The Tower of London is set to undergo a £70 million redevelopment aimed at significantly expanding its educational and community outreach. Known as Tomorrow’s Tower, the initiative seeks to modernize the historic fortress’s facilities while preserving its nearly 1,000-year-old structure, making it a more accessible and engaging learning environment.
Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), the charity responsible for the Tower, announced that the project will increase the annual number of school visits from 125,000 to 200,000. The transformation will also open new public spaces, including a community room dedicated to local groups and a "green classroom" within the Tower’s moat, which will be ecologically enhanced as part of the plan.
The Tower, originally constructed toward the end of 1066 during the Norman Conquest, has not seen investment of this scale since the 13th century expansions under Henry III and Edward I. Brigadier Andrew Jackson, the Tower’s governor, described the project as one of the largest single investments in the site’s history.
Work will focus on adapting and enhancing existing buildings without adding new structures, thereby ensuring minimal visible change to the Tower’s historic character. Ground-floor areas will be made fully accessible to improve visitor experience, while the Waterloo Block, home of the Crown Jewels, will be revitalized as the central hub for learning activities.
A new Weston Learning and Community Centre will be established in a former restaurant on the Tower’s Wharf along the Thames. This centre will serve as the main arrival point for school groups and other visitors, offering workshops, hands-on activities, and costumed staff-led presentations. The centre will also feature modern facilities such as a broadcast studio to connect classrooms worldwide, in addition to lunchrooms and learning studios.
The redevelopment will include enhanced access to the Tower's architectural archive, which comprises approximately 25,000 drawings dating back 200 years. This will provide valuable resources for students and researchers alike.
Further details about plans for the moat’s ecological transformation remain limited, though the goal is to create a biodiverse and climate-resilient landscape that incorporates outdoor learning opportunities focused on both ecology and history.
The project has received substantial backing, including £20 million already secured, with funding support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Julia Rausing Trust. HRP emphasized that all work is being carried out in close consultation with Historic England to maintain the site’s UNESCO World Heritage status.
Despite the extensive redevelopment, the visitor experience is expected to remain largely unchanged. Key attractions such as the White Tower, the Crown Jewels, and the Yeoman Warders will continue to operate as usual, with only some scaffolding anticipated on the Waterloo Block during construction. The Tower’s famed ravens will also remain undisturbed throughout the project.