There was a fortress here back in Roman times, built by Emperor Claudius to defend Londinium city. William the Conqueror commissioned construction of the White Tower in 1078 with the purpose to protect London, as well as the Normans from the residents of London. The stone for the tower was imported from France. King Richard the Lionheart had trenches dug around the tower walls and filled them with water from the Thames River. They were later improved by Henry III, who used a special Dutch technique. In 1830 the moat was drained and human bones were discovered at the bottom.

A royal menagerie was established here in the early 1200s. By the 19th century it was open to the public. Romanticist poet William Blake saw a tiger here, which inspired his famous poem, “Tiger, tiger, burning bright/in the forests of the night.” By 1835 all the animals had been moved to the newly opened London Zoo in Regent's Park.

Criminals from lower classes were often hanged outside the Tower. If the crime was especially scandalous the perpetrators were executed publicly on Tower Hill. This was the case with Sir Thomas More, the writer of ‘Utopia’. Henry VIII had him executed as More was a man notoriously opposed to Protestantism. Women were usually beheaded inside the tower; among them were Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Margaret Pole, Jane Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey. Lady Jane Grey was Queen of England for just nine days before she was executed on the orders of Mary Tudor, who garnered more public support than Lady Jane. Jane Grey was one of the few monarchs who didn't have a coronation ceremony. Till now, visitors of the Tower claim to have seen a vision of Anne Boleyn holding her head under her arm. She was executed in 1536 on the orders of her husband Henry VIII.

Today the Tower is considered to be one of the official royal residences, even though it is not actually inhabited by the Royal Family. It is mainly a tourist attraction. Among the items on display here are the Crown Jewels, a royal armour collection and remnants of a Roman fortification.

The British government maintains eight ravens in the Tower. This is an ancient tradition based on the legend that as long as the birds stay there, Britain will be safe from attacks.

The Tower is next to Tower Bridge which got its name from the tower. It is one of the greatest attractions of London, attracting visitors with its monumental and picturesque silhouette that has already became a landmark of British capital. Tower Bridge is a drawbridge with a weight balance mechanism, also known as a bascule bridge, from a French word meaning balance and seesaw. Construction of the bridge began in 1886 and 8 years to complete it. It required more than 70,000 tons of concrete, 11,000 tons of steel and 432 construction workers employed. The steel was covered in imported granite and stone to give the structure a nice appearance. It was inaugurated with an official ceremony in 1893, presided over by the future King Edward VII. Today the walkways of the bridge between the towers are part of an exhibition known as the Tower Bridge Experience, covering holograms, photographs and a film about the construction of the bridge.