The White Tower

Ask a visitor to name a building or monument that defines London, and you will inevitably end up with a shortlist that includes Nelson’s Column, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge… and its namesake, the Tower of London.

This icon of our city is remarkable in so many ways, not least because it is the largest physical symbol of the last time that England was successfully invaded by a foreign power. History tells us about Duke William of Normandy’s conquest in 1066. After his defeat of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in October of that year, William (now King William I or William the Conqueror) quickly sought to overcome the country by constructing a set of newfangled castles in every major town or city. These had to be built rapidly to quell an angry, resistant population. Consequently, they were made with materials that were easily at hand – earth and timber. They usually comprised an earthen mound (motte) topped by a wooden tower or keep and surrounded by an outer defence (a bailey), also protected by a timber palisade with a deep ditch beyond. Such structures had never been seen in the country before and they served not only a military purpose but as visible statements of the new Norman authority in England (and Wales) – effectively, ‘We’re in charge now – don’t mess with us'.

It is no surprise then that William would soon turn his attention to London, by far England’s largest city and a thriving port, which had grown up near Charing Cross in the 7th Century CE and was later reestablished by Alfred the Great within the abandoned defences of the old Roman city in the 9th Century CE. Here, he and his followers built not one but three earth and timber castles – Baynard’s Castle and Montfitchet Castle in the west of the old walled city near what is now the area of Blackfriars and St Pauls and, most importantly, one to the east on the Tower of London site in a dominant location overlooking the city and the Thames. We know this because in the 1070s William’s priest writes “…fortifications were completed in the city against the restlessness of the vast and brutal populace. For he realised it was of the first importance to overawe the Londoners.”

While the early castle was undoubtedly imposing, such was its strategic importance that in 1078 CE William ordered it to be replaced with something even more impressive and durable. Over a period of 20 years, the wooden keep and its surrounding timber palisades were taken down and replaced with the massive stone walls of The White Tower. The castle takes its name from the light-colour limestone which was imported from Caen and used to face the new structure. This is one of the largest Norman keeps in the world, and a member of a very small, elite club representing London’s oldest buildings which have remained in constant use throughout their lifetime.

Of course, no building that has lasted this long will remain the same: The White Tower has been adapted and altered over time. A third floor was added in the 15th Century, the windows enlarged during the 18th Century and various restoration programmes will have replaced some of the fabric of the tower. But if you visit St John’s chapel, the King’s private place of worship in its southeast corner, it is not difficult to imagine what it would have been like to attend a service over 900 years ago. Not only has the castle changed in appearance, but also in function. During its long lifetime The White Tower has been a Royal Palace, a prison, an armoury and a place to store treasures, records and archives. Today it is a major visitor attraction, housing an excellent exhibition on arms and armour by the Royal Armouries.

The White Tower is a place deeply woven into the fabric of English and British history, the inevitable focus of rebellion, uprising and changing rulers. Richard II was imprisoned there, as were the two princes, the deposed 12-year-old King Edward V and his 9-year-old brother, until they disappeared, murdered most likely by their uncle Richard III. In the Tudor period part of the tower was described as a dungeon ‘where sunlight never penetrated… where rats supposedly tore flesh... from the arms and legs of prisoners during sleep.’ Guy Fawkes was interrogated in its basement after being caught attempting to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Other famous prisoners, albeit not necessarily in the White Tower, but in the wider castle complex included William Wallace, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard (the two more unfortunate wives of Henry VIII), Lady Jane Grey (uncrowned Queen of England), even the future Queen Elizabeth herself for two months in 1554, Sir Walter Raleigh (for 13 years), Samuel Pepys, Rudolf Hess and the Kray Twins – the list is long and largely infamous.

Finally, no piece on the Tower would be complete without reference to the Yeoman Warders (a.k.a. Beefeaters) and ravens. Folklore dictates that should the ravens ever leave the castle, then it will collapse, and disaster will befall the kingdom. On a recent visit, a colleague recounted an incident when the team at the Tower received a call from Westminster Abbey. ‘You might want to come over’, the caller said, ‘I think we have one of your ravens.’ The Ravenmaster, a Beefeater with special responsibility for the birds, duly went to the Abbey, and confirmed it was an escapee. With relief, he picked up the raven, and hailed a passing taxi to return.

‘Where to?’ enquired the cabbie, with what I hope was a quizzical smile. This was surely a rhetorical question…? a large man in full Beefeater uniform with an equally large, squawking raven under his arm – where else could he possibly be heading? Suffice to say, the pair made it home and the kingdom remains in safe hands…

A version of this article was published by The London Standard on 29 July 2024- https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/tower-of-london-castle-prison-john-darlington-b1173521.html