Tower of London

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The Tower of London is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in London, England. It was founded toward the end of 1066 after the Norman Conquest, and its central keep, the White Tower, was started by William the Conqueror around 1078. Today it is a World Heritage Site and home to the Crown Jewels.

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At a glance

Country: United Kingdom
Location: London, UK
Built: 1100
Height: 27 m
Type: Castle

Quick answers

Where is Tower of London?

Tower of London is in London, UK, United Kingdom.

When was Tower of London built?

Tower of London was built in 1100.

How tall is Tower of London?

Tower of London is about 27 m tall.

William the Conqueror’s fortress around the White Tower, home of the Crown Jewels.

It is not one tower but a group of buildings inside two rings of walls and a moat. Over the centuries it has been a royal palace, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the home of the Royal Mint, a record office and a prison, and it is guarded by the Yeoman Warders. In 2025 it had about 2.8 million visitors.

A castle with many jobs

Kings and queens used the Tower as a home, a fortress and a place to keep money and weapons. Controlling the Tower was seen as important for controlling the country. The royal menagerie lived there too: in 1235 the Holy Roman Emperor gave King Henry III three leopards, and in 1252 a polar bear arrived from Norway. By the 18th century visitors could pay to see the animals. In 2008 the skulls of two Barbary lions were found in the moat area.

Growing in layers

The White Tower was begun about 1078, and Richard the Lionheart's reign saw a moat dug to the west, doubling the castle's size. Henry III built the east and north walls of the inner ward, and Edward I added the outer ring from 1275 to 1285. Edward's St Thomas's Tower, built between 1275 and 1279, later became known as Traitors' Gate. A chapel, St Peter ad Vincula, was rebuilt by Henry VIII in 1519.

Prisoners and myths

The Tower was most used as a prison in the 16th and 17th centuries, holding people such as Elizabeth I before she became queen and Sir Walter Raleigh. This is how the phrase 'sent to the Tower' began. Its reputation for torture and death is partly the work of later storytellers. At least six ravens are kept at all times, in line with the belief that if they leave, the kingdom will fall, and a Yeoman Warder called the Ravenmaster looks after them. Today the Tower is cared for by the charity Historic Royal Palaces.