Jewel House - Current Structure

Current Structure

The 1967 Jewel House was built in the west wing of the Waterloo Barracks. It contained a combined strongroom/display area in the basement extending out into the Broad Walk (parade ground) in front of the Barracks, and an upper floor displaying plate. The entrance was in the west front of the barracks, with the basement chamber entered through the ground floor chamber, down 49 steps, past untreated concrete walls, and through a massive strongroom door. The vault was said to be nuclear bomb proof, and to contain electronic beams and steel shutters for security. The items were displayed in a series of glass cases arranged in a circle, around which visitors proceeded clockwise, under the supervision of the wardens. There was a raised gallery at a distance of 2-3 yards from the cases, for viewing at a more leisurely pace.

The Jewel House was built 1966-67 and designed to cater for one million visitors annually. However, as by the 1980s the Jewel House was regularly visited by twice that number of people, a new Jewel House was planned. This was constructed 1992-94, also in the Waterloo Barracks, which was fortunately large enough, having been built to accommodate 1,000 men. The new Jewel House is single-level, on the ground floor of the barracks - doubtless because the threat of nuclear attack having receded, the need for a subterranean vault was less. The Jewel House was funded from the visitor receipts, and cost £10m. The display area is three times the size of the old Jewel House, and more efficient crowd management techniques meant that it is capable of handling four times the number of visitors, at 2,500 an hour. This is achieved largely through the use of a moving pavement.

New security and display technology was also incorporated, including fibre optics to light the displays, and the jewels are protected by 2-inch-thick (51 mm) shatter-proof glass. The cases are of brass and contain inert materials, and filtered air. The jewels rest on French velvet.

A dedicated control room was constructed in the barracks, from which soldiers monitored the Jewel House and the wider Tower of London. Improvements to the Tower of London, especially covering fire safety and security, cost an additional £4.5m, and took three years to complete.

The Jewel House and control room occupy the whole ground floor of the Waterloo Barracks. The jewels were moved 9 January 1994, and the new Jewel House was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 24 March 1994.

The current Keeper of the Jewel House is Colonel Richard Harrold, OBE, who was appointed in 2011. The Chief Exhibitor of the Jewel House is Keith Hanson, and the Deputy Chief Exhibitor Lyn Jones, RVM.

The security of the Tower of London as a whole is entrusted to the Tower Guard, which is provided by the whichever unit is charged with providing the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace at the time. The Guard has been based in Waterloo Barracks since 1845, and is 22 strong, under an officer. The Tower Guard mounts sentries throughout the Tower of London.

The Yeomen Warders of the Tower of London also provide security, though their day-time role is more concerned with the management of the large number of visitors to the Tower of London. Unlike the soldiers of the Tower Guard, who rotate, the Yeomen Warders are permanent, and live in the Tower of London. The present body dates from 1485, and they wear very similar uniforms to the Sovereign's bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard, of which they have been extraordinary members since 1550. There are currently about 38 Yeomen Warders.