, John, Henry III.
• 1275–1285: Outer curtain wall, moat, and Traitors' Gate (water entrance) under Edward I.
• Later: Palace buildings (demolished 19th c.), Waterloo Barracks (1845, now Crown Jewels), WWII defenses.

Evolving Roles

1. Royal fortress & palace (11th–16th c.)
2. Prison (high-status: Anne Boleyn, Thomas More, Elizabeth I, Guy Fawkes, Rudolf Hess).
3. Armory, mint, menagerie, record office, observatory.
4. Tourist attraction & UNESCO site (since 1988; 2.5M+ visitors/year).

Iconic Elements

• Yeoman Warders ("Beefeaters") – ceremonial guardians since 1485.
• Ravens – legend: "If the ravens leave, the Kingdom falls."
• Crown Jewels – 23,578 gems in the Jewel House.

The Tower encapsulates 950 years of English/British history in stone, ceremony, and myth.