Tower of London Guide: Best National Lottery Days Out in Britain

Plan for about 2 to 3 hours when visiting here
Obviously the rest of the Tower of London looks completely unrecognisable. Over the centuries it has undergone a number of changes with different structures and fortifications added to it for accommodation, holding prisoners, and for storing ammunition.
As you can imagine, there have been a number of key events at the Tower of London over 1,000 years of history. As the executioner’s tower, 112 people were executed here over a period of 400 years. These include Henry VIII’s wives, political prisoners, and even German spies during World War II.
It’s impossible talking about the whole history of the Tower in just a few paragraphs, but hopefully this gives you a good overview.
I promise you that going on a guide tour of the Tower of London is the best way of learning all about this astonishing site.

What to see at the Tower of London

Hopefully you find my Tower of London guide useful
For me, the best way of learning about the Tower of London is going on a tour with a Yeoman Warder. These guys are the traditional Beefeaters who are part of the Queen’s guard and have been protecting the Tower for centuries.
There are 33 Yeoman Warders in service, and they actually live in the Tower (not in the Tower itself, but in a row of cottages within the grounds).
As part of their duties, they run the tour groups. Obviously these guys know the history of the Tower better than anyone else, and they really bring all the horrible history to life.
We had Yeoman Warder Lawrence and he was brilliant. I learned more from him in an hour than anything I had researched beforehand.
These run every hour starting near the main entrance. The first tour is usually at 10am and the final tour is at 2.30pm.
The best bit is these Tower of London tours are included in your ticket, so they are free once you’re inside.

The White Tower

Just imagine how heavy wearing this would be
Right in the heart of the Tower of London is the White Tower. This is the oldest building in the grounds that dates back to 1078.
Even from looking at it, you can tell the White Tower was built to intimidate attackers – it just looks so solid (which is how it’s survived 1,000 years including being bombed during World War II).
Inside the White Tower is a vast exhibition housing armour, cannons, swords, and there’s even a small chapel in the tower too.  
Some of the highlights include King Henry VIII’s armour – he really was a big boy!  

The Bloody Tower

Originally known as the Garden Tower, it was renamed the Bloody Tower during the 16th century.
The story goes that a 12-year-old Edward V and his younger brother Richard (both princes) were imprisoned in the tower in 1483.
As they both had a direct claim to the throne, they were a nuisance to their uncle Richard. Then, mysteriously, the boys disappeared, murdered under brutal circumstances.
Year’s later, the skeletons of two young boys were found in the basement of the Bloody Tower, hence the name.

Crown Jewels

There are so many lovely spots dotted all around the Tower
Want a shocking fact about the Crown Jewels? They’re estimated to be worth between £3 to £5 BILLION. That’s staggering, isn’t it!?
The largest gem, the Cullinan I diamond, is found in the Sceptre with the Cross and is worth £400 million on its own. There are over 23,000 precious gems on display in crowns, swords, sceptres and rings.
Anyway, a highlight of visiting the Tower of London is seeing the Crown Jewels. This is the most complete collection of Royal regalia in the world, and the only set still in active use today. I’m not saying the Royal family invented bling, but considering there’s a 227kg solid gold punch bowl that can hold up to 144 bottles of wine, I’m going to say the Royals know how to enjoy themselves

Mint Street

The Tower Mint used to produce all the country’s coins
One area I found fascinating was Mint Street. I used to think the Tower of London was just castles and fortifications, but there are a couple of old-fashioned streets here too that wouldn’t look out of place anywhere in London. One of those is Mint Street.
The Tower Mint was first established in 1279, and for 500 years all the coins in circulation around the country were produced here.
Also, and this was one of my favourite facts about the Tower of London – Sir Issac Newton was once Master of the Mint and lived in Mint Street! How cool is that!?
Ravens

The Ravens are infamous at the Tower of London

They are cheeky though and will go for your food
One of the most famous sights at the Tower of London are the jet-black ravens squawking.
Charles II is thought to have been the first to insist that the ravens of the Tower be protected after he was warned that the crown and the Tower itself would fall if they left.
The myth has it that kingdom and the Tower of London will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress. Thankfully, their wings are clipped so they’re the resident birds who roam the grounds posing for photos.
Be careful though – they’re always on the lookout for food and their beaks are incredibly strong! You have been warned.

Getting to the Tower of London
Just inside the grounds is where you’ll find the Yeoman Warder tour
Getting to the Tower of London is super easy. Here are all the best options:
Tube – This is the option I usually go for. The nearest tube station is Tower Hill, which is on the District (green) and Circle (yellow) lines. From this station, it is a five minute walk to the Tower.
Another good option is getting the tube to London Bridge. From there you can walk to City Hall, over Tower Bridge, and approach the Tower of London from that way. This is about a 15-minute walk but it’s a cool way of seeing the Tower before visiting.
Bus – Bus services 15, 42, 78, 100 and RVI all stop near the Tower of London. You can pay for the bus via your Oyster card or with a contactless card.
Hop on, hop off bus – Another bus option are all the London sightseeing busses. All of these stop off at the Tower of London. It’s also included on the London Pass
Boat – Not everyone realises you can get to the Tower of London by boat. The Thames River Boat service stops at Tower Pier. If you fancy a boat tour on the Thames, this is a great way of visiting the Tower.
Taxi – Obviously you can catch a taxi to the Tower, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Because of its central location and as one of the most popular places to visit, taxis can be slow and expensive.
Tower of London tickets (with a discount!)

I would really recommend visiting the Tower of London on a day out
The Tower of London might seem expensive, but I promise you it’s well worth the ticket price.
If you rock up on the day, a ticket costs:
* Adult – £29.90 peak, £28.90 off-peak
* Child (age 5-15) – £14.90 peak, £14.40 off-peak
* Concession (age 65+, 16-17, full time student, disabled visitors) – £24.00 peak, £23.20 off-peak
* Child under 5 years – Free
There are also family tickets available for the Tower of London as follows:
* Family saver 1 (1 adult and up to 3 children aged 5-15) – £52.20 peak, £50.50 off-peak
* Family saver 2 (2 adults and up to 3 children aged 5-15) – £82.10 peak, £79.40 off-peak
However, if you want to save some money, especially if you’re travelling as a family, then use the National Lottery day out and you can save £25 off your overall ticket price. Our tickets should’ve cost £57.80 but instead only cost £32.80 – how’s that for saving money on a fun day out!?
You can also save a bit of money off the Tower of London tickets when buying them online.