fbpx

KidsKonnect

Tower of London Facts & Worksheets

The Tower of London is one of England's most historically significant landmarks since the Norman conquest.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /Social Studies /Geography /Tower of London Facts & Worksheets
Premium
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

The Tower of London is one of England’s most iconic and historically significant landmarks. William the Conqueror built the White Tower in 1066 as a symbol of Norman dominance and strategically placed it on the River Thames to serve as a fortress and entrance to the city. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction for anyone interested in British history, and the crown jewels.

See the fact file below for more information on Tower of London, or you can download our 27-page Tower of London worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Historical Background

  • The Tower of London is the best example of an 11th-century castle palace still standing in Europe. It is one of the most recognizable emblems of the British monarchy since it is one of the few examples of a constantly evolving ensemble of royal buildings dating from the 11th to the 16th centuries. 
  • It also encouraged establishing some of England’s important state institutions, including the nation’s defense, record-keeping, and coinage. It has been the site of significant events in the history of Europe, like the deaths of three English queens. 

Cultural Qualities

  • The Tower has a prominent location for the security and management of London‘s City. As the entrance to the capital, the Tower effectively served as the entrance of the new Norman kingdom. The Tower served as an essential demarcation point between the power of the expanding City of London and the monarchy’s power, being strategically located at a bend in the River Thames. 
  • Its fortifications and armed guards had a dual purpose: keeping the people in check while protecting the City. The Tower of London was created as a statement and symbol of Norman dominance.
  • The Tower symbolizes the far-reaching significance of the mid-11th century Norman Conquest of England more than any other structure, for its impact on forging stronger relations with Europe, on the English language and culture, and on forming one of Europe’s most powerful kings. The Tower serves as a symbol of England’s last military conquest. 
  • The White Tower of the Tower of London was the first to be built. It is the oldest surviving structure in the Tower. The White Tower housed weapons for decades. 1810-1815, the Tower stopped making arms. Eliminating much of the collection allowed the staff to show the remaining items effectively. The White Tower, the monarchy, and the entire kingdom would fall if the ravens left.

Art and Architecture

  • For almost a millennium, the Tower has stood as a symbol of royal power and one of the world’s most famous fortresses. In its rich history, it has served as a royal palace, a prison, and a fortress and now houses the world-famous Crown Jewels.
  • Alan Vince, an archaeologist, says that the architecture of the Tower was based on Saxon London’s most vital and most spectacular defensive strategy, which shows that the structure was constructed on purpose. 
  • The palace’s design is based on three “wards,” or enclosures. The initial phase of the castle’s construction was the innermost ward, which included the White Tower. The inner ward, built during the time of Richard I, surrounds it to the north, east, and west (1189–1299). Lastly, the palace includes an outer ward that was constructed by Edward I. 
  • The Tower occupies approximately 12 hectares with 2.4 hectares and some around the Tower of London forming Trans Liberties—land under the castle’s influence and withdrawn for war purposes. In the 13th century, Henry III authorized the emergence of a piece of land near the castle, which became the prelude to the freedom struggle. Despite common belief, the Tower of London never possessed a permanent torture chamber; however, the room beneath the White Tower occasionally had playgrounds. Edward I, constructed Tower Wharf on the banks of the Thames, and Richard II increased its size to its present dimensions (1377–1399).

The Tower as a Fortress

  • Tradition claims that the presence of ravens protects the Crown and the Tower; a superstition holds that “if the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown and Britain will collapse.”
  • Historian Stephen Porter recalls that new gun platforms were built in the 1680s. Former English Heritage Inspector of Ancient Monuments and current Keeper of Tower History at the Royal Armouries, Tower of London, Dr. Geoffrey Parnell, says heavy weapons were positioned near the Tower in the 1860s to defend London from a French invasion. Nonetheless, as time passed, the Tower’s military significance centered on the fact that it was a central site where weaponry and ammunition could be stored. Troops could be marshaled en route to join armies in Europe.
  • Porter reports that a vast warehouse was constructed to store weapons and ammunition between 1688 and 1702, during the reigns of William and Mary (1689-1702). “The new Grand Storehouse was 345 feet (105 meters) long and 56 feet (17 meters) wide, with two storeys and an attic story,” he adds. “Above the main entrance was a massive pediment, carved by John Young, with the royal arms flanked by horses, artillery, drums, and other military equipment.” This pediment is still standing today.

Prisoners of The Tower

  • Throughout history, the tower of London has housed a diverse assortment of inmates, from deposed rulers to simple criminals. Lady Jane Grey, who reigned for approximately a week in the 16th century before being overthrown by Mary I, was among those imprisoned.
  • Henry VIII made England a Protestant country. Several clergy members disagreed with him in the Tower and later killed him. One of these was Thomas More, who had been his counselor.
  • Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh, Guy Fawkes, Lady Jane Grey, Rudolf Hess, and the Princes in the Tower are the six most known prisoners who have ever been held in the Tower of London.
  • Guy Fawkes was another prominent prisoner who attempted to blow up the House of Lords and the monarch in 1605 using gunpowder. He was tortured and imprisoned in the Tower.
  • Few stories of life or death at the Tower of London are as brutal, visceral, and challenging to read as the Jesuit priest John Gerard’s narrative. In April 1597, at 32, Gerard was transferred from the infamous Clink Prison to the Tower. Even though it had a bad reputation, the Clink did not have torture tools. On the other hand, the Tower did.
  • On the grounds of the Tower, 22 people were put to death. Josef Jacob, a German spy, was the last person to be put to death on August 5, 1941.
  • The Tower of London has been used for different things, but torture has led to most myths and legends. A fearsome reputation has been made by potently mixing fact and fiction. Torture was used, but only for a short time in the 16th and 17th centuries, especially during the Tudor period, when there was much political unrest. 
  • Eventually, the Tower was mainly used to keep documents, weapons, and jewels safe instead of prisoners. However, it was still best known as a dark place where people were killed and tortured, mainly because the Tower became increasingly popular with tourists in the 19th century. 

Tower of London Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Tower of London across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about the Tower of London, one of England’s most historically significant landmarks since the Norman conquest.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Tower of London Facts
  2. Match the Questions 
  3. The Famous Tower
  4. Word Search
  5. London Tour
  6. Bluff or Fact
  7. Main Ward
  8. The Prisoners
  9. This or That
  10. Historical Significance
  11. The Guardian

Frequently Asked Questions

What is unique about the Tower of London?

The Tower of London was the most secure castle in the kingdom, and it guarded the king’s assets as well as the royal family during war and insurrection. However, monarchs inhabited it for 500 years, using it as a surprisingly luxurious palace.

Who were the last prisoners in the Tower of London?

Josef Jakobs was a German spy who became famously known as the last man put to death by firing squad at the Tower of London in August 1941. Another even more famous man, Rudolf Hess, served as Hitler’s second-in-command in the Nazi Party.

Why did Mary put Elizabeth in the Tower of London?

In 1554, the Protestant Wyatt’s Rebellion gave Mary Tudor, who was seeking to be crowned queen instead of her cousin Elizabeth, an opportunity to finally unleash pent-up anger. Elizabeth was imprisoned in the Tower of London, where her mother Anne Boleyn had died.

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Tower of London Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 9, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources