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London and Environs

Tower of London - The Restoration

The reign of King Charles I (1625-49) was peaceful for the most part. But when things went bad they went very bad, and in 1642 civil war broke out between the King and his Parliament. The Tower was recognized as an important asset in controlling the city of London and in 1643, through political battles, members of Parliament took control of the Tower and kept it until the end of the civil war in 1649. During this time Oliver Cromwell installed the first permanent garrison in the Tower and the guards you see today in the Tower are the remnants of innovation.
In 1660 the Monarchy was restored with Charles II (1660-85). The role of political prison began to decline and during the same time the Crown Jewels went on public display and were moved to the Martin Tower to be shown.

The Office of Ordnance which provided military supplies and equipment made the Tower their headquarters and took over much of the responsibility of running the Tower during this time. Over the next century they were responsible for building many utilitarian buildings through a series of building, fires, and rebuilding. The only surviving building put up by the Office of Ordnance is the New Armouries that stands today between the Salt Tower and Broad Arrows Tower.
 

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