If your knowledge of British history is a little rusty, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Tower of London is just another one of those places kids get dragged to on school trips, or where international tourists head with selfie sticks to snap piccies with men in funny costumes.
But the London landmark is so much more than a fusty old building for Beefeaters. Founded in 1067 by William the Conqueror, over the centuries the Tower operated as a powerful fortress, a royal palace and, as is still the case today, the home of the Crown Jewels. The place is probably best recognised for its use as an infamous prison, a role it served for over 800 years, jailing convicts like Guy Fawkes and two of Henry VIII’s many wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who both spent time behind bars there before their eventual beheadings.
Now, the ancient monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site is getting an exciting makeover. Historic Royal Palaces, the charity which looks after the UK’s unoccupied royal residencies, has announced its biggest-ever investment in education at the 1,000-year-old site.
Community spaces and two new learning centres are included in the plans, as well as a new ‘green classroom’ located inside the historic tower’s old moat. Plus, the site’s architectural archive will be made public as part of the revamp, which has been billed at £70 million.
Historic Royal Palaces says the changes will boost learning capacity by 250 per cent and increase school visits from 125,000 to 200,000 a year. An improved digital programme means schools around the country will also be able to access additional resources online.
Plans fall under the ‘Tomorrow’s Tower’ scheme, a years-long project to improve education, sustainability, access, conservation and the visitor experience at His Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London.
Once up and running, we can expect hands-on workshops led by actors in costume, community programmes and live broadcasts beamed from the tower.
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