1. Museum History

The Royal Armouries is Britain’s oldest museum, and one of the oldest museums in the world.

2. Specialist Enquiries

Our team of specialists are able to answer all kinds of enquiries on the subject of arms and armour, related material, and of course its related history and the history of the Tower of London.

3. Tower of London

Admission fee payable for entry to the Tower of London.

Summer:
Tuesday – Saturday: 9am – 5pm
Sunday – Monday: 10am – 5.30pm

Winter:
Tuesday – Saturday: 9am – 4.30pm
Sunday – Monday: 10am – 4.30pm

Closed 24-26 Dec and 1 Jan

Tel: 020 3166 6

4. History of the Collection

A history of the Royal Armouries and its collection from its founding in the Tower of London to the present day.

5. Robert Porrett

A brief account of the life and work of Robert Porrett (1783-1868)

6. The Arms and Armour Society

The Arms and Armour Society is one of the leading groups in the world of those concerned with the study, collection and preservation of arms and armour.

7. Dragon

Building on the tradition of trophies of arms and armour created at the Tower of London from the late 17th century, this new dragon has been constructed using objects and materials that represent ten institutions which were housed in the Tower.

8. The Arms and Armour Society

The Arms and Armour Society is one of the leading groups in the world of those concerned with the study, collection and preservation of arms and armour.

9. Power House

Discover the stories and personalities behind the major organisations
of state, who took care of royal business behind the mighty Tower walls,
from 1100 to the present day, in a new permanent exhibition in the White Tower.

10. Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill

A stunning new exhibition in the iconic White Tower at the Royal Armouries, Tower of London.

Opens April 2009

11. Torture

The Tower is often linked with torture and execution.

12. Execution

Many prisoners, whether they had been tortured or not, only left the Tower to go to their execution.

13. Execution swords

Beheading by sword was popular on the Continent, whereas the axe was more commonly used in England.

14. Block and Axe

For important state prisoners or people of noble birth, executions were carried out by beheading. This was considered the swiftest, least brutal method.

15. Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

Appointed Constable of the Tower in 1826

16. Malcolm Mercer

Malcolm Mercer is Curator of Tower History at the Royal Armouries Museum based at the Tower of London.

17. Fit for a King

See five hundred years of spectacular royal armour, offering a fascinating insight into the personalities, power and physical size of England’s kings.

18. See us on Flickr

Our visitors love taking pictures of our museums and our fantastic objects. Now you can enjoy them too, using the Flickr® slideshow share function. Select one of our museums and see what our visitors love most about our museums and our beautiful objects.

19. Visit

Visitor information for all four of the Royal Armouries sites.

20. People of the Tower

A list of people connected with the Tower of London over its long history.

21. Institutions of the Tower

The Tower of London has been home to many important national institutions for over 900 years. Close to the seat of royal power at Westminster, the fortress offered a secure site for a variety of functions vital to England’s monarchy.

22. Constables

From the 11th century the Constable of the Tower was appointed by the monarch as
their most senior officer at this most important site.

23. Board of Ordnance

The Tower of London served as a military depot from the 13th century. The Privy Wardrobe and later the Board of Ordnance made, stored and issued arms, armour and artillery to the navy, armies and garrisons when they were needed.

24. Royal Observatory

Charles II appointed the first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed, whose tables of star observations would help his sailors to calculate their position at sea with greater accuracy when out of sight of land.

25. The Royal Mint

ower over the Mint gave monarchs control not only of England’s coinage but also the standards of gold and silver. The Tower provided a secure home for the Mint and protection against coin counterfeiters.

26. Prison

The Tower of London served as a prison from the late 11th century until the Second World War. High and low-ranking prisoners were held in different parts of the site including the White Tower.

27. Jewel House

The Crown Jewels were first kept in the White Tower before a special Jewel House was built in 1508. The Tower provided secure storage for jewels that were both valuable and important symbols of royal authority.

28. Records Office

Government records were stored at the Tower of London from at least the 13th century. These records were important for maintaining royal power as they provided essential information about property ownership and taxation.

29. Menagerie

By 1210 exotic animals were being kept at the western entrance to the Tower by England’s monarchs. The animals in the royal menagerie were often gifts from other kings and emperors.

30. Ordnance Survey

Control over mapping Britain was important to the king and government for protecting the country against rebellions and invasions. The Ordnance Survey was developed from the Ordnance Drawing Room at the Tower of London in the early 18th century.

31. Royal Armouries

There have always been arms and armour at the Tower. William the Conqueror’s castle, begun in 1066, must have contained a garrison of soldiers, and weapons are first documented in the reign of King John (1199-1216).