Medieval Makeover

The spotlight falls on the 13th century in a new interpretation at the Tower of London. Claire Saul learns more

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One of our most treasured landmarks, the Tower of London, represents 1,000 years of history. Almost three million visitors last year testify to the fact this is a universally loved destination – in the modern era, at least. Of course, there are the must-see tower highlights and the fascination of being present at the location of famous historic events.

With such an embarrassment of riches on offer, the medieval era at the Tower of London has been relatively overlooked, but now the splendour of the age has been brought to life with the revamped Medieval Palace. This new interpretation within some of its oldest parts – St Thomas's Tower, the Wakefield Tower and the Lanthorn Tower – deploys new objects, multisensory displays and innovative storytelling to take a fresh look at how the Tower drastically enlarged during the reigns of Henry III and Edward I. It also looks at the everyday lives of medieval Londoners and those who worked in their royal households.