THE prominent Tower of London and its surrounding stone ramparts loomed into view as we emerged from the underpass which connects to Tower Hill underground station.

To think Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, ie The Tower of London, is standing as tall and dominant as ever despite barely surviving a number of battles, conflicts and wars in its past thousand years of history, is remarkable to say the least. What amazed me the most was seeing the ancient castle juxtaposed with the surrounding modern structures of London’s high rise offices. It appears almost super-imposed – making it stand out as one of Britain’s most beautiful historic landmarks.

The first stone of The White Tower was laid in 1078 by William the Conqueror and the tower was largely resented as a symbol of oppression, yet in the 12th and 13th centuries during the reigns of Richard the Lionheart, Henry III and Edward I more buildings extended the complex. The castle was primarily a grand palace for royalty yet was occupied by prisoners in the years that followed.

Clearly The Tower of London remains a huge part of British Royal heritage, attracting millions of visitors from far and wide each year to its many chambers where kings, queens and prisoners once lived.

The independent charity Historic Royal Palaces manages it as Britain’s unoccupied royal palace on behalf of The Queen, as it does others such as Hampton Court Palace, the Kensington Palace state rooms, Banqueting House and Kew Palace.

The Tower is also home to six ravens, and superstition has it that should they fly away or be lost, the Crown will fall and Britain with it. As large and menacing as they appear, the birds are highly regarded by staff and visitors.

Our recent visit was on a particularly drizzly day which didn’t dampen our spirits, as no visit to The Tower of London is complete without seeing the Crown Jewels.