Tower of London Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Restoration and tourism== [[File:Tower of London (8145477096).jpg|thumb|A recreation of [[Edward I of England|Edward I]]'s bedchamber in the river-side St Thomas's Tower above [[Traitors' Gate]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Medieval Palace |url=http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/stories/medievalpalace.aspx |publisher=[[Historic Royal Palaces]] |accessdate=19 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530014315/http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/stories/medievalpalace.aspx |archivedate=30 May 2010}}</ref>]] The Tower of London has become established as one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. It has been a tourist attraction since at least the Elizabethan period, when it was one of the sights of London that foreign visitors wrote about. Its most popular attractions were the Royal Menagerie and displays of armour. The [[Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom|Crown Jewels]] also garner much interest, and have been on public display since 1669. The Tower steadily gained popularity with tourists through the 19th century, despite the opposition of the Duke of Wellington to visitors. Numbers became so high that by 1851 a purpose-built ticket office was erected. By the end of the century, over 500,000 were visiting the castle every year.<ref name="Parnell 1993 111">{{harvnb|Parnell|1993|p=111}}</ref> Over the 18th and 19th centuries, the palatial buildings were slowly adapted for other uses and demolished. Only the Wakefield and St Thomas's Towers survived.<ref name="I&P 54-55" /> The 18th century marked an increasing interest in England's medieval past. One of the effects was the emergence of [[Gothic Revival architecture]]. In the Tower's architecture, this was manifest when the New Horse Armoury was built in 1825 against the south face of the White Tower. It featured elements of Gothic Revival architecture such as battlements. Other buildings were remodelled to match the style and the Waterloo Barracks were described as "castellated Gothic of the 15th century".<ref name="I&P 117">{{harvnb|Impey|Parnell|2000|p=117}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Parnell|1993|p=96}}</ref> Between 1845 and 1885 institutions such as the Mint which had inhabited the castle for centuries moved to other sites; many of the post-medieval structures left vacant were demolished. In 1855, the War Office took over responsibility for manufacture and storage of weapons from the Ordnance Office, which was gradually phased out of the castle. At the same time, there was greater interest in the history of the Tower of London.<ref name="I&P 117" /> Public interest was partly fuelled by contemporary writers, of whom the work of [[William Harrison Ainsworth]] was particularly influential. In ''[[The Tower of London (novel)|The Tower of London: A Historical Romance]]'' he created a vivid image of underground torture chambers and devices for extracting confessions that stuck in the public imagination.<ref name="I&P 91" /> Ainsworth also played another role in the Tower's history, as he suggested that Beauchamp Tower should be opened to the public so they could see the inscriptions of 16th- and 17th-century prisoners. Working on the suggestion, [[Anthony Salvin]] refurbished the tower and led a further programme for a comprehensive restoration at the behest of [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]]. Salvin was succeeded in the work by [[John Taylor (architect)|John Taylor]]. When a feature did not meet his expectations of medieval architecture Taylor would ruthlessly remove it; as a result, several important buildings within the castle were pulled down and in some cases post-medieval internal decoration removed.<ref>{{harvnb|Impey|Parnell|2000|pp=118β121}}</ref> [[File:Tower of London main entrance, 2009.jpg|thumb|The main entrance to the Tower of London. Today the castle is a popular tourist attraction.]] Although only one bomb fell on the Tower of London in the First World War (it landed harmlessly in the moat), the Second World War left a greater mark. On 23 September 1940, during [[the Blitz]], high-explosive bombs damaged the castle, destroying several buildings and narrowly missing the White Tower. After the war, the damage was repaired and the Tower of London was reopened to the public.<ref name="I&P 124">{{harvnb|Impey|Parnell|2000|p=124}}</ref> A [[1974 Tower of London bombing|1974 bombing]] in the White Tower [[Mortar (weapon)|Mortar]] Room left one person dead and 41 injured. No one claimed responsibility for the blast, but the police investigated suspicions that the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|IRA]] was behind it.<ref>{{Citation |title=On This Day 1974: Bomb blast at the Tower of London |date=17 July 1974 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/17/newsid_2514000/2514429.stm |publisher=[[BBC News Online]]}}</ref> In the 21st century, tourism is the Tower's primary role, with the remaining routine military activities, under the [[Royal Logistic Corps]], having wound down in the latter half of the 20th century and moved out of the castle.<ref name="I&P 124" /> However, the Tower is still home to the regimental headquarters of the [[Royal Regiment of Fusiliers]], and the museum dedicated to it and its predecessor, the [[Royal Fusiliers]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Regimental History |url=http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/regiments/5452.aspx |work=British Army website |year=2010 |publisher=Royal Regiment of Fusiliers |accessdate=16 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100905220948/http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/regiments/5452.aspx |archivedate=5 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (London) Museum |url=http://www.armymuseums.org.uk/museums/0000000114-Royal-Regiment-of-Fusiliers-London-Museum.htm |publisher=Army Museums Ogilby Trust |accessdate=16 June 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726064711/http://www.armymuseums.org.uk/museums/0000000114-Royal-Regiment-of-Fusiliers-London-Museum.htm |archivedate=26 July 2011}}</ref> Also, a detachment of the unit providing the [[King's Guard]] at Buckingham Palace still mounts a guard at the Tower, and with the [[Yeomen Warders]], takes part in the [[Ceremony of the Keys]] each day.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Ceremony of the Keys |url=http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/WhatsOn/ceremonyofthekeys.aspx |year=2004β2010 |publisher=[[Historic Royal Palaces]] |accessdate=16 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604032857/http://www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon/whatson/ceremonyofthekeys.aspx |archivedate=4 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=The Queen's Guard |url=http://www.army.mod.uk/events/ceremonial/1071.aspx |year=2010 |publisher=British Army |accessdate=16 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100906233400/http://www.army.mod.uk/events/ceremonial/1071.aspx |archivedate=6 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Yeomen Warders |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/Ceremonialbodies/YeomenWarders.aspx |year=2008β2009 |publisher=Royal Household of the United Kingdom |accessdate=16 June 2010}}</ref> On several occasions through the year [[21-gun salute#United Kingdom|gun salutes]] are fired from the Tower by the [[Honourable Artillery Company]], these consist of 62 rounds for royal occasions, and 41 on other occasions.<ref>{{Citation |title=Gun salutes |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/GunSalutes/Gunsalutes.aspx |year=2008β2009 |publisher=Royal Household of the United Kingdom |accessdate=16 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317070617/http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/GunSalutes/Gunsalutes.aspx |archivedate=17 March 2015}}</ref> [[File:Jubilee and Munin, Ravens, Tower of London 2016-04-30.jpg|Two of the [[Ravens of the Tower of London|ravens]]|thumb]] Since 1990, the Tower of London has been cared for by an independent charity, [[Historic Royal Palaces]], which receives no funding from the Government or the Crown.<ref>{{Citation |title=Cause and principles |url=http://www.hrp.org.uk/aboutus/whoweare/causeandprinciples.aspx |publisher=[[Historic Royal Palaces]] |accessdate=30 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222002931/http://www.hrp.org.uk/aboutus/whoweare/causeandprinciples.aspx |archivedate=22 December 2009}}</ref> In 1988, the Tower of London was added to the [[UNESCO]] list of [[World Heritage Site]]s, in recognition of its global importance and to help conserve and protect the site.<ref>{{Citation |title=UNESCO Constitution |url=http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=15244&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |accessdate=17 August 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329170647/http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D15244%26URL_DO%3DDO_TOPIC%26URL_SECTION%3D201.html |archivedate=29 March 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Tower of London |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/488 |publisher=UNESCO |accessdate=28 July 2009}}</ref> However, recent developments, such as the construction of skyscrapers nearby, have pushed the Tower towards being added to the United Nations' Heritage in Danger List.<ref>{{Citation |title=UNESCO warning on Tower of London |date=21 October 2006 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6072580.stm |publisher=[[BBC News Online]]}}</ref> The remains of the medieval palace have been open to the public since 2006 where visitors can explore the restored chambers.<ref>{{Citation |title=Medieval Palace: Press Release |url=http://www.hrp.org.uk/NewsAndMedia/Pressresources/tolpressresources/pressreleasemedievalTower.aspx |publisher=[[Historic Royal Palaces]] |accessdate=19 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221042706/http://www.hrp.org.uk/NewsAndMedia/Pressresources/tolpressresources/pressreleasemedievalTower.aspx |archivedate=21 December 2007}}</ref> Although the position of Constable of the Tower remains the highest position held at the Tower,<ref>{{Citation |title=The Constable of the Tower |url=http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/stories/palacepeople/TheConstableoftheTower.aspx |publisher=[[Historic Royal Palaces]] |accessdate=27 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130201029/http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/stories/palacepeople/TheConstableoftheTower.aspx |archivedate=30 November 2009}}</ref> the responsibility of day-to-day administration is delegated to the [[Resident Governor of the Tower of London and Keeper of the Jewel House|Resident Governor]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Maj Gen Keith Cima: Resident Governor HM Tower of London |url=http://www.hrp.org.uk/aboutus/whoweare/MajorGeneralKeithCima_.aspx |publisher=[[Historic Royal Palaces]] |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206190019/http://www.hrp.org.uk/aboutus/whoweare/MajorGeneralKeithCima_.aspx |accessdate=27 September 2010 |archivedate=6 December 2008}}</ref> The Constable is appointed for a five-year term; this is primarily a ceremonial post today but the Constable is also a trustee of Historic Royal Palaces and of the Royal Armouries. General Sir [[Gordon Messenger]] was appointed Constable in 2022.<ref>{{Citation |title=General Sir Gordon makes history as first Royal Marine in charge of Tower of London |date=7 April 2022 |url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2022/april/07/20220407-general-sir-gordon-makes-history-as-first-rm-in-charge-of-tower-of-london |publisher=Royal Navy}}</ref> At least [[Ravens of the Tower of London|six ravens are kept at the Tower]] at all times, in accordance with the belief that if they are absent, the kingdom will fall.<ref>{{harvnb|Jerome|2006|pp=148β149}}</ref> They are under the care of the [[Ravenmaster]], one of the [[Yeoman Warders]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Why the Tower of London has a ravenmaster β a man charged with keeping at least six ravens at the castle at all times |date=30 September 2018 |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/world/meet-the-ravenmaster |work=[[National Post]] |accessdate=1 October 2018}}</ref> As well as having ceremonial duties, the Yeoman Warders provide guided tours around the Tower.<ref name="Yeoman Warders" /><ref name="Parnell 1993 117" /> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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