This neighbourhood area contains the Tower of London itself, as well as the monuments, shops, parks, and a few buildings which surround it. The Tower, of course, dominates the area – its walls having endured for nearly a thousand years, dating from the Norman Conquest of England. The area north of Byward Street (which separates the Tower of London from the rest of the City), is closer to the Fenchurch Street area. Major passageways include Tower Bridge as well as East Smithfield Road towards East London. The area is connected by Tower Hill underground station (District and Circle lines) as well as Tower Gateway DLR station. London Fenchurch Street is also nearby.

The Tower of London was founded by King William the Conqueror after his coronation in 1066. The White Tower, which is the centrepiece of the complex, started being built. Over the years it was expanded and improved – a moat, ramparts, and so on. As it grew in size, it also grew in notoriety as political prisoners were imprisoned there, such as William Wallace. The Tower changed hands from Yorkist to Lancastrians during the War of the Roses, passing in the end to the Tudors. The site would gradually develop into the tourist attraction it is today during the Victorian era, when leisure time for workers (well, some workers) increased tremendously. The White Tower was still used to house several important government departments, however, such as the Public Records Office.

Josef Jakobs was born in Luxembourg in 1898, and studied dentistry in Berlin, later opening a practice there until the economic depression of the 30s forced him to close down. He would then engage in many different enterprises, including engaging in counterfeit gold-making in Switzerland, becoming a travelling salesman for books and typewriters, and later providing black market passports to Jews to escape Germany. By 1940, he was recruited or called up for military service into the Abwehr. He was sent to a mission in the UK, where he revealed to a friend that he was planning to use the country as an escape to the USA. Parachuting into the English countryside, he attracted the attention of two farmers by firing his pistol into the air. Nevertheless, he was still arrested, interrogated, and later tried and convicted by Court Martial for spying, and was executed at the Tower of London, the last person to have been executed there.

The Tower of London has been host to royal prisoners like Mary, Queen of Scots, the site of executions (like Mary Queen of Scots), and today hold the Crown Jewels (which even today are protected by a garrison of soldiers). It at one point also controlled the supply of the nation’s money – as all coins were made at the Tower Mint until 1810.

There is a superstition that at least six ravens must remain at the Tower, lest both it and the Monarchy will fall. The number of ravens actually reached its lowest point during World War II, when only one was left – today there are always seven at the Tower (one extra for good measure) – they are fed bird formula biscuits soaked in blood everyday as well as 6 ounces of raw meat. Their wings are clipped by the Raven Master to ensure they do not stray too far away from the Tower, although some have still been known to escape.

If you want to see inside the Tower of London for yourself, residents of the Borough of Tower Hamlets can enter the Tower of London for only £1 with an Idea Store or Tower Hamlets library card.

This area is, as expected, extremely touristy, with the Tower of London being one of London’s most famous sights, and Tower Bridge a major thoroughfare. However, most of the masses of people are confined to the area around the Tower of London, which is separated from the main residential area by Byward Street and Tower Hill. Furthermore, the area is a quick walk away from the multiple gardens in the area as well as the relatively-quiet banks of the River Thames.

In 2021 Tower Hamlets Council heard proposals from the Chinese Government, along with David Chipperfield Architects, to turn the Royal Mint Court into the new Chinese Embassy in London. While previous schemes had sought to turn the site into a hub for technology and computing companies, the embassy plans have superseded this scheme.