The private chambers of medieval kings and queens are being brought back to life as some of the oldest parts of the historic Tower of London are now opened up to the public.
The chambers were added by Henry III and Edward I for their queens, Eleanor of Provence and Eleanor of Castile, and have been dressed in colours and textures typical of the 13th century to explore what defined this period of history.
The permanent exhibition, now open, shows how ordinary Londoners went about their daily lives 700 years ago.
“The medieval world was vibrant and colourful,” Royal Palaces historian Charles Farris explained. “This display introduces characters who lived back then, as seen by some amazing objects we’re putting on show for the first time.”
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Items connected with the lives of everyday medieval Londoners include a toy knight on horseback made of lead, dating from around 1300, loaned by the London Museum.
Another is a perfectly-preserved wicker fish trap excavated from the Tower Moat which was used as a fishery to feed the royal household — the trap still contains fish bones today.
The exhibition also uncovers the untold story of London’s medieval Jewish community in the 1270s.
A stone brick from a mikveh ritual bath dating back to 1200 was discovered by archaeologists on a building site in the City in 2001, once the home of the Norman monk Gilbert Crispin who was Abbot of Westminster Abbey in 1085.
The stone is on display loaned from the Jewish Museum in Camden Town.
Historic Royal Palaces is also working with community group Stitches in Time, based in Limehouse, which has made a tapestry for the exhibition showing the relevance of The Tower to the people of the East End today.
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