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Inside the Tower of London (2018) Season 8 Episode 4
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Short filmTranscript
00:00The Tower of London, a world-famous historic monument.
00:05There will be stories about murders!
00:09Over its thousand years of history, everyone who's anyone has passed through its gates.
00:15King Richard III!
00:16Catherine Howard!
00:17King Henry VIII declared!
00:18My darling Anne, I will love you for the rest of your life!
00:24Cheeky!
00:26And this year, it's non-stop.
00:30With grand commemorations at the ancient fortress, including a royal visit.
00:38I truly think that Her Majesty will be moved.
00:40We've got a ringside seat to see it all unfold.
00:44Oh my gosh.
00:44While its dedicated staff work to keep everything on track.
00:50You know this is the queue for the toilet, don't you?
00:52No, I'm not feeding you anymore, no.
00:54In this episode, the team must get nearly 30,000 fragile ceramic blooms safely into the tower.
01:03Obviously, the poppies are very delicate, and if we drop the boxes, they will break, and that will be not a good thing.
01:09The ravenous ravens eat the beef-eaters out of house and home.
01:16Something else?
01:18Chips?
01:19Ice cream?
01:20And emotions are running high at the tower.
01:23My father was in the war, and fortunately he came back.
01:28This is a reminder of the ones that never came back.
01:32Welcome to the secret world of the Tower of London.
01:44Hello.
01:45Can we have a selfie with you?
01:46Of course you can, absolutely.
01:49Look, we're all matching.
01:51It's 11am at the tower, prime arrival time for tourists.
01:57Look at that, Bobby Dazzler.
01:59Even after years working at the fortress, its 35 yeoman warders can still never predict what the public might ask.
02:09The question I keep getting asked quite recently, do we get Amazon delivered?
02:14I got asked one day, excuse me, do you work here?
02:16I said, I don't know.
02:17What gave you that impression?
02:19How hot are we?
02:20I'm always hot, Mum.
02:22Oh, sorry, temperature-wise.
02:23Oh, sorry, yes.
02:24Yes.
02:24Despite their odd questions, the tourists are the lifeblood of the tower, with thousands of them passing over the drawbridge every day.
02:36To keep everyone safe, deliveries take place out of hours, but today the crowds are going to have to make room for a very special shipment that's arriving at the fortress.
02:46In his headquarters at the Bywood Tower, yeoman jailer Clive Towle is watching closely.
02:54Today is a big day.
02:55We're expecting 30,000 poppies to be delivered from the Imperial War Museum.
03:00The fragile ceramic flowers are part of a spectacular display for the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
03:06Now, normally, we get all this done before work starts, but it's just not going to happen like that this time.
03:12There's too many poppies.
03:13It's going to have to be delivered during the busy period.
03:18When the pallets have been unloaded and moved, we might then just need to unwrap and get a box.
03:23Yeah.
03:24Yeah.
03:25Ali Richardson is the tower's poppy project manager, responsible for turning the plans into reality.
03:32It's a dream job, but this installation involves some formidable logistics.
03:37I think it was 874 boxes on 23 pallets, so ultimately, the buck stops with me.
03:43I've got to get the poppies into the tower safely.
03:47The poppies first came to the tower in 2014 to mark the anniversary of World War I,
03:53with a breathtaking display of almost 900,000 of them planted in the moat.
03:58Now, 30,000 are returning for a smaller but equally important commemoration for the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
04:11You're just coming down St. Catherine's Way now, are you?
04:15But only if Ali can get them in in the first place.
04:20The van's coming in here, so if I could ask you to move to that side, that would be great.
04:24The poppies are arriving in large lorries on the wharf, alongside the River Thames.
04:31Unfortunately, when the east drawbridge was built, hundreds of years ago,
04:35it wasn't designed for large truck delivery.
04:39Go, the car.
04:40But it's the only access into the tower for vehicles,
04:43so all 23 pallets will need to be unloaded, then transferred into smaller vans.
04:50Oh, just try not to...
04:53Coming back now.
04:55The cobbles make for a bumpy ride.
04:59I'm not sure that it's on the tail.
05:05Especially when the cargo is thousands of handcrafted porcelain blooms that took a year to make.
05:12Obviously, the poppies are very delicate,
05:14and if we drop the boxes, they will break, and that would be not a good thing.
05:25But it's not just the poppies that Ali must ensure stay in one piece.
05:30It's also the tourists.
05:32You just hold on here a second.
05:34Can I just ask you to wait for the van to come through?
05:36Just hold on a minute.
05:37The tide of visitors is rising.
05:41You just mind out for the van coming through.
05:43Hold on a minute, the van is going backwards.
05:46And threatening to scupper the entire operation.
05:50This is very difficult.
05:51The wharf is very busy.
05:52It's always very busy.
05:54Lots of visitors all moving around,
05:56and then trucks moving around at the same time is always a bit of a challenge.
06:00You can just go that way.
06:02All 30,000 poppies need to be safely inside the tower by 5.30pm,
06:08when the doors lock for the night.
06:10Finally managed to get one in, and 22 to go.
06:16Goodness me, it's quite a tricky process.
06:24Blissfully unaware of the chaos outside on the wharf,
06:28Yeoman warder A.J. Clark is on her way to open up the Beef Eaters Club.
06:33Forget the Queen Vic or the Rovers' return,
06:36the Keys is one of the most exclusive boozes in the country.
06:42Tucked away within the medieval fortress walls,
06:45unless you live and work at the tower, it's invite only.
06:48And even then, bar manager A.J. has some hard and fast rules to abide by.
06:53We do not do cocktails.
06:56There's no Del Boys drinking in here, no pina coladas, no margaritas.
07:00And the only true gin that we sell here is beef eater gin.
07:06So if you're going to come here for a different type of gin,
07:08you need to get yourself back down to Wetherspoons,
07:10because it's not going to happen.
07:11The Keys has been serving pints to residents for around 80 years
07:16and was once one of several taverns within the tower.
07:20It's now the last pub standing,
07:22but its interior has become a tribute to the Beef Eaters themselves.
07:26Things like Toby Juggs, random heads of Yeoman warders.
07:29We are always looking for something that little bit strange
07:34that's got something to do with a Beef Eater.
07:37Despite her love for the quirky club,
07:39A.J. has decided it's time for last orders.
07:44Six years is long enough,
07:47and it's time to hand over that mantle to one of the Yeoman
07:50that is a lot younger than me.
07:52I will miss it,
07:53but the pub is literally 25 paces from my front door,
07:56so not that much.
07:59It's 5pm.
08:01Six hours and 23 trips across the drawbridge later,
08:0530,000 poppers have finally made it inside.
08:08It's a huge relief for Ali.
08:11The Tower of London is a nightmare location to deliver to,
08:14but we've managed it,
08:16and so the next step will be the actual installation,
08:19and that's going to be really challenging,
08:21but it's all what makes working at the tower such fun.
08:24Nice cup of tea we can go and miss.
08:26It's been a long day.
08:30Coming up,
08:31Chief Yeoman Warder Rob Fuller makes the headlines.
08:35I'm very humbled to lay the first puppy on their behalf.
08:39And there's a raven rebellion
08:41as two naughty new chicks have a peck at the boss.
08:45Ouch.
08:45Oh.
08:46So just proof there,
08:47you've got to have your wits about you at all times.
08:49It's 7am in April.
09:00Too early for tourists,
09:01but there's a buzz of excitement on the South Lawn.
09:05Today is the start of the Poppy installation.
09:08To launch the event,
09:09Chief Yeoman Warder Rob Fuller
09:10is about to broadcast live to the nation.
09:14It's an exciting moment
09:15for Poppy project manager Ali Richardson.
09:17BBC are here,
09:19which is quite a coup,
09:21and it's nice that the public all over the country
09:23will be inspired to come down
09:25and come and visit the display.
09:26Once you see Tim moving towards you...
09:28Oh, my God.
09:30Rob will have the honour
09:31of planting the first poppy live on BBC Breakfast.
09:35I was kind of jealous of the guy
09:37when we planted the first poppy in 2014,
09:40and now I get to do it myself this time round.
09:43I've just got to make sure
09:44that I can get down and get up again.
09:46That's the main thing.
09:4720 seconds.
09:49Stand by.
09:51Let's have a quick chat to them.
09:52Chief Yeoman Warder,
09:53what does it mean to you
09:55to be holding one of these again?
09:57You're a former serviceman yourself.
09:58It's quite surreal
10:00and a wondrous thing for me.
10:03I'm very privileged to be planting this today.
10:05OK, Rob, I think the moment has come.
10:08A poppy, for me,
10:10is all about the sacrifice of others.
10:12So we're putting 30,000 of them up there,
10:15but that's just a representation
10:16of everyone who gave their lives
10:19in the Second World War.
10:20And, of course, I'm very humbled
10:22to lay the first poppy on their behalf.
10:25With the early morning BBC interview over,
10:42the gates are opened
10:43and the tourists flooding.
10:46It's back to work for the Tower team.
10:48Are you on your break?
10:51Loving the bare skin, mate.
10:52Since Yeoman Warder AJ decided
10:56to step down as manager of the Quays pub,
10:59her successor, Barney Barnett,
11:01has been preparing to take over
11:03one of the most vital jobs in the Tower.
11:08Ready for duty?
11:09Can't wait.
11:10Fabulous.
11:10When's the last time
11:11you've changed a barrel, my friend?
11:12It's been a few years.
11:13It's been a few years
11:13since I've changed one.
11:16I can't wait.
11:16I can't wait to be the landlord.
11:17It's a huge responsibility.
11:19It's the hub, the heart of the community.
11:22Big shoes to fill with AJ doing it
11:24for over six years,
11:25but I'm really excited
11:27and looking forward to it.
11:28Your work here is done.
11:29Thank you very much.
11:30Easy as that.
11:32As the Quays is also a museum
11:34of beef eater memorabilia,
11:36Barnett and the team
11:37are at the task of restoring
11:38an old gin barrel
11:39that's been gifted to the pub
11:41by Chief Yeoman Warder Rob Fuller.
11:44It is a great piece.
11:46It will look fab in the bar, I think.
11:49To bring it back to its former glory,
11:51they've called in the coopers,
11:54traditional barrel makers.
11:56It takes about seven years
11:58for an apprentice to learn the skill.
12:00The craft is regulated
12:02by a guild or livery company
12:04called the Worshipful Company of Coopers.
12:09Rough hewn, the staves are trimmed
12:11and hollowed out on one side.
12:13One stave at a time,
12:14the barrel takes shape
12:15and although it contains
12:1670 feet of unjointed timber,
12:18it's completely watertight.
12:19Once the coopers have spruced up
12:25the barrel,
12:26it will be welcomed back
12:27to the tower
12:28as Barney holds his first party
12:30in charge of the quays.
12:32Barney is going to be brilliant.
12:34He's got his head screwed on.
12:35We want to enhance the club itself
12:38and there's no better way
12:39to do that than with fresh eyes.
12:40So he's going to be
12:41absolutely Bob-on.
12:42Over on the south lawn,
12:51now that project manager Ali
12:53has got the poppies inside the tower,
12:55there's just the small job
12:57of fixing 30,000 of them
12:59to enormous metal structures,
13:01all in time for the grand opening
13:02in nine days' time.
13:04It's all starting to happen.
13:06To finally feel that
13:07the structures
13:08that we've only looked at
13:09in drawings
13:09are now here in 3D
13:11is fantastic.
13:13The ambitious design
13:15features a cascade of poppies
13:17tumbling from the white tower
13:19then pouring across the lawn
13:21towards the area
13:22bombed in the Second World War.
13:24The first job
13:26is to cover the six-metre-tall
13:27metal structure
13:28called the Splash
13:30with 2,000 blooms.
13:32They have rubber washers
13:34which sit on the spikes
13:35and then the ceramic poppy
13:37goes over the top of that
13:38and then a couple more washers
13:40hold it in place
13:41nice and securely.
13:42But it's a prickly job
13:44for contractors
13:45Maxwell Maldon
13:46and Mark Jacobs.
13:47We've got the four quadrants
13:49and ultimately
13:50we need to slot them all together.
13:52They're quite spiky.
13:53Trying to slot them all together
13:55without them all getting
13:56tangled up with each other
13:57is quite a challenge.
14:00A few weeks ago,
14:01the team did a test
14:02installation.
14:03Here we go.
14:04A little left up
14:05slide on the timbers.
14:07But not with
14:072,000 fragile poppies attached.
14:14Once we've sort of
14:17got over the
14:17engineering issues
14:18then I think
14:19it's going to look great.
14:23But obviously
14:23there's a long way to go.
14:24underneath the archways there
14:34you're going to see
14:35a little bit of a glimpse
14:36of a green roof.
14:37Now that is the roof
14:39of the raven enclosure.
14:42A few paces away
14:43from William the Conqueror's
14:45white tower
14:45is the home of the fortress's
14:48iconic ravens.
14:49They are locked after
14:50by a man
14:51probably with the coolest name
14:52this side of Middle Earth
14:54the raven master.
14:55There are currently
14:56six ravens guarding the fortress
14:58the minimum needed
15:00according to tower folklore.
15:02But a few weeks ago
15:03raven master
15:04Barney Chandler
15:05decided to bring in
15:06some backup.
15:08So we're delighted.
15:09Two new members of staff
15:10bring our number up to eight
15:12so that means we've got
15:13two spare
15:14two in reserve.
15:16Barney's been giving
15:17the new recruits
15:18round the clock care
15:19in his kitchen.
15:21But now they're six weeks old
15:23practically teenagers.
15:24All good.
15:25And they're ready
15:26to take their place
15:27with the rest of the colony
15:28guarding the tower.
15:30This is a big day.
15:31The next stage
15:33in the raven's life
15:34they're going to make
15:35their way today
15:36to their new home.
15:38I will miss them
15:39to a certain extent
15:40but it's been like
15:41looking after
15:42newborn babies
15:43a lot of work.
15:46The as yet
15:47nameless chicks
15:48will follow in the
15:49footsteps of tower legends
15:50like Jim
15:51who served until
15:52he was 44
15:53or Grip
15:54who survived the Blitz.
15:57All right chaps
15:58all good.
15:59But sudden changes
16:00to a raven's environment
16:01can cause stress
16:03so fingers crossed
16:04the chicks
16:05will like their new home.
16:07Hey guys
16:08here you go.
16:09Are we going to do this?
16:10Are you going to be good to me?
16:12Come on then.
16:12Let's have you out.
16:13Let's have you out.
16:14I know.
16:15I know.
16:16There you go.
16:17There you go.
16:19So far so good
16:20but they might not like
16:22what's coming next.
16:24Hi Bonnie.
16:25Hi Trace.
16:26Yeoman warder
16:26Tracy Machen
16:27has come to help
16:28with a tricky
16:29but vital task
16:30tagging the young ravens
16:32with a plastic bracelet
16:33that tells the keepers
16:34and the public
16:35who's who.
16:36It's totally pain free
16:38and they won't even know
16:39that they've got them on
16:40once they're there.
16:41But has anyone
16:42told the ravens that?
16:44Oh.
16:45Oh.
16:45You're going to let go.
16:46You're clinging on.
16:47Super keen to stay.
16:48Let's go.
16:48That's it.
16:49Well done.
16:49Well done.
16:49Which one should we go for?
16:51Which one?
16:52You are so good.
16:54This must be the ladies.
16:55Just a little bit of glue
16:56on there.
16:57Okay.
16:58Pop her back on the perch.
17:00One down
17:01and one to go.
17:02But raven number two
17:03knows what's coming
17:04and is having none of it.
17:06There we go.
17:07Oh.
17:08Almost.
17:09And gives Barney
17:10a nasty nip
17:11to show who's boss.
17:12Maybe.
17:13Oh.
17:15Oh.
17:15Try and hold her away.
17:16Sorry.
17:17Ouch.
17:18This is actually
17:19the first time
17:20it's actually gone for me.
17:22So just proof there
17:23you've got to have
17:24your wits about you
17:24at all times.
17:33The new ravens
17:35will soon be guarding
17:36some of the tower's
17:37most famous sights.
17:39Definitely see
17:40the white tower.
17:41The crown jewels
17:42if you go through
17:42this archway.
17:44We're now standing
17:44at the most famous
17:45or should I say
17:46infamous gates in the world.
17:48Traitor's Gate.
17:50But most tourists
17:51aren't aware
17:52that just above
17:53this notorious archway
17:54is one of the tower's
17:56greatest treasures
17:57the medieval palace.
18:00More than 200 years
18:01before Henry VIII
18:02at Hampton Court
18:03Henry III
18:04and his son Edward
18:05spent a fortune
18:07creating an incredible
18:08palace
18:09inside the tower.
18:11And unbelievably
18:11it was big enough
18:13to house the entire
18:14royal household
18:15plus their guests
18:16around 1,000 people.
18:18Although they were built
18:19over 700 years ago
18:21remarkably parts
18:22of the royal apartment
18:23still survive
18:24to this day.
18:26Curator Charles Farris
18:28thinks they're some
18:29of the most
18:29extraordinary rooms
18:31in the tower.
18:32This is where
18:32the kings and queens
18:34would have lived
18:35and worked
18:36and entertained people
18:38when they were
18:39staying at the tower.
18:40To help the public
18:41understand what life
18:43would have been like
18:44in a royal apartment
18:45in the 1200s
18:46the medieval palace
18:47is undergoing
18:48a major renovation.
18:50The next time
18:50visitors come here
18:51it's going to look
18:52really different.
18:53We're going to have
18:53beautiful wall hangings
18:55on the walls
18:56rich tapestries
18:58to really give the feel
18:59of what the medieval palace
19:00would have felt like.
19:02This is a really
19:03important part
19:04of the tower's history
19:05and not one that
19:06many of our visitors
19:07know that much about.
19:08Back on the south lawn
19:14it's protective gloves
19:15at the ready
19:16in the epic endeavour
19:18of assembling
19:18and planting
19:1930,000 poppies.
19:21I've done quite a lot
19:23of these now
19:24not as many as some
19:25of our volunteers
19:26who have been amazing.
19:28It is quite hard
19:29we're getting muscles
19:30in all sorts of places
19:31that we never knew
19:32we had
19:32but it is a nice way
19:34to keep history alive.
19:35I do get emotional
19:37at times
19:37looking at them.
19:40My father was
19:41in the war
19:42he was out in Burma
19:43and fortunately
19:47he came back
19:48so this is a reminder
19:50of the ones
19:51that never came back.
19:52now Anne Boleyn
20:01came down
20:02the River Thames
20:03with a flotilla
20:04of barges
20:04it was magnificent.
20:06The King of England
20:07declared
20:08my darling Anne
20:09I will love you
20:11for the rest
20:12of your life.
20:16Cheeky.
20:17There are lots
20:18of famous names
20:19associated with the tower.
20:20Henry VIII
20:22Queen Anne Boleyn
20:23Catherine Howard
20:24Lady Jane Grey
20:25Princess Elizabeth
20:26and Queen Mary Tudor.
20:28For a monarch
20:29living in the tower's
20:30medieval palace
20:31there were hundreds
20:32of people employed
20:33to take care
20:34of their every need.
20:36But finding out
20:36what life was like
20:37for the average
20:38royal servant
20:39working at the tower
20:40in the 1200s
20:41is not easy.
20:43One way to do it
20:44is to follow the money
20:46so curator Charles
20:47is checking out
20:48the palace accounts.
20:51Plothing's really
20:52interesting
20:52because it identifies
20:53how important
20:55people were considered
20:56to be
20:56what their status was.
20:57So you've got
20:58bannerets and knights
20:59these are sort of
21:00like the fighting
21:01noble part
21:02of the household
21:03but then you've got
21:04a whole load
21:05of different people
21:06lower in status
21:07perhaps
21:07but had really
21:09really crucial roles.
21:10Listed amongst them
21:11is this chap
21:12called Philip de Beauvais
21:13and he's described
21:15as the King's Surgeon.
21:17Philip's job
21:18brought him rare access
21:20to the monarch
21:21but it was high stakes.
21:23As well as caring
21:24for the royal family's health
21:26Philip had to follow
21:27Edward into battle
21:29in case he was injured.
21:31The King's life
21:32was literally
21:33in his hands.
21:35Philip the Surgeon
21:36received eight marks
21:37for his robes
21:39for the year
21:40which is a pretty
21:40substantial amount
21:41of money
21:41the same money
21:42that knights are getting
21:43at the same time.
21:44So it was a really
21:45important role
21:45but clearly one
21:46that he was well
21:47rewarded for.
21:49There are surprisingly
21:50few women listed
21:51in the accounts
21:52but one
21:53Matilda de Woutem
21:54had a vital role.
21:56She washed
21:57the King's clothes.
21:59After a hard day's work
22:00she probably slept
22:02on a mat on the floor
22:03but as a laundress
22:05she got to know
22:06the intimate details
22:07of the royal family
22:08which had its perks
22:09when she came to retire.
22:12So her robes
22:13we can see
22:13from the account
22:14cost two marks
22:15which is a substantial
22:17amount of money
22:17and we even know
22:19that when she finally
22:20retires
22:20he asked the monks
22:21of Bury St Edmunds
22:22to look after her.
22:24So a king like
22:25Edward I
22:26is even looking
22:27after her
22:28in her old age
22:29as well.
22:31The details
22:32of Matilda the laundress
22:33and Philip the Surgeon's
22:34lives
22:35will be revealed
22:36in the revamped
22:37medieval palace.
22:39Hopefully
22:40the lives
22:40of these amazing people
22:41will really bring
22:42the medieval world
22:43to life
22:43for our visitors.
22:46Coming up
22:47the medieval palace team
22:49reveal their jewel
22:50in the crown.
22:51It's an absolute miracle
22:52really that it survived.
22:54And the next stage
22:55of the poppy installation
22:56gives Ali
22:57a real headache.
22:58It's quite a challenge
22:59to hang things
23:00off a scheduled agent monument
23:01without doing any damage.
23:15Just move over
23:16to your right for me folks.
23:17Just move over
23:17to your right slightly.
23:19As the tourists
23:19form an orderly line
23:21waiting to see
23:21the tower's instruments
23:23of torture
23:23or the crown jewels.
23:26You know this is
23:26the key for the toilet
23:27don't you?
23:28Is that right?
23:28Many will be unaware
23:32that the White Tower
23:33was once the country's
23:35main gunpowder store
23:36home to thousands
23:38of barrels
23:39of explosives.
23:41And the fortress
23:42would have used
23:43coopers
23:44or cask makers
23:45to keep the barrels
23:46in good order.
23:50These days
23:51there are only
23:51five traditional coopers
23:53left in England
23:54including
23:57Ewan Finley
23:58who is fixing up
24:00the chief yeoman warder's
24:01barrel for the
24:02Keys pub.
24:03But today
24:04he's involved
24:05in something
24:05very different.
24:09Hold up coopers!
24:11Just a mile away
24:12from the tower
24:13at the historic
24:14Guildhall yard
24:15the coopers'
24:16annual barrel race
24:18is underway.
24:19That's very quick.
24:21Traditionally
24:22apprentice coopers
24:23were rolled
24:24in their barrels
24:25to mark the completion
24:26of their training.
24:28Nowadays
24:28it's just the barrels
24:29that get rolled
24:30as teams compete
24:32to be the fastest.
24:34I've got my hammer
24:35and driver
24:35just in case
24:35these hoops fall off.
24:36They are screwed on
24:37but you never know.
24:40Second!
24:42And it's all overseen
24:44by the worshipped full
24:45master
24:46Lee Johnson.
24:47Back in the day
24:48the tower
24:48would have had
24:49hundreds of barrels
24:51largely containing
24:52things like gunpowder
24:52but also
24:53if they were ever
24:53under siege
24:54they had to be
24:55self-sufficient
24:56so they'd have
24:56cars full of
24:57food, water,
24:58wine, everything.
24:59So we've always
25:00had a strong
25:00connection with
25:01the tower
25:01through our trade.
25:05What a finish!
25:07That historical
25:08connection is about
25:09to be honoured
25:10in style.
25:11Our next event
25:12is all of the
25:13coopers going in
25:13procession to
25:14the Tower of London
25:15to return the
25:16wonderful barrel
25:17that we have
25:18fully restored
25:18for them
25:19to be placed
25:20back into their pub.
25:21It'll be a highlight
25:22of our year.
25:24Back at the tower
25:26the Poppy team
25:27are halfway
25:27through their
25:28nine days schedule
25:30and the time
25:31has come
25:32for the most
25:32difficult part
25:33of the entire
25:34project
25:35attaching the
25:36structure
25:37known as the
25:37cascade
25:38to the top
25:39of the white
25:40tower.
25:42The cascade
25:42is probably
25:43the bit
25:44of the design
25:45that has given
25:45me the most
25:46sleepless nights.
25:47It's quite a
25:48challenge to hang
25:49things off a
25:50scheduled agent
25:50monument without
25:51doing any
25:52damage.
25:53Time to call
25:53in the big
25:54guns.
25:56The 52-metre-high
25:57crane will lift
25:59the pieces of
25:59metal 900-year-old
26:01castle where
26:03they'll be fixed
26:03in place.
26:05See what we
26:05like for wait.
26:07It's the first
26:08time anything like
26:09this has been
26:10attempted.
26:11We've taken
26:11every precaution
26:12we can.
26:13Last thing we
26:13want to do is
26:14put a dent in a
26:15building that's
26:15been here as
26:16long as this
26:17one has.
26:17Top of the
26:20tower please
26:20Lee.
26:23What they
26:24can't plan
26:24for is the
26:25weather.
26:27That was a
26:27bit of a
26:27gust there.
26:28Yeah.
26:29Is that just
26:29the breeze or
26:30what?
26:30Yeah.
26:31Up at the
26:31top 90 feet
26:33up the wind
26:34swirls around
26:35the building
26:35quite a lot
26:36and it causes
26:37the basket to
26:37sway a little
26:38bit which is
26:39a bit
26:39disconcerting.
26:41Close but not
26:42too close.
26:43So if you put
26:43that first just
26:44for protection
26:44put it on the
26:45stonework.
26:45And the
26:46challenge with
26:46that is
26:46obviously getting
26:47close enough
26:48to the
26:48building to
26:49make sure
26:49that we
26:50can pass
26:51the bits
26:51of structure
26:52over the
26:52crenellations
26:53without making
26:54any contact
26:55with the
26:56fabric of
26:56the building.
26:58That's going
26:58to be tricky.
26:59Slow and
27:00steady.
27:06It's a long
27:07way up.
27:07It's quite
27:08breezy.
27:08Everything's
27:09twice as
27:09difficult when
27:10you're a long
27:10way in the
27:10air.
27:12Whilst the
27:13installation team
27:14fight the
27:15rain at the
27:16top of the
27:16tower.
27:18Inside the
27:19medieval palace
27:20a careful
27:21transformation is
27:22taking place.
27:24A little bit
27:25of water and
27:25a little bit
27:26of paint and
27:27then on to the
27:28next bit.
27:29Specialist
27:30decorator Laura
27:31Stevens has just
27:33a few days to put
27:34the finishing touches
27:34on the rooms as
27:35they might have
27:36looked in the
27:371200s using a
27:38technique called
27:39block and rose
27:40pattern.
27:42People think that
27:42the medieval period
27:44was sort of dull
27:44and drab but for
27:45the aristocracy they
27:47wanted to show off
27:48because otherwise how
27:49do people know that
27:50you're wealthy and
27:50powerful unless you
27:51display it in the
27:52form of lovely bright
27:53colours in your
27:54clothes and your
27:55surroundings.
27:58Edward I didn't
27:59only redecorate,
28:01he was also
28:01responsible for
28:02redesigning one of
28:04the tower's iconic
28:05features, the
28:06moat.
28:07Today it's covered
28:08with grass and
28:09wildflowers but
28:11back then he
28:12expanded it to a
28:13hefty 50 metres wide
28:15and filled it with
28:16water from the
28:16Thames.
28:17It meant none of
28:18his enemies could
28:19get anywhere near.
28:21And the canny king
28:22went one better, he
28:24had the moat
28:25stocked with fish so
28:27it doubled as a
28:28handy food supply.
28:30700 years later
28:32conservators Mia
28:33Robinson and
28:34Nelson Garcia
28:35Berrios are
28:36unwrapping an
28:36amazing artefact that
28:38brings Edward's clever
28:40plan vividly to
28:41life.
28:42It is an extremely
28:42fragile object so
28:44above from being
28:46exciting it is also
28:47very nerve wracking
28:49in some ways.
28:52This incredibly rare
28:55wicker work trap for
28:57catching fish is
28:58almost completely
28:59intact and was
29:00discovered in the
29:01mud at the bottom of
29:02the moat.
29:03Almost afraid to
29:04touch.
29:04where it had lain
29:05undisturbed through the
29:07reigns of Henry VIII,
29:08Elizabeth I and Queen
29:10Victoria only being
29:12uncovered in the reign
29:13of Elizabeth II, 700
29:15years after it was first
29:16used.
29:17That's incredible.
29:19They're really cool.
29:22Down, down, down.
29:24It is highly unusual for an
29:26ordinary practical object like
29:28this to survive.
29:30So this fish trap gives a
29:31unique insight into how
29:33tower residents were fed.
29:35It's a completely
29:36ingenious design.
29:37It's made from willow sticks
29:39that have been bound
29:39together and it's been
29:41weighted down with two
29:42large pieces of flint.
29:44And it's an absolute miracle
29:45really that it survived.
29:46And it's really exciting
29:47because it demonstrates for us
29:49that the moat was not only
29:51a defensive structure but
29:53also a way of feeding the
29:55population of the tower.
29:57Perhaps Matilda the
29:59laundress and Philip the
30:00surgeon enjoyed fish for
30:02dinner at the palace.
30:04With the public opening just a
30:05few days away, the fish trap
30:07is 3D scanned to help the
30:10team plan how to conserve it
30:11before it takes pride of place
30:13in the new exhibition.
30:15And it's fantastic that we
30:16can share it in the medieval
30:18palace for the very first
30:19time.
30:24There are always hungry mouths
30:27that need feeding at the
30:28tower.
30:30The ravens each eat over 60
30:33kilograms of raw meat and
30:35biscuits in a year.
30:36And the new arrivals are no
30:38exception.
30:39Yeoman warder Dave Coleman is
30:41on dinner duty.
30:42And what we're going to do is
30:43give him a bit of feed.
30:44Here we go.
30:45It looks a little bit
30:46dramatic but it's actually
30:47you quite like it, don't
30:49you?
30:50Here we go.
30:51Ravens have two parts to
30:53their stomachs.
30:54When they swallow their
30:55food, they bring up any
30:56bones as a pellet from the
30:58first before the second
30:59grinds their meal.
31:01Come on, it's your go now.
31:02There we go.
31:03That's perfect.
31:05But the chicks need extra
31:07calcium.
31:09In the wild, the mother
31:10would push the beak into
31:12their mouths, the same as
31:12I'm using my finger.
31:13And we're pushing it past
31:14that first stomach into their
31:16main stomach so they're
31:17decomposing bone as well,
31:18which they need to grow.
31:20The new recruits will
31:21continue to be hand-fed for
31:23the next couple of weeks
31:24until they're able to eat
31:26independently.
31:27Something else?
31:28Chips, chips, ice cream?
31:31The raven master's fingers,
31:33perhaps?
31:39Boing it around.
31:40I reckon you could charge for
31:41rides in this thing.
31:44With the weather now calmed to a
31:46gentle breeze, the poppy team
31:49has managed to secure the
31:50cascade to the White Tower.
31:52But the historic site has not
31:54made it easy.
31:56Amazing how irregular the wall
31:57is up close, isn't it?
31:58It looks like a flat wall,
31:59but it's actually hugely
32:01irregular.
32:03The tower's walls are not
32:05100% straight.
32:07And that's always going to be
32:09the case with a thousand-year-old
32:11building.
32:11But it means that drawing
32:13designs on a computer and what
32:15you find in real life are a
32:16little bit different.
32:17Luckily, the design can be
32:20adjusted to fit around
32:22William the Conqueror's
32:23brickwork.
32:26You can't be tired.
32:27You've been asleep all
32:28afternoon.
32:29In her home in the hospital
32:31block, Yomid Warder A.J.
32:33Clark and her furry family
32:35are preparing for VE Day.
32:37This is Mr. Wellington
32:38Walter, named after the Duke
32:41of Wellington.
32:41This one down here is Bess
32:43Lilibet.
32:44She's named after my two
32:45favourite queens.
32:46OK, thank you.
32:48We can hear you.
32:50And this is their son,
32:51Reggie Ronald, after the
32:53Cray twins, because he has
32:55a bit of an attitude.
32:57Reggie.
32:58When you're top dog at the
33:00tower, you've got to look
33:01the part.
33:03So A.J. has had special
33:05poppy-themed harnesses made.
33:07Shall we put our collars on?
33:10It's nice to wear our poppy
33:12and wear it with pride and
33:13remember the servicemen and
33:15women that gave their all so
33:17that we could have what we
33:18have today.
33:20Shall we go in the moat?
33:21Yes, OK, good boy.
33:24Let's go.
33:28The south moat is off limits
33:30to the public, but the
33:32sausages' new outfits still
33:34draw a crowd.
33:35I was not here at the time of
33:38London when the first
33:39installation of the poppies
33:40happened in 2014.
33:42So, yeah, I'm really, really
33:43pleased that I will actually be
33:45here when they open.
33:46It's going to be quite
33:47something to see.
33:53Emma?
33:55Oh, there you are.
33:56In the quays, new pub manager
34:00Yeoman Warder Barney Barnett
34:02and the rest of the bar team
34:03are preparing to welcome the
34:04refurbished Beefeater barrel
34:06to the tower.
34:07I'm going to chop plenty of
34:08lemons then, just so you've got
34:09quite a busy night.
34:10I think we need to get
34:11to check the stock as well,
34:12mate, because I think we need
34:13some more gin.
34:14Guys, we need to get changed
34:16because the Coopers are going
34:16to be here soon.
34:18OK.
34:18Of course, nothing at the tower
34:23can happen without some
34:24formality.
34:26On the wharf, the worshipful
34:28company of Coopers have
34:29arrived, ready to present the
34:32chief Yeoman Warder's newly
34:33refurbished barrel.
34:36Master Cooper Ewan Findlay has
34:38painstakingly restored the
34:40cask to its former glory.
34:42The barrel itself was
34:43completely dried out, very
34:46tatty, and he had to take
34:47the whole thing apart and
34:48rebuild it, and he's done an
34:50exceptional job.
34:52As the public leave, Yeoman
34:54Warder Paul Langley prepares
34:56to welcome the barrel through
34:57the gates.
34:59You stand there, and if we
35:00could have the rest of the
35:02Yeoman body behind.
35:06As the tower is closed, anyone
35:08approaching will need to be
35:10granted entry, a long-standing
35:13tradition of the nation's
35:15safehouse.
35:16The company of Coopers are
35:17about two minutes away.
35:18We know they're foaming up
35:19outside.
35:20They're going to bang on the
35:21doors and state their business.
35:25Scott!
35:27Yeah, we're just
35:27rehearsing.
35:30At exactly six o'clock, the
35:33Coopers begin their procession
35:34towards the tower.
35:36Okay.
35:37And their entry is barred in a time-honored challenge.
35:44Great, sir, state your business.
35:47The master of the worshipful company of Coopers, here to present a barrel to His Majesty's Tower
35:54Bar of London.
35:55With no danger to the king or the security of the realm, the Coopers and their barrel are allowed
36:01in, in honor of the thousands that would have passed this way over centuries.
36:07We are delighted to return this barrel to you, the conditions such that I hope it will significantly outlast us all.
36:21May I suggest that we repair to the bar, and I will be delighted to stand the first round.
36:28Oh, that is phenomenal.
36:34Yeah.
36:35Oh, the painter did the hard work.
36:37Yeah, I just, I'll tell you, I've got to all sound again.
36:40All right.
36:40Follow me, gentlemen.
36:41I'll clear the way.
36:42I've never had to knock at the tower before to gain entry, so it's a first for me to do
36:46that, and it's their private bar that nobody can normally come to, so it's a very special
36:50day.
36:51The possession went really well.
36:52The barrel looks amazing.
36:53I'm extremely happy because it's my first function, went without a hitch, and now I might
36:58even treat myself to a gin and tonic in there also.
37:05Coming up, will the medieval palace be ready in time for its grand reopening?
37:11We've been planning for this for months now.
37:14We just want to make sure the conditions are absolutely perfect.
37:17And emotions run high as the poppy display reaches full bloom.
37:21It's an installation that has talked to people, and it moves them.
37:26So that's good.
37:26In the medieval palace, the final touches are being added, ready for the exhibition
37:47to open to the public.
37:49I can't set the light levels yet.
37:51And Charles and the conservation team are feeling the heat as they prepare to manoeuvre
37:57this extraordinary key artefact into its new home.
38:02We've been planning for this for months now, believe it or not.
38:07It's an incredibly exciting object, and so we just want to make sure the conditions are
38:10absolutely perfect.
38:11This fish trap has survived over 700 years.
38:17OK.
38:18OK, it's a one, two, three.
38:24You're welcome.
38:25But one wrong move, and this unique piece of history could be lost forever.
38:31I'm going to put it down.
38:32Yeah, put it down.
38:33I've got it.
38:34I think we want it back a little bit more.
38:37OK.
38:37And then central.
38:40It's nice.
38:41I think that's good.
38:42I think we've got it.
38:44It's always tense to bring objects into spaces, but a great relief to have it in.
38:50It's looking absolutely fantastic.
38:53After months of meticulous research, hundreds of hours of work from tower staff and contractors,
38:59including restoring over two kilometres of wall decorations, visitors can now see what it was
39:06really like to live in a medieval palace over 700 years ago.
39:12Initially, when I stepped inside, I felt my heart stopped a little bit because it's so
39:17impressive to walk on the same floors where kings of England have walked.
39:21I love the tapestries.
39:24I like the creaking floor.
39:26I like the smell of the place.
39:27It's just evocative.
39:29Once alive with hundreds of members of the royal household, people can step back in time
39:36and view Edward I's travelling bed that could be packed up for the king's many journeys.
39:41They can imagine the great hall crowded with servants sleeping side by side while the kitchens
39:46worked round the clock to feed them all.
39:48And it's fantastic to see visitors enjoying the space.
39:52After all our hard work, giving just a glimpse of what the medieval world would have been like.
40:02The medieval palace isn't the only part of the tower feeling the love.
40:07After nine days of blood, sweat and tears, the poppy installation is almost complete.
40:14Designer Tom Piper and the man who created the poppies, Paul Cummins,
40:18are on site to ensure everything is perfect.
40:21I've been bending the wires and making all the poppies go that way.
40:25So it looks like the explosion's rippling out.
40:28And it just looks more natural.
40:30I'm just going around adjusting the heights and trying to make the poppies feel more like
40:35a liquid that's in motion.
40:37All the boxes are now empty.
40:41This install period has been absolutely brutal.
40:44I've done 12, 13 hour days every day for nearly two weeks.
40:49I need my glass of wine tonight.
40:50Months of painstaking planning have finally paid off.
41:05And the poppy display commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day
41:09is ready to be open to the public on the 6th of May, 2025,
41:15with a royal visit by none other than Her Majesty Queen Camilla.
41:19It's in, it's finished, it's there.
41:26We release it to the world and see what people think.
41:32It is an amazing display.
41:34It really is.
41:35And watching it all come together was superb.
41:38The impact is just breathtaking.
41:44It really is a thoughtful, provocative design.
41:48It's very important to me that, you know, we honour the veterans
41:55and everybody has relatives who suffered in the Second World War.
41:59My father was a Japanese prisoner of war
42:02and ended up for three years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp
42:05and nearly died.
42:07So, it's an installation that does, does talk to people.
42:13And it moves.
42:14So that's good.
42:15Next time, it's the biggest day of the year for the Tower
42:30as the Queen officially opens this spectacular poppy installation.
42:33I can't help, Phoebe, a little bit nervous about this.
42:36You never know what might happen.
42:37One of the fortress's youngest residents
42:40prepares for a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with Her Majesty.
42:43I've been practising my bow.
42:46Would you like to see my bow?
42:48He's loved seeing me.
42:50And we reveal exactly why Henry VIII had his uncle locked away.
42:54He loved Arthur.
42:56He imprisoned him in a cold, dark cell.
43:13He loved him.
43:24He had a geven conègu stitch that was a man leaving us.
43:26He was a man who was a martyr.
43:27He murdered a man who he didn't leave bereaved in an outreach.
43:31So that someone felt of the character .
43:33But I will never give a conocer.
43:34Some people would go to this boat,
43:35like, in a front yard going back where Henry VIII had ran away.
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