 |
Tower Of London
The Tower of London is One of the most distinctive buildings in the world occupying a majestic position on the banks of the Thames and was once the location of the Royal Mint.
For centuries the sight of The Tower of London struck terror in the hearts of many Londoners because the Tower was a fortified prison as well as a royal palace. The tower was the place of official execution and it was where three queens of England were beheaded including Queen Anne Boleyn, beheaded in 1536 for treason against King Henry VIII, Other prisoners were executed in public on Tower Hill, outside the fortress's walls.
In 1078, William the Conqueror ordered the White Tower to be built to protect London from outside invaders. He chose this location because he considered it to be a strategic point, it was King Richard the Lionheart who had the moat dug around the surrounding wall and filled with water from the Thames. The moat was drained in 1830 and human bones were in the refuse found at its bottom.
A Royal Menagerie was established at the Tower in the 13th century, its year of origin is often stated as 1235, when Henry III received a wedding gift of three lions. In 1804, the menagerie was regularly open to the public, but the menagerie was not to last because the new London Zoo was due to open in Regent's Park and the animals were moved to the zoo.
The Tower today is principally a tourist attraction and besides the buildings themselves, it's the home of the British Crown Jewels.
In deference to an ancient legend, a number of ravens are fed at the Tower at government expense; so long as the ravens remain at the Tower (which is ensured by trimming the flight feathers of the ravens), Britain is safe from invasion. Legend also says that should the ravens leave the Tower of London, the White Tower will crumble and the Monarch will fall, thus, the ravens are the palladium of the realm. The names of the eight ravens currently in the tower are Gwylum, Thor, Hugine, Munin, Branwen, Bran, Gundulf, and Baldrick. In 2006, ahead of the H5N1 avian flu scare, the ravens were moved indoors. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_london)
|
 |
