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Lifestyle Section • Spring 2015 • Kentucky
The Tower of London is
undoubtedly one of Britain’s
most historic landmarks.
The royal fortress, which is more
than 1,000 years old, sits on 18
acres alongside the River Thames
and can be seen all around the city.
Throughout it’s history, The Tower
has been home to kings and queens,
The Crown Jewels, and its fair share
of visitors. Despite it’s rich history,
The Tower today can be seen as a
medieval amusement park.
Take, for example, the number of
tourists who tramp through the hallowed grounds each year. On average,
more than two million people cross
through the gate each year to witness
the history, tradition, and spectacle
provided by The Tower.
What do visitors see? Well, The
Crown Jewels, for one. The jewels,
which are worth more than $32 bil-
lion, have been housed in the Tower
of London for almost 700 years. They
were first displayed to the public
in the 1660s, and today the jewels
exhibit has a separate ticket office to
handle the number of tourists who
want to see them.
Visitors also are able to take tours
with one of the 37 Yeoman Warders,
who are the ceremonial defender
of The Tower. They’re also those
people, known as the Beefeaters,
who give tours and share the history
with modern-day visitors, and they’re
responsible for the ceremony of the
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