Byward Tower

The Byward Tower is the southwestern gatehouse of the Tower of London, controlling the principal landward approach to the fortress across what was once a water-filled moat. Paired with the Middle Tower directly outside it, the two structures form a classic double-gate passage — a feature of the concentric Norman defensive design that made the Tower one of medieval Europe's most formidable fortresses. It was through this very passage that Tudor prisoners were escorted into captivity, including Anne Boleyn in 1536, months before her execution on Tower Green. The name most likely derives from the phrase 'by the ward', a reference to the guard post stationed at the main entrance. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, the Byward Tower functions today as an entry point rather than a standalone exhibition, meaning most visitors pass through its medieval stonework without realizing they are walking the same route as some of England's most famous condemned.