Week 13 #2: This thing called...

This post is going up a couple of days later than I'm happy with, but I returned to Glasgow, which means I returned to life. And returning to life means returning to school and this little thing called studying,  which I am no longer sure I even know how to do. Anyway...

Tuesday morning started out at All Bar One with another breakfast of huevos rancheros and Smarties. After this we set direction towards Tower Hill. It had been a question of going to Regent's Park or Tower Hill, and since I felt like I was already chasing down history-lane I would rather go to Tower Hill. Mainly because I felt like uncovering more stories about Mary Queen of Scots, though that is probably not possible anymore.

So we walked around Tower of London a little, and it wasn't until I figured that there was torture instruments in there that I actually wanted to go in. But in we went. There was a guided tour that would start basically five minutes later, and we went on that. The guide was a Beefeater in full uniform, and he had a booming voice

Also, he spoke of the construction of Tower of London, which was rather a lengthy process, and he spoke of the kings and queens who lived there. Mind you, whereas Kensington (link) was a palace for the royals, too, it was for the house of Stuart. Tower Hill first built with the White Tower in just 1078, and was later then expanded several times. As such it was a place where kings and queens lived from then on. However, when most people say Tower of London they think of a prison and a place where many a man (and woman) lost his (or her) head. As much as this is also true and that the tower was used for such, the purpose of the tower was as much to house, as said, kings and queens.

The guide walked us inside and up next to Traitor's gate. This was here Anne Boleyn had said to be sailed into the castled. The gate faces River Thames, and rather than being walked into the castle, this was a discrete way to do it.

We walked past the Bloody Tower as it was called by Shakespeare and up next the White Tower, after which the Tower of London has been called.
Here he told us a little about what the Tower actually had been used for, what is is used for today, and he told us about the private execution place. After being done with this we walked into the chapel where people would have been buried.

It is probably well-known that Tower of London was a prison in which people didn't survive for long. When a prisoner was due to be executed they would be walked up onto Tower Hill where the execution would then take place. This was public, and afterwards the head would be put on a spike and then be displayed on Tower Bridge. The body would then be brought back into the chapel and buried there. The head would eventually be dropped into river Thames. However, prisoners living in Tower of London usually were treated relatively good,and sometimes they were even allowed to bring their families there.

Around August and September of 1483 two princes were held in the Bloody Tower. Princes Edward and Richard were put there by their uncle Richard as preparation for Edward's coronation. However, the two princes disappeared and Richard was crowned king. In 1674 workmen found two human skeletons, approximately the size of the two princes. It was then widely accepted to be the two princes, and they are now buried in Westminster Abbey.

The Tudor era marks a decline in the use of Tower of London as a residence, but the last execution took place in 1941, not by beheading but by firing squad.

Among the famous people to have been tortured, and later died, at Tower of London is Guy Fawkes.


"Remember, remember, the Fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot;
For I see no reason
Why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot"
- Old Nursery Rhyme

The plot was to blow up the House of Lords during the state opening of November 5th 1605. The plot was a failure, and Guy Fawkes was apprehended and signed a full confession. He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered, and yes, this is exactly as awful as it sounds. This seemed to be the preferred style of execution for high treason. However, Fawkes managed to crawl high enough on the ladder that he was hanged, and he died instantly.

Today, the Tower of London is neither used as prison nor a place for royalty to stay. People live there, Beefeaters live there after they serve at least 22 years in the army. They also need to be non-commissioned officers or petty officers. Beefeaters are formally known as Yeomen Warders, and along with doing guided tours they also protect the Crown Jewels that are held at Tower of London.

After having visited the Tower of London we went back to the hotel to pick up our luggage, and I hurried to Victoria Coach Station, only to find out that the bus was delayed by over an hour. I arrived back in Glasgow around 01:20 am and went straight to bed.