London (Tower)

The Tower of London was begun by William the Conqueror in 1066 to dominate London after the Conquest. The White Tower, completed around 1078, is the finest surviving example of a Norman keep in England. It served as a royal residence, treasury, and symbol of the new Norman ruling class.

Why it mattered

• Supreme symbol of Norman control over England
• Royal fortress and treasury
• Prison and execution site in later centuries

Architecture and the site

• White Tower (Caen-stone keep)
• Inner and outer curtain walls (expanded later)
• Chapel of St John (Romanesque)

Chronology (selected)

• 1066: William orders construction after coronation
• 1078: White Tower largely complete
• 1097: William Rufus adds walls and hall

Further reading

• R. Allen Brown, "The Tower of London" (1984)

Hub essays

• Region context: norman england conquest and governance and the shared bibliography.
• Castles and fortification: Norman castles — motte to stone.

On the map

Use Open on map to fly to this pin in the Norman expansion era. Layers are teaching overlays — pair them with charters, excavation reports, and the works above.