The Tower of London
Short History Of...
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The Tower of London
In 1810, the Royal Mint ends its 500 years of residency in the tower. Not long afterwards, concerns are raised about the Royal Menagerie. In 1835, the attraction closes for good, with many exhibits moving to London Zoo. The moat also contributes to the war effort when it is transformed into a vegetable allotment. Once more, prisoners are held here, including Nazi leader Rudolf Hess. By the new millennium, the tower records annual visitor numbers of approximately two million people. To mark the centenary of the First World War, the moat is filled with ceramic poppies - 888,246 of them each representing a British or colonial soldier lost to the conflict
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