Tower of London Tour

Outer ward

Byward Tower and Water Lane

The inner gatehouse of Edward I's outer wall. Water Lane beyond it runs along the river side of the fortress to Traitors' Gate.

Time here
5–10 min (our estimate)
Access
Step-free · No stairs
Where
Outer ward · outdoors
See on the map
The twin-towered Byward Tower gatehouse
Photo: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0

What you can see

  • Twin drum towers and the portcullis slots overhead
  • The Yeoman Warder tour meeting point is just past here, by the Bell Tower
  • The Beefeater Shop, where audio guides are collected

Practical considerations

  • Step-free
  • No stairs
  • Cobbles from here on; the surface is uneven
Checked 10 Sept 2026

Access details from Historic Royal Palaces' accessibility page. Time estimates are ours unless marked official.

Stories at this place

Byward Tower and Water Lane 4 min read

The Ceremony of the Keys: seven minutes to ten

Every night the Tower is locked with the same words, the same lantern and the same challenge. It has been missed once, for the Blitz, and even then it was only late.

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