The Tower of London
Founded nearly a millennium ago, The Tower of London has traveled through tough British history starting with the ruler, William the Conqueror, “at the beginning of the 11th century,” (Tower of London). Being expanded by different kings and queens, the tower’s structure has been added to many times, from its start as just a temporary wooden building. Why was the Tower of London so important? It enforced the power of kings and queens, from the time after William the Conqueror’s victory at Hastings in 1066 till today, as a museum of the past. The tower had many different uses and housed many different people from royals, to prisoners. As an important monument in central London, the Tower of London, constructed over a large time period, has touched several aspects of British history throughout many years, as historical events occurred involving prisoners, monarchs, and ghosts.
The Tower was a large construction project enforced by different rulers, building tower after tower (21 in total), “and finally encircling it with a moat whose water was delivered by the Thames River,” (McGillick). Original functions of the Tower included “acting as a royal power base, being a place where an army could be housed and a place that can protect London from invasions, and also is a source of protection for the Royal family during chaos,” (Alchin).
The expansion of the Tower of London to 18 acres led to additional functions like an area that houses the Royals, has a prison, and also a place that holds trials and executions. Some towers within the Tower of London include The White, The Bloody, Beauchamp, Bell, Bowyer, Brick, Broad Arrow, Byward, Constable, Cradle, Develin, Deveraux, Flint, Lanthorn, Martin, Middle, St. Thoma...
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...s. On the last day the doors, for the third time, opened again. However, no figure showed up to close the doors afterwards.
After researching and learning about the Tower of London, I’ve realized how great of an impact it has on British history. Writing this paper has opened my eyes to a larger world, and shows me how deep history really goes. The people that impacted the Tower, and the events that occurred within the Tower, are what makes the Tower grand and strong, with thousands of tales being passed on from generation to generation of the dramatic experiences they have had while in the tower. Therefor the walls of the tower of London hold within them secrets of history, which has changed not only England but the whole world as well. If only these walls could talk, they could tell us the truth behind the history and tales that occurred within the Tower of London.
Finding a door to exit would become a puzzling exercise during one of their St. Albans investigations. Terri and Marie were in what is known as “the safe room,” because a large old-fashioned safe is located there. They had completed their investigation and were readying to leave the room when they realized they couldn’t. There wasn’t a door. “It was as if it had been morphed over,” said Terri. “We went around and around in circles. We were growing concerned when we made another lap and there it was. It was as if the door materialized out of nowhere,” she said.
For many the Cathedral is seen to indicate the grandeur and control of the Normans, who were able to build such monuments to their power despite having only recently conquered England. The precarious situation of being an recently instated alien power was even more pronounced in the north, where even the Anglo Saxon Kings had only had a superficial hold, arguably making the construction of Durham “one of the greatest Anglo-Norman achievements”. This so-called achievement is not restricted to architecture but also refers to the political developments which enabled the Normans to apparently gain enough control to do this within 30 years. However the study of Durham Cathedral alone cannot suffice to give a satisfactory outline of Norman politics and the achievements in Durham and must be put into the context of the region. Hence Durham Cathedral and all its powerful connotations can be argued to only be an anomaly to the reality of Norman England and its politics.
The Seige of 1216 and Dover Castle "THE SIEGE OF 1216 BROUGHT ABOUT LITTLE REAL CHANGE TO DOVER CASTLE.
The history between the British Empire and its dominions always was significantly distinguished through the strong ties which people connected to the mother-country of Britain. However, as always in history changes were about to happen as each dominion urged to become more and more independent. The end of this process is marked by the Statute of Westminster passed in 1931 which granted the former dominions full legal freedom and established legislative equality between the now self-governing dominions of the British Empire. Therefore, the Statute of Westminster is one of the most remarkable acts in Canadian history as it set the road to the development of Canada in which we live today.
Transformation of London in the 1790s. Many changes occurred in London during the 1790s. New ideas were emerging within England and around the world. The onset of the French Revolution contributed greatly to the unrest and the turmoil of the times.
We remember William of Normandy as a conquering hero. Truly one of the great warrior's of all time. But its is his patronage that still can be viewed in the twentieth century. The churches of St. Etienne and La Trinite as well as the tower of London, are medieval architectural models. All three buildings have a wealth of documentation surrounding them.
seems like the guy is never coming back, the door opens and the guy walks through it. He
Architects of the Elizabethan era designed many amazingly beautiful buildings and structures. Elizabethan architecture went further than just what the architects told the builders to do and the builders are given far less credit than they deserve. They carved out amazingly intricate designs into the wood and stone of these buildings, they poured their souls into their work and were still forgotten because what are they but some random members of the lower class. Elizabethan architecture has more to it than just looks, the structures were built to last luxuriously and each has a history going back before the day they laid the foundation. The architecture descends from the Tudor Style while also admiring Greek and Roman architecture and contained many influences from when England invaded India.
completed in 1932, has a central tower that rises 400 feet (120 meters) from a
The. Bryant, Julius. Finest prospects : three historic houses, a study of London topography. London : English Heritage, Iveah Bequest, Kenwood. 1986.
With the Pantheon being built over 1700 years ago, it’s amazing that architects are still using features and techniques from this work of architecture in modern creations. The use of this type of classical architecture will continue to be used in works for public space due to its remarkable exterior appearance and it’s long lasting structural durability. When both Jesse hall and the Pantheon are compared it is possible to see their similarities from the types of domes that top each, their external facades, and their interior plan. While they share many similarities, the differences that Bell and Binder used in their creation make this work of architecture unique to many other public spaces.
The setting is London in 1854, which is very different to anything we know today. Johnson’s description of this time and place makes it seem like a whole other world from the here and now....
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament, serves as the meeting place for the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Old Palace was a medieval building that was destroyed by fire in 1834. After the fire, a competition was held for architects to submit plans for the new building that should be in a Gothic or Elizabethan style hoping to embody the conservative values of England. A Royal commission chose Charles Barry’s designs for a Perpendicular Gothic palace. Barry’s own style was more classical than Gothic which is why Augustus Pugin’s involvement was so crucial in Barry winning the competition. Barry’s plans reflected more of his knowledge of the neo-classical style through its symmetry. Pugin was the leading authority on Gothic architecture at the time. Almost all of the remains of the Old Palace were incorporated into the new design. Their work on the Palace began in 1840 and, while most of the work was finished by 1860, the New Palace of Westminster was not complete until a decade later. One of the most identifiable features of the Palace is the Elizabeth Tower, commonly identified by its main bell, “Big Ben”. The building is also known for two main spaces; the Lord’s Chamber and the Common’s Chamber. It is well identified by its main façade which runs parallel to the River Thames. The Palace, as it stands today, has been conserved very well to best display the designs as Charles Barry and Pugin intended them to be displayed. The Palace was, and remains, the center for political life in the United Kingdom, just as it remains a major iconic landmark of London. Many articles and books have been written discussing and disputing the history and design of the New Palace of Westminster, as well as the...
The most impressive structure of Windsor Castle is the Round Tower, or Keep, which stands 80 feet high. According to tradition, King Arthur sat with the Knights of the Round Table within this tower. Surrounded by a moat, it was also used as a prison until 1660.
This essay is written about St Paul’s Cathedral which is located in London. I will discuss the fire that destroyed the original building in September 1966, how the building was restored, and the main functions of the cathedral and the interiors of the dome of the Chapel.