Visiting The Tower of London with Expired Fuji Sensia 400

Waterloo Block was originally a barracks, but now houses Jewel House where the Crown Jewels are securely kept. The roll of Fuji Sensia 400 seemed to hold up a bit better than the one in last week’s blog. However the heavy vignetting from shooting wide open at F1.4 really come across strongly on slide film. 1/1250s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

The Tower of London is one of the city’s great icons. Dating back to the 1070s, and incorporating parts of the even older Roman wall, The White Tower at the centre has overseen a remarkable amount of change as dynasties rose and fell and London went from being the capital of a nation living in the shadow of its continental counterparts, to that of the greatest empire history has ever seen. To most people it is known as the home of the Crown Jewels and where a great deal of prisoners were kept, not all keeping their heads. Yet despite having lived near and worked in London all these years, until recently I had never actually been. I will admit however, that the high cost of admission is a little off-putting. Which makes a year’s membership to Historic Royal Palaces all the more enticing, as you not only get to visit as many times as you want but you also get to have days out at some other fantastic places like Kensington Palace.

The White Tower, the original Norman structure that was built in the 1070s on the orders of William the Conqueror. 1/1250s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

The Medieval Palace (R) is near the overall entrance to the Tower. 1/1600s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

This 13th Century structure was built by Henry III and his son Edward I. You can see here some of the early exposed brickwork. 1/40s 35mm F1.4.

The interior has been arranged as it might have looked during the reign of Edward I. The bed is extra large to accommodate for how tall the king was, his nickname being ‘Longshanks’. 1/25s 35mm F1.4.

Much like last week’s blog, I was also shooting an expired roll of Fuji Sensia 400 though this time in my trusty Nikon F100. The much faster F1.4 glass is more suitable for shooting inside dark castles than what my Bronica SQ-A can offer. Tripods are also forbidden inside the Tower’s walls, so bear that in mind when you bring your kit along. No point carrying all that dead weight if you can’t even use it. I did actually bring two lenses on this occasion my 35mm F1.4G and my 58mm F1.4G but in the end I found the 35mm alone was sufficient. At one point I did swap across to try and get a photo of one of the ravens, but I never did get close enough to make it worthwhile.

Stepping up on the ramparts gives you a good, unobstructed view out to the Tower of London. 1/2000s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

Walking along the battlements gives a good view out across the inside of the walls. 1/500s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

Housing for the Tower’s residents. Sadly it’s invite only if you want to look around. 1/800s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

As someone who loves history this really was a dream come true to visit, though given the sheer amount of history it can be overwhelming. From the Normans all the way to the Second World War and beyond. At school (quite some years ago now) I did learn about all the Medieval Kings who built the various structures that make up the Tower of London, but I had long since forgotten almost all of it. Visiting was a good way to get reacquainted with elements of British and English history that are normally overshadowed by the Tudors and spurred me on to further learning after my visit.

Crossbowmen are carefully positioned to keep the tourists in check. 1/40s 35mm F1.4.

Once the tallest structure in London, it is increasingly dwarfed by the increasing number of skyscrapers in the City of London. 1/1250s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

Tower Guards assist the Yeoman Warders in protecting the Crown Jewels and being subjects for photos. 1/800s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

The Royal Menagerie was the precursor to London Zoo and over the centuries including lions, tigers, elephants and even a polar bear which used to fish in the Thames attached to a rope. 1/250s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

An audio guide (available rather miserly for an extra £5 over the high price of admission) certainly helps to map out the history of the place. From the Royal Menagerie (precursor to London Zoo) and the famous prisoners to the killing of a King and Henry VIII’s personal armour. The armoury itself has long been a key draw at the Tower, and in the present day is laid out in a much more historically accurate way with pieces properly labelled. It really is quite something to come face to face with things worn by England’s most (in)famous King.

One of the turrets of The White Tower. Although there is white stonework, the whole tower was originally painted white as well. 1/1600s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

St John the Evangelist Chapel was the place of worship for royals staying at the Tower. 1/30s 35mm F1.4.

The one challenge when visiting is appreciating the impact it would have had only the local population when it was first built. One of the very earliest Norman structures ordered by William the Conqueror himself, nothing like it had ever been seen in the British Isles before and it would have towered over its surroundings, visible for miles around. Nowadays it sits rather low in comparison, not just to the neighbouring Tower Bridge, but the vast Skyscrapers of the City of London. What was once the architectural peak is now the architectural dip in the valley.

The armoury has long been one of the main draws for visitors, especially as it’s rare to see so many pieces of horse armour in a one place. 1/30s 35mm F1.4.

There’s plenty of impressive and highly decorative human armours to marvel at too. 1/50s 35mm F1.4.

Sadly, taking photos of the Crown Jewels is strictly forbidden and the guards in attendance can be quite aggressive when unsuspecting foreign tourists pull out their phones. A real pity given their significance to our history. Perhaps they are just that desperate for you to buy the additional guidebook? Despite that however it was amazing to finally see them in person, especially as there is so much more to see than you might expect. Most of the pieces of now redundant and are no longer in use. My favourite item by far though is one of the smaller ones, the gold Anointing Spoon. The only piece of the medieval Crown jewels to survive the destruction of Cromwell’s Republic. The fact that the Royal Mint used to be based at the Tower made it all too easy for the original Coronation Regalia to be melted down into new Commonwealth coins. Though it is interesting to think that when you look at one of these coins, you could well be looking at gold that once made up a crown that sat on the head of a King or Queen.

Jewel House is the home of the Crown Jewels, though sadly you can’t take any photos inside. 1/640s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

However there are still plenty of treasures to be seen in the armoury museum. This weighty tome is a mighty book of records spanning a long period of time. 1/30s 35mm F1.4.

One final thing to consider on a visit to the tower is that as the Crown Jewels are based here, it’s still very much a living site. Yeoman Warders are principally the tower’s guards, though they’ve been on hand to guide visitors around since the Victorian era. All are retired members of the military with long careers and good service records. They live on site with their families and are joined by a doctor, chaplain and Resident Governor. Imagine growing up as a child living at the Tower of London! What an amazing privilege it would be, to be constantly surrounded by such history. Sadly there’s no house tours available to members of the public, but you can glimpse their living quarters as you walk along the battlements.

Despite being famous for imprisonment there are no actual prison cells at the Tower. Instead prisoners were secreted wherever there was space and the Beauchamp Tower became one of the main places for this. Many prisoners left behind graffiti as a memorial to themselves. Though some did survive. 1/160s 35mm F1.4.

The St Peter ad Vincula is a chapel so old its origins date back from before the Tower was built. Important prisoners executed at the Tower are buried here, including Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey. 1/60s 35mm F1.4.

There’s so much more that could be said about the Tower of London, but then this blog would almost certainly never end, and I’d run out of photos to show you. Needless to say it’s best to experience it in person and if you haven’t done so yet it’s absolutely a must visit. Once again, I’ll mention that it is much more cost effective to pick up a year’s membership with Historic Royal Palaces, rather than buying an individual ticket. I can promise that you won’t regret it. Just don’t try and pinch the Crown Jewels (or photograph them for that matter).

The Yeoman Warders have their very own pub called ‘The Keys’. Ironically perhaps the most visited pub in London is the most exclusive being only open to those who live at the Tower and their guests. 1/25s 35mm F1.4.

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