The Tower of London has stood vigil over the city for over a thousand years, an iconic symbol of London’s history. It has been the scene of both significant and little events, tragic and triumphant. The Tower has influenced the country’s history from the earliest Norman England to the present.
William the Conqueror initially constructed the Tower in 1066 as a fortification to control the unruly Londoners. Prisoners were confined there in appalling conditions, frequently in anticipation of their execution, and it was a site of despair and dread. The Tower’s walls are claimed to have seen more slaughter than any other structure in England.