Bookable
An Apollonaut travel guide
Moments in a longer story.
Selected milestones in the history of the Tower of London.
On this page
A fortress, a palace and a prison
These dates describe the place you can learn about here. They are not a company timeline for Apollonaut.
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1066
Founded
The Tower is founded towards the end of 1066, as part of the Norman Conquest.
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c. 1078
The White Tower
Work on the great keep begins under William the Conqueror.
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1189–1199
The inner ward
The inner ward is created in the reign of Richard I.
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1216–1307
Rings of walls
Henry III and Edward I extend the castle with two rings of walls and a moat.
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1330s
The Royal Menagerie
By now the Lion Tower is linked with the Royal Menagerie.
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1509
Yeoman Warders
The Yeoman Warders are part of the Royal Bodyguard by this date.
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12 February 1554
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey is executed at the Tower.
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1843–1845
The moat
The moat is drained and filled after an outbreak of disease.
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15 August 1941
The last execution
The German spy Josef Jakobs is the last person executed at the Tower.
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1988
World Heritage
The Tower of London is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Follow the stories behind the dates
A timeline is a beginning. The longer history introduces the people and places; the sources below provide further context.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.