It's amazing how many places you can see for free by pretending to be religious: St. Paul's Cathedral, Hampton Court Palace, Westminster Abbey and now the Chapel Royal at the Tower of London. If I knew that London sightseeing was so cheap for Christians I would have converted ages ago.
All you have to do is walk up to the Yeoman Warder by the main gate and say you're there to attend the church service, and he'll let you in for free -- past all the people who paid for their ticket. And yup, I know that sounds totally ridiculous but trust me -- I've done it. It works.
Photo: londondrum.comBut it only works on Sunday mornings though, because that's when the service is. And you do actually have to attend the service, so it's not a total free pass. And I know exactly what your next question is: Can I have a look around the rest of the Tower for free as well? The answer to that is no. You're not supposed to. If you want to see the rest of the grounds then you're supposed to buy a full-price ticket.
Photo: londondrum.comBut there doesn't seem to be a lot to stop you from trying because once you're through the gate you're basically on your own. They let you walk to the chapel all by yourself, totally unescorted. (They certainly are very trusting!) Just don't blame me if you end up in the dungeon, or a police cell, because quite frankly you'll deserve it for sinning so soon after church.
The White Tower & Tower Green
Photo: londondrum.comYou do get to see a quite a lot of the Tower when you walk towards the chapel because once you come through the main gate the route will take you down Water Lane to Traitor's Gate.
Then you have to turn left under the Bloody Tower portcullis and up the stairs to Tower Green. The famous White Tower will loom up on your right as you stroll up the steps, and then you'll get a view of the Waterloo Barracks where they keep the Crown Jewels. The chapel itself is situated directly behind the execution site.
Photo: londondrum.comChapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula
The Chapel Royal is one of the most historic buildings in England but the decorations are rather bland. It's basically just a big box with a few columns down the middle. There are no stained glass windows or anything like that, and the altar is a very simple affair with a few candlesticks, a crucifix, plus a plain table and cloth. There are a few memorials around the walls but the real glory is buried beneath the altar because this is where the bodies of all of Henry's headless enemies lie -- people like Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey and the Earl of Essex.
Photo: David/Wikimedia CommonsIt's nearly 11 AM and the service is about to start so I'm quietly writing this in a pew. Everybody is dressed in suits and scarves and I get the impression that the same congregation turns up every week, probably just the people who live inside the Tower. There's not a lot of tourists here (I think I'm the only one). There are about fifty of them in total, plus another ten for the choir who have just walked in wearing white robes and red dresses.
Because it's such a small space the singing really fills the chapel and it's some of the nicest singing I've ever heard. They're doing choral works by Haydn at the moment and it sounds very pretty indeed.
Uh-oh... drama time. A little old lady has just shuffled sideways out of her line and ran out crying. She was trying to hold in the tears with her hankie but they all came bursting out before she made it down the aisle. The Yeoman Warder by the door has stood up to comfort her but he's a big burly geezer about ten feet tall, which makes it a difficult shoulder to cry on. I wonder what her story is? I guess it's between her and God, and we'll leave her be.
After an hour it's all over and they've set up a few tables for coffee. Most of the congregation stay behind for a chit-chat and a cake but I head out of the door and into the pouring rain.
Of all the free church services I've attended in London this was easily the least popular with tourists. The ones at St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey were probably about 80% tourists, Hampton Court less so (about 20%), but this one was basically just me and the locals. It was also the only one where I actually felt like I was intruding on their private do, which is completely silly because of course it was all very friendly. I even got a goodbye from the vicar.
If you enjoy Tower of London then you might like to visit Hampton Court Palace, Tower Hill (you can walk it in less than 2 mins) and Windsor Castle. If you like church services then try a choral service at Hampton Court, and an Evensong at St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey
