Most visitors to the Tower will pass over Tower Hill. On the brow, within the railings of Trinity Square, once stood a permanent scaffold. The Tower is entered at the foot of Tower Hill near where used to stand the Bulwark Gate. It was here that prisoners were handed over to the Sheriff of London.
The Lion Tower
Here the royal menagerie was once housed. Henry IÂ kept lions in the tower, hence its name. Henry IIÂ Â was sent 3 leopards by Frederick III, and a white bear from the King of Norway, and later an elephant from Louis of France. James I is said to have entertained his guests to a bear baiting display in the Bear Pit. In 1834 the menagerie was sent to Regents Park where it formed the nucleus of the present London Zoo. The tower is no longer there, now serving as a restaurant for tourists.
The Middle Tower
A short causeway leads to the Middle Tower built in the late 13th century. The archway, together with those of the Byward Tower and the Bloody Tower, were defended by portcullises, two of which remain.
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