The Bloody Tower, Tower of London

In the representation of the Bloody Tower, we commissioned two 3-minute animation sequences that enveloped these spaces and immersed visitors in the story and atmosphere of the time.

The Tower of London was an infamous high-status prison for Kings, Queens and other important prisoners. The Bloody Tower is strongly associated with the supposed murder and subsequent disappearance in 1483 of 12-year-old Edward V and his younger brother, Richard. Walter Raleigh, a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I also spent 13 years as a prisoner here from 1603 onwards, and his wife and two children lived with him inside the castle walls.

The biggest challenge in presenting this space was to deliver exciting content whilst keeping queuing to a minimum. In catering for international audiences, the interpretive approach also needed to be primarily visual. We re-created Raleigh’s study and commissioned two 3-minute animation sequences that enveloped these spaces and immersed visitors in the story and atmosphere of the time. In the courtyard outside, we also re-created Raleigh’s medicinal garden from which he brewed his infamous healing herbal elixir and buried a trail of tactile props to introduce these two stories.