The Tower of London

Chumakova E., 9th grade

The Tower of London, officially Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.

 It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite.

The guardians of the Tower still tell tourists many thrilling stories about things happened there when the place was a prison. Even a more interesting story is considered to be the one about the start of the Zoo. It is said that King Henry III was given an elephant, a polar bear and several leopards as gifts and he had no place to keep them in except for the Tower of London.

Nowadays the Tower of London is a place of great interest for millions of people. Tourists come there to visit the museum of Royal Armouries, the Fusilier museum and a new Jewel Tower where Crown Jewels are exhibited.  Tourists can also speak with the guardians who wear special uniform which was assigned to them during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.