INFOFACTS - Tower of London, historic fortress of the City of London, on the north bank of the Thames River, built on the remains of Roman fortifications. The tower complex, which contains 7.5 hectares (18 acres), stands on a slight rise known as Tower Hill. The original tower, known as the White Tower or Keep, is flanked by four turrets and enclosed by two lines of fortifications. William the Conqueror ordered the original tower built and work was begun in 1078. It was designed by Gundulf, bishop of Rochester, and completed in 1097. Although its exterior was restored in the 18th century, the interior still has much of its original Norman character. Later buildings surrounding the original keep include a barracks and a chapel built in the 14th century and restored in the 16th century. The inner fortifications (Ballium Wall) have 12 towers; the most important are the following: Bloody Tower, so called from the tradition that the English child king Edward V and his brother Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, were murdered there in 1483; Record or Wakefield Tower, where the records were formerly kept and the royal regalia (symbols and emblems, such as crowns and scepters) are now guarded; Devereux Tower, named for its most famous prisoner, Robert Devereux, earl of Essex, who was held there before his execution for treason in 1601, and where, in 1478, George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, supposedly was drowned in a barrel of wine; and Jewel Tower, which formerly housed the regalia.The tower was used as a royal residence as well as for a prison until Elizabethan times. Use of the tower as a prison was discontinued in the 19th century. Executions were held either in the central keep or outside the tower on Tower Hill. It is now largely a showplace and museum. It holds the crown jewels of England and is one of the country's greatest tourist attractions. A popular feature is the Yeomen of the Guard, known as Beefeaters, who still wear colorful uniforms of the Tudor period. The Tower was once surrounded by a wide moat, which was filled in during the 19th century because of stagnating water. Work to restore the moat began in the late 1990s, and archaeologists working at the site unearthed centuries-old artifacts. The most impressive of these were the remains of a 13th-century tower that once existed in front of today’s entrance and a wooden bridge. Other artifacts include an almost-intact wicker fishing basket from the late 15th or early 16th century, a money box, pots, and pipes.

 

Sterling silver LONDON BLOODY TOWER charm which measures approx 18 x 22 x 8mm and weighs approx 4.5g......Opening the charm reveals the executioner

 Has the words 'London Bloody Tower' written underneath

 All charms are delivered with a split ring attached