Inner ward
Salt Tower
The south-east corner of Henry III's inner wall, later a prison for Catholic priests under Elizabeth I. Hew Draper, a Bristol innkeeper accused of sorcery, carved an astrological sphere into its wall in 1561.
- Time here
- 10–15 min (our estimate)
- Access
- Not step-free · Spiral stairs
- Where
- Inner ward · indoors
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What you can see
- Hew Draper's zodiac 'sphere', dated 30 May 1561, low on the wall by a window
- Inscriptions from the 1580s and 1590s, several by Jesuit priests
- Views down onto the wharf and Tower Bridge from the wall walk
Practical considerations
- Not step-free
- Spiral stairs
- Part of the wall walk; no step-free access
- Toilets in this tower
Checked 10 Sept 2026
Access details from Historic Royal Palaces' accessibility page. Time estimates are ours unless marked official.