Betas Visit the Tower of London
On Wednesday, 9 November the Betas (year 4) went to the Tower of London. First, we went to a workshop which was really fun and informative. We were given objects from the Tudor times and we had to guess what they were used for and what they were. Our group was given a money box which was used, for example, in theatres to collect ticket money; it was made out of clay which they smashed when they wanted to get the money out. We were also given a feather quill with an ink pot and sand sprinkler; the sand was used on the ink to dry it after writing or when a mistake was made the Tudors used the sand to soak up the ink and correct their mistake.
We visited The Bloody Tower where the famous Sir Walter Raleigh was held before he was beheaded. A rumour has it that his ghost still haunts the room. I felt a shiver down my spine as I walked past Sir Walter Raleigh’s room of doom. A cool fact is that King Henry III was given a polar bear by the King of Norway which was kept in The Bloody Tower. The thing I liked the most about the Bloody Tower was the small dusty windows that were really long, narrow and wound up the staircase. I could see all of London out of the highest windows.
The White Tower is one of the most famous castle keeps in the world and it is in the middle of the Tower of London, it was built to terrify Londoners and to deter foreign invaders. There was lots to see inside and we could see arms and armour on display and cannons, but the best bit was seeing the royal armours of Henry VIII. Inside the White Tower there is also a Romanesque Chapel where you have to be quiet and no photos were allowed.
We went to visit the Jewel House where the Crown Jewels are kept. When we saw them we had to walk along a travellator as they were kept securely behind a huge glass cabinet. The Crown Jewels were amazing as they sparkled and all the precious stones twinkled in the dimly lit room. On the crown of Queen Elizabeth the queen mother, there are 2,800 diamonds, including the most famous diamond in the Jewel House, the Koh-i-Nûr diamond. This Indian diamond has been set many times in the Crown. The Imperial State Crown is one of the youngest Crowns in the collection and it holds a number of much older gems.
The Crown Jewels at the Tower of London are regularly used by The Queen in important national ceremonies, such as the State Opening of Parliament. At the Tower if they are being used, there will be a sign saying, ‘Jewels in use’.
Carys Biston, Lois Dawney and Amelia Shapland (BSS)
