The Bloody Tower. Bath. Salisbury Cathedral
THE TOWER OF LONDON
On Friday May 9, 2025, we woke up after a full night sleep, finally leaving the lag of the time change behind. With nothing else on the agenda, we left plenty of time to explore the Tower of London. The prime exhibit is the crown jewels, but The Tower has been a fortress, a palace, a prison, and a mint. The history of the place in fascinating; the royal beasts, torture, imprisonments, myths, and legends. There is a lot to see.
There are times we like to do our own thing, but this time we tagged along with one of the yeoman warders, who wait for people at the very beginning, a group leaves at posted times. They are Beefeaters and walk you through the front gate to the inner tower area. Along the way they use humor to point out available sights and a little history of the tower. They keep you about 20 minutes, I found it a good, entertaining way to get an introduction to the place.
The Beefeaters are officially known as the Yeomen Warders of His Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London. Our guide stated all warders are retired members of the British Armed Forces, and must be former warrant officers with a minimum of 22 years of service. And must hold the Long Service and Good Conduct medal.
The warders wait until they are about to release you to your on devices to answer why they are called Beefeaters, the answer, they have no idea. There is one theory it was because they were given large portions of beef in there daily diet, but there is no proof of such a thing.
The Tower remembers. The Tower is decorated with nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies. The current display marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2, and are placed on the lawn around, and on, the white tower to resemble a wound. They are meant to be a symbol of remembrance, loss, and the impact of war.
The crown jewels can be a wait depending on the crowds, but they were my favorite part. The royals have some major bling. I enjoyed the history on where the major gems came form and how they were acquired. Sorry, no photos allowed.
You can view the chambers of some of the more famous prisoners, including 3 queens of England; the unfortunate wives of Henry the VIII; Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and Lady Jane Grey who was only 16 when she was executed after only 9 days on the throne, There was also Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, a favorite of Queen Elizabeth the I, until he rebelled against her and Guy Fawkes of the gunpowder plot.
There is the mystery of princes, Edward, 12-years old, and his younger brother, Richard, sons of Edward IV. In 1483, the two were sent to the tower by their uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, for their ‘safety’. They vanished without a trace. Their uncle took the throne as Richard III.
Some of the graffiti cravings they left on the walls is impressive. I personally enjoy Thomas Abell’s rebus.
The first prisoner of the tower, Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham, was also the first to escape. In 1101, he escaped through one of the White Tower’s windows using a rope smuggled in a gallon of wine. The last prisoner to be executed was a German spy named Josef Jakobs, by firing squad in August 1941.
Edward I placed the mint in the Tower in 1279. There are displays of the coins each monarch circulated and the instruments used to strike them. Counterfeiting was treason. Isaac Newton was a Warden of the Mint, he was so good he became Master of the Mint in 1699.
For those who enjoy the ghoulish, there is an exhibition on torture at the tower. You will also learn about the tower’s role as a palace, armor, and royal zoo. This is a great place to learn English history, we recommend.
It was late in the afternoon and wanted to stop somewhere to get off our feet and take a breath. We were told by good friends to look for a pub beneath Tower Bridge. Sure enough, we crossed the bridge and descended a set of stairs to The Vault.
This place is cozy, read small, with unique views of the Thames and city from under the bridge. We ordered an app and a couple of ales, I tried Neck Oil. Refreshed, we were good to go.
We strolled for a while, and crossing back over the bridge, I asked if they still open the bridge, no sooner did I ask that dumb question then the warning horn blasted. We stood aside and enjoyed the bridge open and a ship pass by.
It was a great day.
BATH AND THE GEORGE INN
On Saturday, May 10th, we checked out of the Great Northern Hotel and went back to Heathrow to rent a car. After a bit of driving, with a stop at Avebury Henge and Stone Circle, we headed to The George Inn in Norton St Philip. We enjoyed the George, our room had a large canopy bed, the lobby and bar area has the post and beam look of an old English inn, and the outdoor patio was a wonderful place to eat when the weather is good.
When we arrived at the George Inn and causally asked if there was a bus to Bath, turns out it stopped right outside and was leaving in about 3 minutes. We checked in, left the luggage in the car, and caught the bus, it’s about a 25 minute ride. Bath is a great place to walk about and explore. As the name suggests, one of the attractions is the Roman baths, but there are shops to pop in and out of, and we enjoyed touring Bath Cathedral. It’s a charming village, we recommend a visit.
I’m told this store front in Bath will be familiar to the fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton television show, where it’s the setting for a dress shop called Modiste. (Modiste is synonyms with dressmaker or seamstress)
We caught the bus back to the inn, (it was good to leave the driving to someone else), and arrived just in time for dinner. It was a perfect late afternoon, sunny in the low seventies, and we took a table on the outside patio, looking over a long mowed green lawn.
We started with a Scottish Egg, a hard boiled egg, wrapped in sausage, coated in breadcrumbs, then baked or deep fried. The George Inn served it with a fig jelly.
For the entree we went with the Fish and Chips. The green looking paste is called mushy peas, and believe it or not, is good, they compliment the meal. I went with a Fullers for my ale.
The next day, Sunday, May 11th, we did a little driving. The final destination was Warwick Castle, but with a stop for a tower tour at Salisbury Cathedral.
Salisbury Cathedral
You need to book specific tickets to take a tower tour at Salisbury Cathedral, but it’s well worth it. The Cathedral tower is the tallest in England. Our guide gave us the details on how the building was constructed, and guided us up the levels. Warning, many stairs, and most are spiral. You see the construction of the roof above the vaults, then go up to the view the bells, then to the top, where you can go outside on small balconies and take in the view. If you have the time and cardio stamina, this was a lot of fun.
Be sure to visit one of the 4 original copies of the Magna Carta, the cathedral has one. Of the other 3, two are in the British Library, and the other is at Lincoln Castle. Also, find the short video on the ground level, which shows a technician slipping out a small portal, and uses ropes to go to the very tip top to replace the lights on the cathedral tower.
When we were done, it was back in the car and off to Warwick Castle for the night.
