Day 2 in London was maybe my favorite day. We got up with tired feet but ready for another great day. Our weather in London could not have been better – we had rain every day in the country, but cool weather and sunny skies the whole time in London.
Tower of London
We grabbed breakfast at our favorite little stand and then hopped on the tube to the Tower of London. I had no idea how large this complex was! This place was fascinating to me. It was also the place where the most gruesome stories were told (which is probably not surprising). Mark and I have become so intrigued by British history on this trip and would love to learn more. Mark has been reading a lot about Henry VIII throughout the trip in our in-between time.
The “Tower” has served as a castle in wartime, a king’s residence in peacetime, and as a prison and execution site. The crown jewels are also here. We got the audio guide, and we really liked that (we also booked it in advance, which was so smart because the line was long).
Traitors’ Gate
This was the boat entrance to the Tower from the Thames. Kings and queens used the Tower of London to control the river, which was vital for trade and defense. King Edward I built St. Thomas’s Tower as a grand river entrance and luxurious royal apartments in the late 1270s. The building work was partly funded by a heavy tax that Edward imposed on England’s Jewish community.
The entrance has been called Traitors’ Gate since the early 1600s. Prisoners were taken upriver from here to the Westminster courts for trials.
Medieval Palace
The Medieval Palace was expensively furnished and richly decorated with colorful wall paintings, textiles, and tiles. Kings and queens ate, entertained, worked, worshipped, and slept there.
King Edward attended Mass every day, often in private chapels. He traveled with chaplains, religious objects, and relics. He fed hundreds of poor people wherever he went.
King Henry III also build Wakefield Tower where he lived from 1220-1240. He was a great patron of the arts and had Westminster Abbey rebuilt in honor of his favorite saint, Edward the Confessor. King Henry was only 9 years old when he inherited the throne in 1216. He is described as warm-hearted and likeable and ruled for over 50 years. But he lacked political awareness and almost lost his throne to rebel barons.
Queen Eleanor of Provence was the wife of King Henry III. She married Henry, who was 28, when she was only 12 years old. She was known as intelligent and courageous and disregarded convention by playing a central role in English politics. She was also known as a caring mother and grandmother and was fiercely protective of her family. She used the Lanthorn Tower as part of her royal apartments. In 1240, the Queen’s Chamber was whitewashed and painted with roses.
Over 200 years later, Henry VI died in 1471 imprisoned in this Tower – a direct descendent of King Henry III.
Something that was really crazy to me was the “royal beasts” that were at the Tower. Medieval kings gave and received wild animals as gifts. King Henry III received a polar bear from the King of Norway and an elephant from the King of France in the 1250s. The polar bear was allowed to swim in the river on a strong rope. Other creatures had less freedom. For centuries, caged lions and other big cats impressed visitors to the Tower.
White Tower
After William the Conqueror won the battle of Hastings in 1066, he founded the Tower of London and shortly afterwards began building the White Tower to show the might of the new Norman monarchy. The White Tower held arms, armor, and military equipment. These later went on display to show visitors, just like they are today.
Later, the White Tower was used as a palace. The top floor was luxurious and had a grand fireplace (one of the first in England) and even had garderobes (toilets). It also had a chapel, and the room could be partitioned into smaller spaces for accommodating guests.
Crown Jewels
The crown jewels are everything you would think they are. They were truly incredible. No pictures are allowed though.
Beauchamp Tower
There is a sculpture outside of Beauchamp Tower marking the spot where Queen Anne Boleyn was thought to have been executed in 1536. In 1861, Queen Victoria visited the Tower and was so moved by the story of Anne Boleyn that she ordered a plaque to be placed here. There has been a memorial to the executed prisoners in this location ever since. This sculpture was designed in 2007.
The Tower of London had been used as a prison for 900 years. The Tower was not built as a prison but became valuable as a secure place to hold and interrogate captives. The Beauchamp Tower was built in 1281. High status prisoners lived in relative luxury and comfort compared to poorer prisoners whose conditions were grim. While torture was rare, prisoners were more likely to face psychological torture – solitary confinement or threats of violence.
Just 22 prisoners were executed inside the Tower walls. Between 1483 and 1941, these prisoners were well-known individuals who had committed crimes of a politically sensitive nature. These “privileged” executions were easier to control privately within the Tower walls. Hundreds of prisoners were executed outside on Tower Hill, where crowds of Londoners gathered to witness their deaths.
Prisoners covered the room with over 100 names, statements, and carvings.
Bloody Tower
This story was probably the most unsettling for me. In April of 1483, King Edward IV died. His brother, Richard, brought the king’s oldest son, Edward, to the Tower to prepare for his coronation. His younger brother, who was 9, was also sent to the tower. Two months later, in June, Richard declares that the two princes are illegitimate. That was the last time the two boys were seen alive, playing in the Tower garden. The following month, Richard is crowned as King Richard III, instead of his nephews. Rumors begin that the boys had been murdered.
Almost 200 years later, in 1674, workers discovered two skeletons by the White Tower. King Charles II believed that they were the remains of the two princes and buried them in Westminster Abbey. In 1933, medical experts examine the skeletons and find that they are the bones of two children. As of today, there is no proof that the princes were murdered are that the remains belong to them. It will most likely remain a mystery.
Sir Walter Raleigh, the famous explorer and writer, was a prisoner here from 1603 – 1616. King James I sentenced him to death for plotting against him. Although initially saved from execution, he was kept here for 13 years. Officials let him create his own medicinal garden while he was a prisoner. He grew tobacco and other plants he had discovered on his travels to South America. He was frequently ill and even attempted suicide, but things improved the longer he stayed. He built up an impressive library, wrote a book, worked on scientific experiments in his laboratory, and walked along the Tower battlements. His son, Carew, was even born in the Tower in 1605. When he was released in 1616, he went on one last sea expedition which proved a disaster. King James I ordered his death and he was executed at Westminster in 1618.
Torture was very rare in England – although I can’t imagine that was something documented very well. Records show torture was ordered for at least 81 prisoners, 48 of which were held in the Tower of London. In several cases, they were specifically brought from other prisons to be tortured in the Tower. All the documented cases here occurred between 1540 and 1640.
Torture was almost exclusively used during interrogation of prisoners who were being investigated for serious crimes, such as robbery, murder, and treason.
Ravens
Legend says that Charles II’s astronomer complained that ravens were interfering with his observations from the White Tower. Charles ordered the ravens to be destroyed but then heard of the prophecy that the Tower and kingdom would fall if the ravens ever left. He changed his mind and ordered that they should stay, under royal protection. They have kept a record from 1880 of all the ravens’ names, and they always keep at least six to maintain the tradition. We didn’t see any of them.
Thames River
We grabbed some lunch at the café in Tower of London, and it was delicious. Then we walked along the Thames to St. Paul’s Cathedral (there was a tube strike) and it was a lovely walk. We loved Tower Bridge.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
St. Paul’s Cathedral is stunning. Something that Mark and I had to keep reminding ourselves with the architecture was to stay present. It is all so beautiful that you can almost become desensitized to it all and glaze over all of the details. And the details here are stunning. This just may have been my favorite cathedral of them all.
As with almost every stop, we continue to be so fascinated by British history – the architect Christopher Wren became another figure I became interested in.
This is Sir Christopher Wren’s most famous church. It has become a symbol of resilience for England ever since World War II because despite 57 nights of bombing, the Nazis failed to destroy the cathedral, thanks to volunteer night watchmen who stayed on the dome all night.
Mark REALLY wanted to climb up to the top again (he’s addicted). This was double what we had done in York (and almost four times as high as Oxford). I decided to opt out of this one and instead journaled in the nave while I waited for him. It was perfect in that beautiful place.
Nave
This cathedral is 515 feet long and 250 feet wide and is Europe’s 4th largest. It was important to Wren that he wanted a simple, open church with a cream-colored ceiling, and clear glass in the windows that would light everything. Later, the Victorian era brought in a lot of ornamentation.
Dome
The dome is painted with scenes from the life of St. Paul.
Climbing the Dome
This is a 528-step climb that was so fun for Mark.
Crypt
There are so many legends buried here in the crypt. Horatio Nelson (who wore down Napolean), the Duke of Wellington (who finished off Napolean), and Sir Christopher Wren.
British Library
We then made our way back onto the tube to the British Library. This was a pretty quick stop but one I was really glad we made (even if it was out of the way). Everything we wanted to see was all in one big room. There are so many literary treasures here.
Leonardo da Vinci
Literature
Music
Sacred Texts
Historical Documents
Magna Carta
M&M and LEGO Stores
We ended up having some extra time and so we wandered around Leicester Square a little and were hoping to do a little shopping. We were pretty disappointed in the “England shops”. They all basically had the same things and it all felt cheap and unappealing to me. So, we wandered into the M&M Store. I cannot remember ever going into a M&M store before and this was quite the thing. It confirmed to me that people will buy anything.
We then walked across the street to the LEGO store and thought of the kids. They would have loved all the huge displays.
Dishoom
Another food experience that I read we just HAD to have was Indian food in London. So that was on the menu! We went to Dishoom in Covent Garden, and it had a great ambiance. I did feel a little ridiculous though. Our waitress was great but Mark and I both had a really hard time understanding her. So, we played right into her hands. Basically, whatever she offered, we agreed to it! The food was really good though – and very spicy!
I will write what we got, but we had no idea what we were eating most of the time. We started with “Chote Papad with Mango Chutney” – “poppadoms torn, then fried ‘til crisp, flecked with green chili, with homemade chutney, rich with two kinds of mango.” Then we added some garlic naan on the side which was delicious!
Then I had their signature chicken tikka and Mark had their mutton pepper fry. She convinced me that I needed more and so I ordered their signature black daal. Again, I had no idea what I was doing or what I was eating, but it was all really good. Finally, we ended with their signature chocolate pudding with a scoop of their Kashmiri Chilli ice cream.
Phantom of the Opera
After dinner, we had a relaxing walk down to the theater. We got tickets to see Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty’s Theatre in the West End. I had seen Phantom of the Opera before, but it was a first for Mark. The performance was amazing and Mark and I had more fun with people watching here than maybe anywhere else.
We walked back to our hotel and were feeling so good. It was a great day.
