Project Gutenberg's Authorised Guide to the Tower of London, by W. J. Loftie

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Title: Authorised Guide to the Tower of London

Author: W. J. Loftie

Release Date: September 11, 2004 [EBook #13436]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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AUTHORISED GUIDE TO THE TOWER OF LONDON.

BY W.J. LOFTIE, B.A., F.S.A.

REVISED EDITION.

WITH TWELVE VIEWS AND TWO PLANS, AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE ARMOURY,
BY THE VISCOUNT DILLON, P.S.A.

(_Curator of the Tower Armouries._)

[Illustration]

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE,
BY HARRISON AND SONS, ST. MARTIN'S LANE,
PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO HIS MAJESTY.
_AND SOLD AT THE TOWER_.

1904

_Reprinted_ 1907.

* * * * *

PRICE ONE PENNY.

[Illustration: PLAN OF THE TOWER.]

THE TOWER OF LONDON.

* * * * *

GENERAL SKETCH.

The Tower of London was founded in 1078, by William the Conqueror, for
the purpose of protecting and controlling the city. To make room for his
chief buildings he removed two bastions of the old wall of London, and
encroached slightly upon the civic boundaries. Part therefore of the
Tower is in London, and part in Middlesex, but it forms, with its
surrounding fortifications, a precinct in itself which belongs neither
to the city nor the county. It covers an area of 18 acres within the
Garden rails.

The present buildings are partly of the Norman period; but architecture
of almost all the styles which have flourished in England may be found
within the walls. It is well to remember that though the Tower is no
longer a place of great military strength it has in time past been a
fortress, a palace, and a prison, and to view it rightly we must regard
it in this threefold aspect.

It was first built as a fortress, and has a central Keep, called the
"White Tower." The Inner Ward is defended by a wall, flanked by thirteen
towers, the entrance to it being on the south side under the Bloody
Tower. The Outer Ward is defend