Tower of London

A Norman fortress on the north bank of the Thames, the Tower of London has served successively as a royal palace, prison, treasury, and armory across nine centuries. The White Tower, begun by William the Conqueror in 1078, is the oldest surviving Norman great tower in Britain and houses a collection of medieval armour and weapons. The Crown Jewels, displayed in the Waterloo Barracks, include regalia used in British coronations dating back to the seventeenth century.