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Built one thousand years ago - London's Tower of London has grown well over the centuries.
Succeeding Kings and Queens have enlarged the initial structure which commenced in the year 1078.
The Tower of London has always been a Royal Castle Fortress, continually altered and is now currently the very Oldest Palace Fortress and Royal Jail in the whole of Europe.
Treason is still now a Capital Offence in the UK and is legally punishable today with the Death Penalty (in the Tower grounds no doubt).
The Norman King "William The Conqueror" invaded England (Year 1066 AD) and defeated the reigning Anglo Saxon King Harold at the battle of Hastings and then on CHRISTMAS DAY in 1066 he was subsequently crowned King of England.
Having later selected the banks of the River Thames as his stronghold, London Bridge was the farthest place downstream that a Medieval Stone Bridge could traverse the River Thames, without collapsing into the river bottom from it's own weight.
King William required an impregnable Fortress to base his army, in order to keep the remaining Medieval English Feudal Lords under his control and prevent them from revolting against him and grabbing back the throne for the English.
The people of the City of London were a threat to him also, as he was a French speaking foreign alien, as far as Londoners were concerned, and William did not have there loyalty bestowed upon him by simple request.
He needed to rule from a position of martial strength as was the way in Olden Times.
You may say that nothing has really changed in the last thousand years, Vis-à-Vis current global warfare that is ensuing !
Interestingly the location that William picked for his army was exactly the same location that the Roman Emperor Claudius chose as his English base, many centuries prior and even today you can see wonderful signs of Roman Engineering Skills visible there and in the rest of England (the City of Bath in particular).
The Tower of London after its thousand years of Royal Heritage, now operates as a London Museum !
Initially the Tower was a straightforward wooden and stone enclosure and included the usual ditch outside the ramparts.
The basic structure later acquired a large Stone Tower which was called "The Great Tower" and is now referred to as The White Tower.
In approximately 1240 AD, the reigning King Henry III decided to live in the Tower of London and make it his Royal Palace.
He therefore made it prettier and painted the Great Tower in white, and also expanded his new home, so that he could build a church there to pray in.
After all one must not forget that all Medieval Kings said they ruled by Divine Right - and what do you say to that ?
In addition a Great Hall and further buildings were erected and the Norman Kings, direct descendants of William, who were still ruling England in the 13th Century (and still speaking French of course!) referred to the Tower of London as 'La Tour Blanche' which in English means The White Tower.
The Great/White/Blanche Tower, or the Tower of London if you prefer, has performed many functions over the centuries.
A Royal Residence, Palace, Fortress, Jail, All-In-One Military Complex, Royal Mint, Treasury and now it is a London Museum and also London's Number One Tourist Attraction.
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