This book is a travel guide to the Tower of London, a historic castle situated on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It is located within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. The Tower of London was founded as part of the Norman Conquest, and the White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror. However, it was resented by many as a symbol of oppression inflicted upon London by the new Norman ruling class.

Excerpt from Authorised Guide to the Tower of London House, which cost 22 and 20d., was built for it, the first elephant, it was said, ever seen north of the Alps. We hear of lions in the reigns of the three Edwards, and a little later the office of Keeper was held by men of superior rank, and sometimes b the Lieutenant. Edward III had a lion and onces; Henry VI kept lions and leopards Henry VIII had four large lions and two leopards James I baited the lions in 1604 and 1609 under Cromwell there were six lions here, and in the reign of Queen Anne, eleven, besides other animals. In 1754 they were reduced to two, but in 1796 there were four lionesses and one lion, and it is recorded that they constantly bred in the Tower. Nevertheless, by 1822, the breed was extinct. Many superstitions were connected with the Tower lions, and their death was looked upon as ominous. An old lion died just before Queen Elizabeth, and another, as was much noted at the time, two days before Charles II. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Authorised Guide to the Tower of London: Abridged; Revised Edition 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 defended by a second wall, flanked by six towers on the river face, and by three semicircular bastions on the north face. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.