Tower of London Timeline of Historical Events

History, tourist information, and nearby accommodation

HERITAGE RATING:

1078 - Construction of the White Tower begins. Geoffrey de Mandeville is named the first Constable of the Tower.

1080 - The Chapel of St. John is consecrated

1100 - The very first prisoner in the Tower, Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham, escapes by climbing down a rope.

1140 - The Tower is first used as a royal residence

1221 - Building of the Wakefield Tower

1241 - The White Tower is whitewashed

1264 - The Royal Menagerie is begun

1297 - John Baliol, King of Scotland, imprisoned in the Tower.

1300 - The Beauchamp Tower built.

1322 - The Ceremony of the Keys begun.

1381 - Peasant's Revolt. The Tower is stormed by an angry mob.

1450 - Rebels under Jack Cade attack the Tower

1471 - King Henry VI dies mysteriously, probably murdered, in the Tower.

1483 - Disappearance of the Princes in the Tower.

1512 - St. Peter ad Vincula destroyed by fire.

1520 - St. Peter ad Vincula completely rebuilt.

1530 - Building of Queen's House

1532 - Rebuilding of St. Thomas Tower

1536 - Anne Boleyn beheaded on Tower Green

1554 - Lady Jane Grey executed.

1597 - Catholic priest John Gerard escapes after being tortured severely.

1613 - Death of Sir Thomas Overbury, probably by poison.

1649-1660 - Cromwell's rule sees the Crown Jewels melted down and sold. Many pieces were later recovered by the crown.

1660 - The Tower ceased regular use a prison. Defences were improved, and the garrison was used to keep the peace in London. Most of the Tower now administered by the Office of Ordnance.

1660 - First sightseers admitted to the Tower. It has never been the same since!

1671 - Colonel Thomas Blood attempts to steal the Crown Jewels from the Martin Tower. Blood is captured but mysteriously pardoned by the king.

1663 - 1664 - New Armouries built

1674 - Discovery of bones thought to be those of the 'Princes in the Tower' during renovation work

1688 - The building of the Grand Storehouse as a store for armaments

1689 - The notorious Judge Jeffreys dies in the Tower

1804 - The royal menagerie opened to the public for the first time.

1834-1835 - The Royal Menagerie moved from the Lion Tower to form the London Zoo. Most of the Lion Tower demolished

1842-1862 - Waterloo Barracks built, along with the Royal Fusilier's Museum

1843 - The moat is drained and filled

1848 - The Tower is refortified as a precaution in light of revolutionary ideas sweeping Europe

1851 - Architect Anthony Salvin brought in to restore the Tower

1914-1916 - during WWI a total of 11 German prisoners were shot as spies in the Tower

1939-1945 - Severe bomb damage to many parts of the tower during WWII

1942 - Rudolf Hess briefly held in the King's House

1952 - The Krays held in the tower for 4 days, making them among the very last prisoners to be held here

1994 - The Crown Jewels were moved to a new location in the Jewel House

Related:
Tower of London

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About Tower of London Timeline
Address: Tower Hill, London, Greater London, England, EC3N 4AB
Attraction Type: Castle
Website: Tower of London Timeline
Email: VisitorServices.TOL@hrp.org.uk
Location map
OS: TQ335 806
Photo Credit: David Ross and Britain Express
Nearest station: Tower Hill - 0.1 miles (straight line) - Zone: 1

Note: You can get Free Entry to Tower of London with the London Pass

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HERITAGE

Heritage We've 'tagged' this attraction information to help you find related historic attractions and learn more about major time periods mentioned.

Historic Time Periods:

Roman

Find other attractions tagged with:

Anne Boleyn (Person) - castle (Architecture) - Charles II (Person) - Cromwell (Person) - Henry III (Person) - Henry VI (Person) - Jane Grey (Person) - moat (Historical Reference) - Norman (Architecture) - Roman (Time Period) - William the Conqueror (Person) -