Interpretations and Perceptions of the Tower of London: The Making of England's Most Famous Fortress | Alfred Hawkins
Times: Doors open at 2.45pm for a 3pm start
Venue: Southwark Cathedral JTW Room
Tickets: £7 via Eventbrite
The Tower of London is one of the most infamous sites in the world: well known as a place of imprisonment, torture, and execution, alongside being the site of sensational intrigue, murder, and of course ravens – but why, and how, do these perceptions colour so much of the fortress’s varied history? From the works of Victorian Architects Anthony Salvin and John Taylor to the burial place of Anne Boleyn, and the way in which we now tell the history of the Tower, this talk will discuss the creation of the current perception the fortress both in terms of its architectural development, and of the myths and stories that we know so well.
Alfred Hawkins is a historian, buildings archaeologist, curator, and broadcaster with a decade of experience working in the commercial archaeology, heritage, and museum sectors. As Curator of Historic Buildings for HM Tower of London and the Banqueting House, Whitehall (Historic Royal Palaces) and Cathedral Archaeologist at Portsmouth Cathedral he helps to conserve, research, and share the histories of some of Englands most important sites.