The Tower of London & The Gunpowder Plot Experience

Visiting the Tower of London

Do not be deceived, the Tower of London is not a singular tower. It’s part castle, defensive wall, prison, church, Royal Mint, and the Royal Armouries. It’s where the royal family used to live, where King Henry VIII executed two of his wives, where the crown jewels are currently kept, and where Guy Fawkes and the rest of his conspirators were held after they were captured (more on the gunpowder plot experience at the Tower later). It’s also right next to the river across from London Bridge with an incredible view, and accessible by the Circle and District lines via Tower Hill station, the Northern and Jubilee lines via London Bridge Station, and the Central and Waterloo & City lines via Bank station. 

I expected the Tower of London to be a quick and boring visit, but I was completely wrong. It is one of my favorite things that I’ve done since coming to the UK. It’s first building, the central White Tower, was built by the Normans between 1075 and 1093, so there’s 900 years of royal, political, architectural, criminal justice, military, and religious history to explore. You can even see a piece of a 2,000 year old Roman wall still standing from the time London was Londinium. At the armory you’ll see samurai armor presented to King James I in 1613 by Tokugawa Hidetada, and the chopping block and axe used to behead prisoners at the Tower. In the cell where high profile prisoners were kept, you will learn of the daring escapes from the Tower, some of which include crossdressing, drugging guards, and climbing over the walls with contraband ropes. 

I recommend renting one of the audio guides for £5 per person when you arrive. They are available in English, British Sign Language, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian. There are so many hours of audio available on the devices to guide you through the Tower that I recommend making your way through your top choices at the beginning. I was there for about four hours and didn’t finish the last few sections of the guide. Your legs may get tired before you get through them all. 

The Tower is not step free and some parts of the self guided tour are not lift accessible. If you are looking for step free access, the Tower website recommends speaking with staff when you arrive or contacting visitorservices.tol@hrp.org.uk or 0333 320 6000 in advance to make sure you get the most out of your visit. 

For those of you that are claustrophobic like me, there is one tight stairwell in the Tower that took me by surprise. However, it turned out to be very short and over with quickly. If you come upon it, the end is closer than you think.

If you visit the Tower definitely don’t skip the cafe, but do wave hello to the ravens for me (especially Harris).

The Gunpowder Plot Experience at the Tower

A new addition to the Tower of London is the new interactive gunpowder plot experience by Layered Reality, and I cannot recommend it enough! It’s part escape room, play, and even virtual reality featuring Tom Felton (with 4D affects). You will escape from the Tower as newly recruited spies for the crown, and decide whether you will foil the plot or double cross the King’s guard and join the conspirators in blowing up Parliament. You will run from guards, decipher codes, carry barrels of gunpowder, and hide in “priest holes” in the walls.

It is the best way to learn history and something you will never forget. At the end of the experience, they project a short video explaining which characters were based on real people and which ones were combinations of a few individuals. It is a fairly accurate retelling that doesn’t take many liberties, but fully immerses you as a character into the story. 

It is about around two hours, including a 20 minute interval in The Duck & Drake tavern. Tickets can be bought separately or you can purchase them at a discount with your ticket to the Tower on the Historic Royal Palaces website. The experience is not step free and does include flashing lights and virtual reality headsets. If you would like to participate but have questions about accessibility, contact their team in advance. 

If you are looking for the entrance to The Gunpowder Plot Experience, stand facing the river with the Tower on your left, and the entrance will be on your right around the corner from the gift shops and cafes. The exact location of the entrance does appear on Google and Apple maps if you search for “The Gunpowder Plot.”

And remember, remember, the fifth of November!

Written by Teran

Resident in Lilian Knowles House