This recording is meant for beginners in English, could you please read rather slowly? Feel free to correct anything that may sound unatural to a native speaker. Thanks a lot
The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror. At first it was a fortress, later a palace, then a prison. Now it's a great place to visit.
You can get to the Tower of London by underground, by bus, by train or even by boat. The Tower is near the river Thames and is open every day except from December 24th to 26th and on January 1st.
During your visit, you will see "the Beefeaters". These men are easy to spot in their blue and red uniforms.If you want to learn about the Tower, you can also join a tour.
One of the most famous attractions to see is "the Crown Jewels". In the photo you can see the crown that the English queen ot king wears at the opening of the Parliament year... it's very heavy!
When you are inside the complex, spot some big black birds, they are the famous ravens of the Tower. A legend says that if they leave, the Tower and the kingdom will fall, so the birds are very well teated here.
Listen to this traditional song...
Here is the "White tower".it's The oldest part of the complex. The walls are made of stone, they are very thick. The fortress was difficult to attack and it was difficult to build too....
Don't miss the "Traitors' Gate". Many prisoners entered the Tower through that gate. They arrived by boat, they passed under London Bridge, where the heads of recently executed prisoners were displayed. Sounds awful, doesn't it?
The cells were small and dark....there are messages on the walls. Look at this message... Perhaps it was about Lady Jane. She was excecuted when she was only 16....
Here is the "excecution site". Seven famous prisoners were killed here. Among them, The second wife of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn that you can see in the picture.
Another interesting thing to see at the Tower of London, is the collection of royal armours. Look at how large Henry VIII was, or how short many of the Kings actually were.
Do you know that the Tower of London was also Britain's first zoo? there were lions, bears, monkeys,alligators and even an elephant! The animals were offered as royal gifts and kept at the Tower.
Before leaving you might pay a visit to the souvenirs shops, there are several!
