9 Facts About Tower of London

1. The White Tower of London is 27 meters above ground and is made of Caen stone imported from France.

2. The last person to be executed at the Tower of London was German spy Josef Jakobs who was shot on 15 August 1941.

3. Under the Stuart kings the Tower of London's buildings were remodelled, mostly under the auspices of the Office of Ordnance.

4. The White Tower of London is the earliest stone keep in England, and was the strongest point of the early castle.

5. The area around the White Tower of London was cleared so that anyone approaching would have to cross open ground.

6. In 1988, the Tower of London was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, in recognition of its global importance and to help conserve and protect the site.

7. At the time, Tower of London was the largest town in England; the foundation of Westminster Abbey and the old Palace of Westminster under Edward the Confessor had marked it as a centre of governance, and with a prosperous port it was important for the Normans to establish control over the settlement.

8. As the fortified bridge into Tower of London was held by Saxon troops, he decided instead to ravage Southwark before continuing his journey around southern England.

9. Today, the Tower of London is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions.