Whether you've visited London's iconic Tower of London many times or it's been on your list for a while now – there's never been a better time to visit. Why, you ask? Well, it's just unveiled a dramatic and emotive installation called ‘The Tower Remembers', involving nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies inside the Tower.
Yep, as you can see from the photo above, the nearly 1000-year-old castle has unveiled a new display of ceramic poppies to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The Tower of London itself was hit heavily during the Blitz, and this display was created by designer Tom Piper to look like a ‘wound' in the heart of the Tower, then pour across the lawn overlooked by the ancient White Tower. The crimson flowers form a crater on the lawn, with ripples flowing inwards.
You might recognise the ceramic poppies from their first appearance at the Tower back in 2014, when 888,246 of them encircled the castle, each one representing a military life lost during the First World War. The poppies gradually filled the Tower's moat, in an installation called ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red'. This time, the Imperial War Museum has lent nearly 30,000 of them for the new installation.
Of course, there are plenty of other reasons to visit the Tower of London! It's a seriously entertaining day out for kids and adults alike. Don't lose your head on a fascinating Yeoman Warder tour, where friendly Beefeaters will regale you with bizarre, intriguing and sometimes gruesome tales of the Tower's history. Pay the ravens a visit and learn why they're known as the guardians of the Tower, get up close to Henry VIII's armour, and, more poignantly, the memorial for Anne Boleyn, executed by the swift stroke of an expert swordsman in 1536. Of course, no visit is complete without visiting the dazzling Crown Jewels, which are even more stunning IRL than you expect.
‘The Tower Remembers' runs at the Tower of London from now until November 11, 2025. Entry is included in palace admission, which is £35.80 for adults and £17.90 for children ages 5-15 (Members go free). Concessions also available.
