The White Tower

Norman fortress

With its thick, fortified walls, tall turrets and winding staircases, the White Tower remains as formidable today as when it was originally built.

Look out for distinctive Norman features as you explore, including an innovative fireplace, garderobes (medieval toilets), and the well in the basement - an essential lifeline during times of siege.

This fortress is also a place of luxury. Witness the breathtaking 11th-century Chapel of St John the Evangelist, a unique Romanesque chapel built for kings and queens as a private place of worship. With its high ceiling, grand archways and ethereal atmosphere, this space can transport you back to the 11th century - and it is still used as a working chapel today!

Home of the Royal Armouries

The White Tower showcases the historic and world-class Royal Armouries collections, including the 350-year-old exhibition, Line of Kings, as well as other treasures.

There are many unique and extraordinary arms and armours on display, including the magnificent royal armours of Henry VIII, Charles I and James II.

Armoury in Action

This family-friendly adventure brings the history of the White Tower to life as you discover how different arms and armour were put to use.

Torture at the Tower

The basement of the White Tower is thought to be the site of the torture and interrogation of prisoners such as Guy Fawkes and the Jesuit Priest John Gerard.

Not for the faint-hearted, various instruments of torture are displayed on the second floor. Read more about these gruesome Tools of Torment on the Royal Armouries website.

An original executioner's block of the 18th century can also be found in the basement, with an axe that possibly dates back to Tudor times. They were once incorrectly labelled as the implements used to behead Anne Boleyn. However, she was actually executed by sword.

It is now believed that the block and axe were used at the last public beheading on Tower Hill in 1747.

Fearsome prison

For at least 400 years, the White Tower occasionally served as a prison. Its earliest recorded inmate was also its first escapee - Rannulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham, in 1101. Famously he distracted his guards with a banquet and smuggled a line of rope into his room in a barrel of wine.

Other notable prisoners include the Welsh prince Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, King John II of France, King James I of Scotland and Charles, Duke of Orléans.

The White Tower’s role as a prison declined during the sixteenth century but many were imprisoned in other Tower buildings and the basement continued to be used as a place of torture.

Executions at the Tower did not cease until the 20th century. A German spy, Josef Jakobs, the last person to be executed at the Tower, was held and executed at the Tower of London in 1941 - during World War II. He wasn’t detained in the White Tower but the chair in which he was executed is on display on the second floor.