Tower of London

While we were in London in November I got to go to the Tower of London for the first time. It was a really interesting day and I learnt a lot that I didn't know before, what with most of my history lessons coming from things like the BBC's 'The Tudors'!

The White Tower, Tower of London, a really forbidding and impressive facade

I loved these guys! Close up of one of the many Tower of London Metal Soldiers

Another Tower of London metal soldier standing guard over the battlements

Tower of London metal soldier re-loading his crossbow

Tower of London metal soldier protecting the water gate entrance

One thing I learnt while here is that for a long time the Tower of London had an impresive Royal menagerie. This included a Polar Bear who had an iron chain cuffed to one of it's hind legs so it could swim in the water surrounding the Tower

Lions were also kept in the Tower of London's Royal Menagerie. At one time there was a Lioness called Elizabeth who died shortly before Queen Elizabeth I. The lioness' death was seen as a bad omen, which was soon to come true.

As they are famed for, apparently the monkeys kept at the Tower of London's Royal menagerie were rather mischievous and caused more than their fair share of trouble!