Topsy Turvy - in or into a state of disorder: February 2017

Finally, I made it - The Tower of London. I've been thinking about it and putting it off for almost 2 years. But today - my rationale - it's the middle of winter, it's cold and grey, it's relatively early - surely there won't be too many people. Well, there were, but not as bad as mid summer, I coped. Even though it must be one of the busiest tourist attractions in Britain, there is such a strong sense of history, enough to make me glad I made the effort.

With showers to start, it soon cleared up and then the sun was blindingly bright.

I ended up buying the annual card. Entrance fee to the Tower is £25 but the card costs £38 with a debit order and you get free entrance for the year to Kensington Palace, The Banqueting Hall, Kew Palace, Hampton Court Palace and Hillsborough Castle along with other special offers. If you live here and intend seeing them all at some time, it's a no-brainer. Now you know where we'll be heading in the coming year...

I initially joined a tour with one of the Yeoman Warders, who was hugely entertaining, but the crowd grew to about 50 people, and that was just too many! Everything is well signposted, so I headed off on my own.

This is one of six 16th Century Garrison Soldier sculptures forged from steel by Kevin Boys. They are oddly appropriate in the setting - both solid and fluid.

Up to the battlements first for an overview.

Then through the various towers - Red Tower, White Tower, Blood Tower - there are quite a few of them, Salt Tower, Lanthorn Tower, Cradle Tower - with views out onto the river. These windows have looked out onto the history of London - if they could tell their stories.

The stories are there in the brickwork and shape of the windows and worn steps.

This is a reconstruction of King Edward I's bedroom, with a tiny chantry off the bedchamber.

Lots of spiral staircases - up and down, all day - you end up walking a fair distance in a relatively small space.

The heart of the Tower of London - the White Tower.

With the modern city just hovering outside the walls, what makes this city so fascinating - the layers of history.

Another steel swordsman, guarding the entrance to the Salt Tower.

Then on to some history which surprised me - I didn't realise quite how recent the last executions at the Tower of London were ... another layer

The ancient quarters for the modern Yeoman Warders and their families. Thirty seven of them at any one time. All long serving (at least 22 years) in any of the British Armed Forces with an honourable record and holding the rank of Warrant Officer.

The Crown Jewels - no photos allowed but this was also when I realised that I hadn't charged the camera battery and I was running out of juice. Not very good planning - sorry! I managed to eke out the power sparingly and get a shot or two of everything else there was to see during the rest of the day. The Crown Jewels were awesome by the way!

This snack hit the spot - tea and sausage rolls. Hot and tasty.

Over the centuries there have been all sorts of beasts at the Tower of London from an alligator, to bears, to lions and tigers and snakes, but besides the ravens, these are the only representative creatures now on site. Legend has it that if the 6 ravens leave the Tower, the monarchy will fall. In 2013 two were killed by foxes, there was panic in the Tower! They are looked after very carefully.

Signs of spring ...

This is the staircase beneath which the two murdered princes were supposedly buried. During the demolition of a building in 1674 two skeletons were discovered. In 1933 they were identified as males aged about ten and twelve. Layers of history.

The White Tower. This was the part of the of the Tower of London that I really liked, I can't really say why, it just appealed to me.

The great dragon built by the Royal Armouries and composed of components from all the state institutions

Ordnance Office – armour, swords, firearms and cannon to create the back legs and body
Menagerie – a cage for the ribcage
Prison – chains to create the tail
The Royal Mint – coins to represent the dragon’s fire
The Observatory – telescopes for front legs
The Records Office and Ordnance Survey – parchments and maps for wings
The Jewel House – fake diamonds and rubies for the dragon’s eyes
(from the website - www.royalarmouries.org)

More spiral staircases.

And out on to Tower Green and the memorial to the 10 people, including Anne Boleyn who were beheaded in this vicinity. It consists of two engraved circles, the bottom circle of dark stone has this poem engraved

   "Gentle visitor pause a while,
    Where you stand death cut away the light of many days.
    Here, jewelled names were broken from the vivid thread of life.
    May they rest in peace while we walk the generations around their strife and courage,
    Under these restless skies.”

The top glass circle has the names of the ten engraved and on top is a sculpted glass pillow. I think it is rather a lovely piece. The artist is Brian Catling.

This spot supposedly marks the actual spot of the scaffold.

Just alongside the green is the Beauchamp Tower which housed very important prisoners such as Sir Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel, who was held for 10 years and died a prisoner, Lord Cobham who spent the last 14 years of his life here and in 1553, Robert Dudley, Elizabeth I's childhood sweetheart, was imprisoned here for a year. Obviously boredom was a problem so there's lots of graffiti, incredibly well preserved.

By this stage I was really running out of juice - electronic as well as organic, so lunch was on the cards and one last photo. The roast beef and pickle toasted sandwich was delicious!

It snowed - a very little bit. It's been really cold though, some mornings down to -6 but this was the first sprinkling of snow this winter. So on a bitterly cold and beautifully clear and sunny day I started off from Bishop's Gate.

Frozen leaves make a very satisfying crunch when you step on them.

There is parking closer by to where I was heading but it was a lovely day and I needed a walk.

Lots of ice around ...

Through Cumberland gate.

Heading towards Savill Garden - thirty five acres of established gardens and woodland within the Windsor Great Park, it's usually hefty entrance fee (£10.50 which makes Kirstenbosch's R60 - about £3.50 look decidedly affordable) is reduced to zero during the winter. Of course there isn't as much to see as there is in summer, but enough to make it worth the effort.

The visitor's centre is located on what was a beech tree plantation which was destroyed during a hurricane in 1986! It was constructed from timber harvested from the nearby Crown Estate. I love the undulating roof and the inside is spectacular.