Tower of London

Most visitors to the tower of London go there for the tours of the grisly past, when the tower was used for a prison and place of execution. Many stories have circulated about Anne Boleyn walking the grounds with her severed head under her arm, and this is why it is one of the most famous landmarks and tourist attractions in London. The tower is over 900 years old and the most famous part, the White Tower, is the one that visitors come to see, but "The Tower of London" is actually made up of three separate towers and two smaller ones, five in all. Through out history the tower has served more purposes than an execution square; it has been a Royal Palace and a fortress, an arsenal, a royal mint, and a jewel house. Today it houses mostly important paperwork in the many small rooms, but it also houses one of England's greatest treasures. The Crown Jewels of England can be viewed here, including the Imperial State Crown, which the Queen worn at the opening of Parliament. The Cullian 1, set in the Sovereign Scepter is one of the largest diamonds in the world. The tower of London continues to fulfill its original place of being one of the most secure places in London and in all of England.