The Tower of London with a Five-Year-Old Child

A little hand tugged at my arm.

“Can we go now mummy?”

My five-year-old daughter was looking impatient as we listened to the female beefeater recounting torturous tales from the Tower of London. From public hangings to children locked in towers and traitor’s heads displayed on spikes, it was perhaps a little too much for my daughter’s ears to hear. She was keen to explore the fortress.

We stuck with the Beefeater tour (which I found fascinating) until Traitors Gate then peeled off to sightsee on our own.

It was my daughter’s first time in the Tower of London and I hadn’t visited since a school trip many, many, years ago.

My only recollection was a brief glance at the Crown Jewels as everyone tusselled to see the precious gems. I remember thinking they weren’t as big as I was expecting (I was clearly a tough audience)!

The way the jewels are viewed has greatly improved since my last visit. It was Mrs T’s top choice of things to visit so we headed to the Jewel House, passing one of the Queen’s Guards on the way.

Before viewing the collection of 23,578 gems, there’s a film playing of the Queens coronation. My daughter and I watched the spectacle with wonder and it gave us some important background to what we were about to see.

Mrs T could spot some of the items she’d seen in the ceremony – and more – such as the Crown, Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and the Sovereign’s Orb. No photography is allowed in the Jewel House so apologies for the lack of pictures.

The part that impressed me (and was a highlight for my five year old) was stepping on a travelator to view the main collection of jewels. What a genius idea. No dawdling and an equal chance for everyone to see.

Seeing so much history before us was rather humbling. The Crown used in the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 (the Prince Edward Crown) dates back to 1661. The Crown was used in coronation of Charles II. It replaced the medieval crown which was melted down during the English Civil Wars in 1649.

After emerging from the Jewel House, we grabbed an ice cream for my daughter. Then we spied one of the Tower’s infamous ravens!

We were set to tackle the White Tower next. The historic building was built during William the Conqueror’s reign in the 1080s. Once a royal residence it became a prison with famous inmates such as Anne Boleyn, Guy Fawkes and The Kray twins. Today, it houses the Royal Armouries collections and other treasures.

After reading the White Tower had more than 200 steps, my daughter decided to skip it and we headed up the battlements for the Wall Walk. On our way, we saw The Shard standing in the distance. Modern and old London standing side by side. 

What I wasn’t expecting at the top of the ancient wall were the views! Walking along the battlements you can see across the City of London and Tower Bridge. The contrast between ancient and modern is very striking. It makes you stop and look in wonder at the history laid before you.

Of course, with a five-year-old child beside you, there isn’t much time to reflect. We were soon walking along the 13th century battlements. You get a sense of what life would have been like guarding the Tower as sound effects are played out and each Tower has interactive exhibitions.

In the Constable Tower you can touch the chainmail the guards would have worn and read about the Peasants Revolt – the only time the battlements were breached in 1381.

My daughter’s favourite part was the exhibit about the Royal Menagerie. For 600 years, exotic animals were kept at the Tower of London. The interactive exhibit takes you into another world where baboons smoked pipes and a polar bear fished in the River Thames.

My favourite exhibit along the Wall Walk was in the Martin Tower and its Crown and Diamonds display. The Tower was once home to the Crown Jewels (from 1669 -1841) and now displays some of the less important (but still very impressive) gems.

What captivated me was the story of the Cullinan diamond – the largest rough diamond ever found weighting 3,106 carats. Isn’t that mind-boggling? The largest diamond cut from the original, the Cullinan I, weighs 530.2 carats. It is mounted in the Sovereigns Sceptre with Cross which is used in the coronation ceremony. The second-largest is Cullinan II or the Second Star of Africa, weighing 317.4 carats mounted in the Imperial State Crown. No wonder it is so heavy to wear!

After around two hours at the Tower, my daughter was keen to leave and get something to eat. We still have much to explore at the Tower. When she is older I have no doubt the gory tales of torture and executions – which the beefeater was keen to share – will fascinate and intrigue her.

Visiting the Tower of London

The nearest tube is Tower Hill on the district line. We decided to get the Thames Clipper commuter boat from the London Eye pier to the Tower spot. This made the trip even more exciting for Mrs T.

I didn’t take my younger daughter (2) as I knew she’d get bored and it would be tricky to navigate with a pushchair. Many parts of the Tower are not buggy friendly so you’d be limited unless you can take them in a baby carrier. There are buggy parks and baby changing facilities.

We saved money by buying our tickets online before visiting the Tower of London and printing them at home.
Adults: £22.70, child (5-16) 10.75, under 5s go free. Family tickets and concession are available.

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