Test yourself! Take this The Tower of London Quiz | World Sites

Answer: William the Conqueror

Building was begun on The White Tower during the 11th century. It was built on the same site that Claudius, the Roman Emperor built a fort more than 1,000 years before. Parts of the Roman wall can still be seen in The Tower.

Answer: False

The Yeoman Warders or "beefeaters" have only been at The Tower since 1485 as bodyguards for King Henry VII but are now tour guides. They are famous for their gold and red uniforms. There are many theories as to why they are called "beefeaters". One is simply that it stems from their fondness of beef.

Another is that it comes from the French word "buffetier". The most likely explanation is that it began as a derogatory term from the lower class who rarely ate beef, and sneered at the "pampered guards" for eating lots of it.

Answer: The Water Gate

The name of the Water Gate was changed to the name Traitor's Gate because it was used as the entrance to The Tower for many famous prisoners, who were entered that way for the last time.

Answer: The Bloody Tower

While Raleigh was imprisoned, he was allowed to conduct scientific experiments. He is credited for distilling freshwater from saltwater. While there, he also wrote his "History of the World", which was published in 1614, just four years before he was beheaded at Westminster.

Answer: Ravens

Ravens have always been seen in The Tower of London. A legend believed to have originated around the time of Charles II says that if the ravens ever leave The Tower, both the White Tower and the Britain and the Commonwealth will collapse. There are many there today with their wings clipped so that they cannot leave The Tower.

Answer: 3

Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and Lady Jane Grey were all beheaded on a scaffold between Tower Green and the Chapel. Elizabeth I's supposed suitor, Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, was also executed here. Today there is a plaque by the site of the scaffold listing the names of the people beheaded there.

Answer: False

The British Crown Jewels were once held in the White Tower and also the Martin Tower. Now they are kept in the Jewel House. Here you can see the Imperial State Crown, The Royal Sceptre, Queen Mother's Crown, and The Star of Africa.

Answer: True

The locking of The Tower for the night is held at 10:00 p.m. The script for the ceremony is as follows: "Halt!" "Who comes there?" "The keys" replies the Chief Warder. "Whose keys?" "Queen Elizabeth's keys" is the answer. "Pass, Queen Elizabeth's keys - All's well".

Answer: The White Tower

The White Tower was begun in 1078 and completed in 1097. It was the first stone keep in England and replaced a wooden fort built after the Norman Conquest. The White Tower served as a military fortress and a residence for the rulers.

Answer: St. Thomas's Tower

The boring room was used for making gun barrels with machinery powered in the early 18th century by water engines in Traitors' Gate.