The Tower of London was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. The castle has been a grand palace and a royal residence, and was used as a prison from 1100 until 1952, although that was not its primary purpose. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. The general layout established by the late 13th century remains despite later activity on the site. Today the Tower of London is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions. Under the ceremonial charge of the Constable of the Tower, it is cared for by the charity Historic Royal Palaces and is protected as a World Heritage Site.

 

It has a reputation of being one of the most haunted locations in England, if not Great Britain. Certainly, if you believe that there is a connection between acts of violence and hauntings, then it is of little surprise. Theories aside, the Tower is haunted by a number of apparitions. These include Henry VI in the Wakefield Tower; a White Lady in the White Tower; two children dressed in nightgowns have been sighted in the Bloody Tower (believed to be the lost "Princes in the Tower" connected to King Richard III); the wraiths of Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey and Margaret Pole haunt Tower Green; the smell of "cheap perfume" around the entrance to St. John's Chapel; and numerous other odd incidents.