West Walls and Entrance

    As can be seen in the diorama section, the southwest entrance from the City of London was the best protected area of the Tower, perhaps showing that the main purpose of the Tower was to dominate the city and its citizens.  Although some of the buildings have been demolished, you can still get a good feel for the defense.

On the left is the northern tip of the outer walls.  A bastion at this tip has been demolished.  In the center of the photo, Legge's Mount was a later addition which included gunports for cannon.  On the right half of the picture is the western face, with Byward Tower and Middle Tower protecting the entrance from the city.  The inner wall is also visible, bordered by multi-level houses.  There are fewer towers here because these walls faced the city.

    Here you can see the western outer wall with embrasures for cannon and the Byward Tower on its southern end.  The inner wall behind it includes the Beauchamp Tower and the Bell Tower which is topped by a white cupola holding the curfew bell.  Until the 1800s, the mint occupied the area between the walls.  The detached defenses on the right called the Middle Tower are connected by a stone bridge or causeway over the moat, which was filled-in during the early 1800s.  In medieval times the outworks here were more extensive, and in the 1480s an additional bulwark was added, but these defenses have been demolished.    

On the far right you can see the area of demolished portions of the Tower, the Lion Tower and the Bulwark.

    This is the view from the bridge over the moat.  At the end of the western outer walls on the left you can see Legge's Mount which was modified for gunpowder artillery in the late 1600s.  It has often been said that the Tower is haunted.  Although a skeptic might say that it is the product of panorama software, between the ominous couple wearing black you can see the ghost of a man forever condemned to touring the Tower.  I hope for his sake that he can ignore lines and see the sections closed to the public.

    Here is the view from further back on the wharf.  You can see that the southern outer wall is lower than the western wall.  It originally fronted the Thames and was created on land reclaimed from the river.  Traitors' Gate is visible on the right, and further down the wharf is the site of many Ordnance buildings which have been demolished. 

In the view from a little further back, you can clearly see that the moat is filled in by the shallow archway.  You can also get a better view of the wharf area and see Tower Bridge.

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