The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower Of London

London is awash with fantastic things to do, both for those who live here and for tourists who come for a short or long visit. We are lucky enough to be Londoners, but we make sure we take advantage of many of the things this fantastic city offers – from concerts and plays to museums and more. Some cost a lot, some a little, but one of the best things we have ever done came to just £1 in total. It is called the Ceremony of the Keys and it has got to be the best value in the capital!

The Ceremony of the Keys takes place at the Tower of London and is the locking of all the doors to the Tower (home of the Crown Jewels and many other valuables). It is the oldest military ceremony in the world, at over 700 years of age, and also one of the shortest (the actual ceremony is only seven minutes long). It is carried out every single night, and even continued during the Blitz (the one time when it started a little late, thanks to an inconvenient bomb).

This is an opportunity to see living history right in front of your eyes. At one point, as soldiers marched in front of me and one began to play the Last Post on his bugle, I felt as if I was in a Shakespeare play. It was fantastic.

You need to book to see the Ceremony – which takes place after the Tower has closed for the day – in advance. We signed up for our tickets last year and all it cost was a £1 admission fee. It doesn’t start until 9.30pm, so be aware of this if you have young children (it will be a late night as although the ceremony is short, you meet the Warder beforehand and he fills you in on what is going to happen as well as the history behind the ceremony itself.) The whole thing takes around 40 minutes).

We turned up about 15 minutes beforehand and were called into the Tower just before 9.30. No one is allowed to take photographs when you are inside and we entered as a group, escorted by a Beefeater called Jim.

It was actually quite thrilling, as ten-year-old Robert will tell you:

Over to him:

"The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London is a brilliant experience and you have got to do it when you come to London.

After we met Jim, who told lots of funny jokes and who lives in the Tower with his family (like all the other soldiers and their families), we walked through Middle Tower and stood in front of Traitors’ Gate. Just seeing Traitors’ Gate was amazing.

After an explanation about what was going to happen (It was quite complicated) soldiers came and started locking up the gates, accompanied by the Chief Yeoman Warder, who was dressed in red, holding the Queen’s Keys and a lantern with a single candle in it.

They walked so in time they looked like robots, but I didn't say that. I wanted to keep on the soldiers' good side, especially the ones with bayonets and swords!

I was a bit scared whenever they clicked their guns because I thought they might shoot someone by mistake.

The ceremony continued with the locking of the gates, and was like a play at the theatre. I don’t want to tell you much, as it would ruin the experience. But I will tell you that one of the soldiers who take part is called LANTERN MAN, which sounds a bit like a super hero and that when the Chief Yeoman Warder was asked by the Sentry what he was doing, the Sentry said: “Halt, who comes there?” (not “who goes there”).”

The ceremony ended with a call to preserve the Queen, to which every present said a fervent Amen. The clock hit 10pm as we said it and the Last Post sounded.

Afterwards we really felt as if we had experienced something special and unique. And we can’t believe we had never done it before. Do visit – you won’t be disappointed.

You can book online for the Ceremony of the Keys and definitely do it in advance if you are planning a trip to London. Only around 40-50 people are on each tour.

The only thing I would say to tourists is that all the information (and there's a lot) is given in English, so be aware of that if English is not your first language.

More history in London: Read about our trip to Buckingham Palace

We're linking up with Weekend Wanderlust this week - a place where you can find many fab travel blog posts!



 

We're also linking up with the lovely Country Kids, where you can read about lots of great family adventures.

Five fantastic free things to do in London with kids

It's January and some of us are a bit short of cash (all those presents take it out of you, don't they?). So, I thought I would try to be useful. Here are 5 great free things to do in London. Save on entrance fees - and treat yourself to a coffee and cake instead....

Please note that, once I started on this post I realised that there are so many brilliant free things to do in London, we are all spoilt for choice. And I haven't even mentioned the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery which have some wonderful children's trails and often have workshops for kids too, nor the many city farms including Spitalfields and Kentish Town!

1) The Diana Memorial playground in Hyde Park

London has some absolutely gorgeous parks - perfect for the kids to let off steam. You can enjoy magnificent views from Primrose Hill in North London, or go boating in Regent's Park (one of my favourites). But if I only had to pick one for families, it would be the Diana playground.

Set up in memory of the former Princess, mother of Princes William and Harry, and located near her home at Kensington Palace, this play area is wonderful, imaginative, clean and fun. Aimed at children under 12, adults are only allowed in if they have a child with them and the masterpiece is the huge wooden pirate ship. Most children love this, enjoying the pulleys and ropes, walkways and more. It's all lovely and safe, surrounded by sand and has a lovely Peter Pan connection through various scenes from the famous story.

But there is more to it than the ship. There is a giant swing, tunnels, sensory trail and lots of sculptures to discover too. There are also enough toilet facilities, plus nappy-changing and a café. My only warning is that it can get extremely busy.

[caption id="attachment_947" align="aligncenter" width="940"] There is so much to see at the British Museum[/caption]

2) Enjoy the museums

This is the most obvious of my suggestions, but it's still worth emphasising. London has the most fantastic variety of museums and some of the best will cost you absolutely nothing to explore! Most of them also offer children's trails, activities and even backpacks which contain anything from puzzles to quiz questions and which you can borrow while you find out what's on offer.

Try the Natural History Museum if you crave some dinosaur action (but note that it is always busy), the Science Museum for hours of experimental fun (you can return to this one over and over again) and the British Museum for ancient Egypt, the Rosetta Stone and more. The Museum of London is a wonderful place to visit, with or without kids, and tends to be a little less busy than the others. There you can find out about anything from the capital in Roman times to the Great Fire. Its partner museum, the Museum of London in Docklands, is another gem, telling you about how important the Thames has been. It also has a lovely "mudlands" kids' play area.

 

[caption id="attachment_949" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Big Ben is just one of the landmarks you can see while walking around London[/caption]

3) Take a walk along the South Bank

This is my favourite part of London as it seems to sum up the history, beauty and bustle. I'd recommend that you take the tube or a bus to Westminster, where you can marvel at the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, as well as explore Parliament Square and its multitude of statues (including one of Winston Churchill). Then cross the bridge (enjoying the views) and walk down towards the National Theatre (you're now on the South Bank!). You will pass the London Eye and Aquarium among other attractions, and also come upon various stalls as you make your way towards the Royal Festival Hall. If you want to keep walking, you can continue on past my favourite bridge (Tower Bridge) the Globe Theatre and Tate Modern, all the way to London Bridge and treat yourself at Borough Market. However, if you have young kids, they may not want to go this far! Wherever you end up, you'll love the views and get a real sense of what this fantastic city has to offer.

4) Somerset House

This beautiful Georgian building - once home to Anne of Denmark, Henrietta Maria and Catherine of Braganza - has a magnificent courtyard and offers some great views of the Thames from its balcony. But it's particularly worth a visit because of its summer fountains - which your kids will love jumping in and out of, and you might enjoy too - and its winter ice rink.

If you have older kids, you might enjoy one of the free guided tours (check for details, but these are usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays and some Saturdays). For children aged 6-12, there are regular family themed workshops (usually on the first Saturday of the month), with the next one, on Saturday February 7th, all about 3D mapping!

[caption id="attachment_951" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Visit the Tower of London late in the day and watch history come alive in front of you![/caption]

5) The Ceremony of the Keys

If you book this online, it will cost you £1, so it's not entirely free, but it's definitely worth it - even if you have to plan your visit in advance. When else do you get to go to a ceremony which has been performed regularly for 700 years?
The ceremony is at 9.30pm each evening, so may not be suitable for very young children, but it will excite most ages. It lasts about 40 minutes and is essentially the formal locking of the gates at the Tower by the Chief Yeoman Warder and his accompanying guards. The same wording is used each night, starting with "Halt, who comes there?" Not to be missed!

We'd also recommend The Changing of the Guard, Kenwood House, some of the London markets (although beware of pester power here) and many more!