Interactive timeline - History of the RA
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40 AD
Before the Romans
The pre-Roman site of the Tower of London was probably occupied by an Iron Age farm.
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400 AD
Twilight of the Roman City
Londinium was remodelled and strengthened in response to the threat of Saxon invasion.
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1080 AD
The Conqueror's Castle
Work began on the construction of William the Conqueror's mighty White Tower.
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1200 AD
The Tower Enlarged
A major expansion of the Tower's defences during the reigns of Richard I and King John.
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1240 AD
The Classic Castle
Henry III extended the defences of the Tower and refurbished and enlarged the royal lodgings.
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1300 AD
Apogee of the Medieval Castle
Tower defences extended, to those seen today, by England's greatest warrior king, Edward I.
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1547 AD
The Tudor Power House
During Henry VIII's reign the Offices of Ordnance, Armoury, Mint and Records occupy the Tower.
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1700 AD
Showplace of the Nation
After the Restoration in 1660 armouries displays are established to impress the visiting public.
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1841 AD
The Great Conflagration
The Grand Storehouse including two armouries displays is destroyed by fire on 31 Oct 1841.
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1890 AD
Remedievalisation of the Castle
50 years of restoration transformed the appearance of the Tower following the fire of 1841.
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1940 AD
The Castle at War
WWII aerial bombing threatens the Tower. The Main Guard is destroyed on the 29 Dec 1940.
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2000 AD
The Tower Today
The Tower of London attracts over 2 million visitors per year as a World Heritage Site.
Visit
Britain’s oldest museum has grown from its origins as the main royal and national arsenal at the Tower of London into a family of four museums located throughout the United Kingdom and in North America.
These museums are home to the UK’s national collection of arms and armour which includes the national collection of artillery at Fort Nelson.
To get information about each of our museums simply choose your intended museum location below.
Entry to Fort Nelson and Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds is FREE.
An admission fee is payable for entry to the Tower of London site and the Frazier History Museum. There is no additional charge for entry to the Royal Armouries galleries.
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Leeds
Admission is FREE
Open daily: 10am – 5pm
Closed 24-26 December
Tel: 0113 220 1999
enquiries@armouries.org.uk -
Fort Nelson
SUMMER April – October Daily 10am – 5pm except Wednesday 11am – 5pm WINTER November – March Daily 10.30am – 4pm except Wednesday 11.30am – 4pm The Fort is closed 24-26 December
(inclusive) -
Tower of London
Admission fee payable for entry to the Tower of London.
Summer:
Tuesday – Saturday: 9am – 5pm
Sunday – Monday: 10am – 5.30pmWinter:
Tuesday – Saturday: 9am – 4.30pm
Sunday – Monday: 10am – 4.30pmClosed 24-26 Dec and 1 Jan
Tel: 020 3166 6
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Louisville
Admission fee payable for entry to the Frazier History Museum.
Open daily: 9am – 5pm
(Sunday Noon – 5pm)Tel: 001 502 753 5663
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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.