Lion Tower

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Remains of the dam to the Lion Tower, 2012
19th century plan showing the tower in 1591. The Lion Tower (a) protects the access via the moat.

The Lion Tower was a barbican in the fortress of the Tower of London . The structure protected the western access to the structure via the moat. It got its name because the lions of the tower menagerie were temporarily housed there.

The crescent-shaped building was created in connection with the expansion of the tower under Edward I in the 13th century. He had a second fortress ring and a new moat built and a new entrance from the west built in this. The gun platform could be reached via a dam from the north, and a drawbridge to the west connected it to the Middle Tower . The design was based on the entrance area of Goodrich Castle on the border between England and Wales.

Originally the Lion Tower probably housed the workshops of the Royal Mint . Later there were double-storey cages for the lions of the tower. After the Tower Menagerie moved to London Zoo in 1835, the days of the Lion Tower were numbered. The lion keeper at the time, Mr. Kops, still had the right to live in the Tower of London. After his death in 1853, Kops' house, the Lion Tower and various other menagerie buildings were demolished. Remnants of the dam to the Lion Tower and the drawbridge were rediscovered and excavated in 1936. The foundations of the actual building are still underground.

literature

  • Geoffrey Parnell: Edward Impey, Geoffrey Parnell: The Tower of London. The official illustrated history. Merrell, London 2000, ISBN 1-85894-106-7 .

Web links

Commons : Lion Tower  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 51 ° 30 ′ 29.8 "  N , 0 ° 4 ′ 42.6"  W.