1. Understanding the Tower
Introduction:
This PowerPoint introduces pupils to the Tower of London and to the main features of the medieval fortress and royal residence. Pupils will learn how to identify key features of the castle, think about why the Tower was positioned where it was and to consider the structural changes that were made over time.
The Tower through time

2. What are the different parts of a castle called?
wall walk
keep
battlements
Inner curtain wall
moat
causeway
Outer curtain wall
Teachers’ notes:
This slide should elicit an understanding from pupils that castles (and fortresses like the Tower of London) are built to protect and defend. They are asked to look at different parts of the castle and to try and identify them. Each feature of the castle serves a purpose, from the guarded entrance/gatehouse to the moat and heavy curtain walls. Battlements and wall walks allowed defenders to shoot at attackers whilst being protected. The curtain wall was lower than the inner wall to allow two rows of archers. A moat added additional protection and, in the case of the Tower of London, so did the river.
The keep was several stories high and allowed the castle’s occupants to see for miles around. We refer to the Tower of London as a fortress but the different parts of the building have the same names as a castle such as Rochester. Pupils should be encouraged to think about each part of the building and to suggest how its fortifications would protect a castle from attackers. The above drawing represents the Tower in the present day.
gatehouse

3. How is a castle defended from attackers?

4. Where is the Tower of London?
site of Roman Wall
Tower Hill
River Thames
London Bridge
(not seen)
Teachers’ notes:
The Tower of London is typical of many medieval castles because it is naturally protected on one side by a river; in this case, the River Thames. Medieval castles were usually built on higher ground to take advantage of natural geography, and the Tower was no exception. William I built the Tower close to the eastern remains of the Roman city wall. This wall had been built around a thousand years earlier to protect the city of Londinium. The Tower was well-situated to protect the city from an attack by river and also to control access to it.
Encourage pupils to look at the four key features that influenced the Tower’s location and discuss why each is important. They should identify the following:
The Roman wall provided additional protection on the eastern side of the White Tower, before the inner curtain wall and the outer curtain wall were built.
Tower Hill provided protection to the north of the site.
The River Thames provided protection to the south and controlled access to the city by river.
London bridge was the only way of crossing the river for hundreds of years and the Tower controlled access to the city of London.
Why is the Tower built in a good location for a castle?

5. Timeline of the Tower William I chooses site for a castle in London
Henry III adds outer wall and towers
Military storehouses added
1000
1500
2000
Victoria adds Waterloo Barracks
Edward I builds the Medieval Palace
Teachers’ notes:
Timeline of key Tower site developments during its history.
White Tower is built
Henry VIII adds royal lodgings for Anne Boleyn

6. Key kings and queens William I (1066-1087) Henry III (1216-1272)
Started the building of the White Tower
William I
( )
Added the outer curtain wall
Henry III
( )
Changed the Tower into a mighty fortress
Edward I
( )
Added the Queen’s House
Henry VIII
( )
Added Wellington Barracks (Waterloo Block - where you can see the Crown Jewels today)
Queen Victoria ( )
Teachers’ notes:
Remind pupils that the Tower has changed a great deal from when it was first built to the present day. Different kings and queens have made their own modifications, responding to the needs of their time and in certain circumstances changing the function of the Tower in the process.

7. Who built the White Tower?
Roman Wall
The White Tower
The Tower in the time of William I (William the Conqueror)
Why did William I build the White Tower?
What material is the White Tower made of?
Teachers’ notes:
William I became King of England in The Saxons didn’t like their new Norman (French) King William I. William had defeated the Saxon king, Harold, at the Battle of Hastings in William now needed to protect himself and London from attack and to show off his wealth and physical power.
We don’t know exactly when building began on the Tower, but it was certainly underway in the 1070s. The Tower was built within the south-eastern corner of the Roman wall, which itself had been built around AD Along with a new language, customs and nobility, William brought with him a style of architecture which was new to England.
Although the Romans built their city from stone, their buildings had crumbled over the 1000 years since they had been built and the Saxons had mostly built single story, wooden buildings.The White Tower is built of stone imported from Caen in Normandy, France. It is nearly 30 metres tall and the walls are more than 4 metres thick. Nothing had been seen like it before and it could be seen for miles around. This artist’s impression show the castle as it may have looked in the 1070s or 1080s during the construction of the White Tower. The wall surrounding the Tower to the north, east and south (on the river front) is the Roman wall.
Discuss with the pupils why William I built the Tower. What message was he trying to send his new people, the Saxons? What did the Saxons feel about the Tower? How did they feel about their new king, language, customs and nobility? What would the Tower have meant or symbolised to them? How far do you think you could you see from the top of the Tower? Compare the stone buildings of the Tower with the Saxon buildings.
What do you think can you see from the top of the Tower?
What do you think the Saxons thought about the new Tower?

8. Who made the Tower into a mighty fortress?
inner wall with nine giant towers
Outer curtain wall
moat
The Tower in the time of Henry III
Teachers’ notes:
Henry III ( ) came to the throne of England when he was only 9 years old. During the early part of his reign, the royal accommodation was extended to include the Wakefield Tower (the king’s lodgings) and the Lanthorn Tower (probably intended for use by the queen). Following a rebellion in 1238, during which Henry III fled to the Tower, work began on the massive curtain wall on the north, east and western sides. The wall had nine new towers and was surrounded by a moat. The towers opened on to walkways so that archers could look out for attackers. The use of round towers was copied from Crusader castles found in the Middle East, such as Krak de Chevaliers (Syria).
King Edward I ( ) made further changes to the Tower and used it as his main royal residence; visit the Medieval Palace to see a reconstruction of his bedchamber. Edward I spent £21,000 on making the Tower into England’s largest and strongest concentric castle (with one ring of defensive walls inside another). He created another curtain wall outside of the first wall (which became the inner wall) and created a new moat. The inner wall was higher than the outer curtain wall so that archers could fire over the heads of defenders on the outer wall. He carried out this work during a ten year period, between 1275 and 1285.
Discuss with the pupils the following questions:
Who might wish to attack the King and why?
Who were the King’s enemies?
When you come to the Tower, visit the East Wall Walk, the Salt Tower and the Cradle Tower, and look towards the river to get a good view of the Tower’s defences.
What did Henry III and Edward I add to the Tower?
Why did they do this?
Who might attack the king?
How could the king protect himself?

9. How did the Tower change in Tudor times?
What did Tower Green become known for in Henry VIII’s reign?
The Royal Apartments
Tower Green
Traitor’s Gate
Teachers’ notes:
King Henry VIII built a large development of timber-framed lodgings for Anne Boleyn, ready for her coronation in These were known as the Royal Apartments. Three years later, Anne was brought to the Tower again, where she was beheaded on Tower Green. The Royal Apartments were rarely used following her execution, and fell into disrepair before being demolished. During the reign of Henry VIII, the Tower ceased to be an important royal residence.
In Tudor times, the Tower became increasingly used to house political and religious prisoners because it was strong and secure. During the reign of Henry VIII, 112 prisoners were kept in the Tower. Despite its reputation as a place of execution, only 10 people are recognised to have been privately executed within the Tower walls; six of these during the reign of the Tudors. Most prisoners were executed outside of the Tower on Tower Hill, which was a public execution site. During this period, so many prisoners entered the Tower via the Water gate that it was renamed Traitors’ gate.
The Tower in the time of Henry VIII
Queen’s House
What buildings did Henry VIII add?

10. What were these new buildings used for?
What was added later?
New Armouries
Jewel House
The Tower in the reign of William and Mary
Teachers’ notes:
After 1660, the Tower’s use as a state prison declined and it became the headquarters of the Office of Ordnance (military supplies and equipment). The Crown Jewels were put on display at the Tower in the 17th century. During the 19th century, new barracks were built on the site of the Grand Storehouse which was destroyed by fire in The 19th century also saw a dramatic increase in the number of visitors. The Royal Mint and the Menagerie departed in the early 19th century and the Office of Ordnance and Record Office also relocated in the mid-19th century.
What buildings were added later?
What were these new buildings used for?

11. What does the Tower look like today?
Teachers’ notes:
The Tower of London has changed very little in appearance since the reign of Richard II ( ), but over that time its use and purpose has changed dramatically. Look at the PowerPoint ‘Understanding the Tower of London’ to find out in more detail what the Tower has been used for over time.
Aerial view of the Tower of London
How does it look today compared with in the past?

12. Summary Why did different kings and queens make changes to the Tower?
How has the Tower changed in appearance over time?
What would you like to find out more about during your visit?