Tower of London World Heritage Site Management Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Tower of London World Heritage Site Management Plan Published by Historic Royal Palaces © Historic Royal Palaces 2007 Historic Royal Palaces Hampton Court Palace Surrey KT8 9AU June 2007 Foreword By David Lammy MP Minister for Culture I am delighted to support this Management Plan for the Tower of London World Heritage Site. The Tower of London, founded by William the Conqueror in 1066-7, is one of the world’s most famous fortresses, and Britain’s most visited heritage site. It was built to protect and control the city and the White Tower survives largely intact from the Norman period. Architecture of almost all styles that have since flourished in England may be found within the walls. The Tower has been a fortress, a palace and a prison, and has housed the Royal Mint, the Public Records and the Royal Observatory. It was for centuries the arsenal for small arms, the predecessor of the present Royal Armouries, and has from early times guarded the Crown Jewels. Today the Tower is the key to British history for visitors who come every year from all over the world to relive the past and to enjoy the pageantry of the present. It is deservedly a World Heritage Site. The Government is accountable to UNESCO and the wider international community for the future conservation and presentation of the Tower. It is a responsibility we take seriously. The purpose of the Plan is to provide an agreed framework for long-term decision-making on the conservation and improvement of the Tower and sustaining its outstanding universal value. The Plan is the result of extended consultation between Historic Royal Places, as the organisation with responsibility for the site, and those who are responsible for, and have a special interest in, its place in the city of London. I am extremely grateful to the many bodies and individuals who have worked so hard to produce this Plan, in particular members of the Tower of London World Heritage Site Consultative Committee. I am sure that the Plan will be extremely valuable in managing the site and its setting, and in ensuring that the Tower’s special qualities are sustained and protected for future generations to enjoy. Foreword By John Barnes Conservation & Learning Director, Historic Royal Palaces Historic Royal Palaces is proud to be responsible for the care, conservation and presentation to the public of the Tower of London. An independent charity that receives no public funding, we look after five of the nation’s most important sites: Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, the Banqueting House in Whitehall and, of course, the Tower. Our work is guided by a central Cause; to help everyone explore the story of how monarchs and people have shaped society in some of the greatest palaces ever built. The Tower of London World Heritage Site Management Plan was first put together in 2000 with the guidance of a Consultative Committee of experts and policy makers, to whom we are indebted. The Plan was widely consulted on but not finalised, because the swift change in development activity in the vicinity of the Tower highlighted the need for a review of the mechanisms to protect its setting. The publication of the London Plan spatial development strategy and subsequent supplementary guidance has provided an opportunity to strengthen the protection given to World Heritage Sites in London. The Management Plan has, therefore, been extensively updated to reflect the passage of time, the evolving planning policy framework and the greater emphasis on the setting of the Tower. This management plan brings together knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm for sustaining the outstanding universal value of the Tower from those with an interest in, and responsibility for, the Tower and its environs. Managing the Tower and its place in a dynamic World City is challenging. The Plan recognises this, and looks to address the issues and challenges, while creatively utilising the enormous opportunities that the Tower offers. The Plan provides a framework for long-term decision- making on the conservation and improvement of the Tower and I fully expect that it will provide a positive means of sustaining its outstanding universal value into the future. Contents Section Number Section Page Foreword by David Lammy MP, Minister for Culture Foreword by John Barnes, Conservation & Learning Director, Historic Royal Palaces Executive summary 3 Part A Context to the Management Plan 1.0 Introduction 6 1.1 World Heritage and the World Heritage Convention 1.2 The UK and the World Heritage Convention 1.3 The Tower of London World Heritage Site Management Plan - background 1.4 The Tower of London World Heritage Site Management Plan - today 1.5 The main aims of the Management Plan 1.6 The structure of the Management Plan 1.7 The planning status of the Management Plan 2.0 Description of the World Heritage Site 11 2.1 General information 2.2 Historical development of the Tower 2.3 The development of the capital city around the Tower 2.4 The character of the Tower in its setting 2.5 Planning and policy framework 2.6 Current management 3.0 Evaluation of the World Heritage Site 69 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Summary Statement of Significance 3.3 Statement of Significance 3.4 Justification for criteria 3.5 Statement of Outstanding Universal Value 3.6 National and local significances 3.7 Instrumental benefits Part B Managing the World Heritage Site 4.0 Opportunities, challenges and issues 86 4.1 Opportunities 4.2 Challenges and issues 5.0 The vision for the Tower of London World Heritage 94 Site 5.1 The vision for the Tower of London World Heritage Site 6.0 Management objectives 96 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Researching and understanding the Tower 6.3 Managing the setting of the Tower 6.4 Giving the Tower the care it deserves 6.5 Communicating the stories of the Tower 6.6 Valuing visitors and the resident community 6.7 Managing the Tower with our partners 6.8 Promoting the Tower’s significance 6.9 Generating the money to sustain the OUV of the Tower Part C Implementing, monitoring and reviewing the Management Plan 7.0 Mechanisms for implementation 140 8.0 Monitoring and reviewing the Management Plan 142 9.0 Programme and priorities for action 144 Bibliography I Appendices i Appendix A Prior public consultation processes Appendix B About Historic Royal Palaces Appendix C Text of the Justification for Inscription contained in the State Party’s Nomination Dossier and copy of ICOMOS evaluation Appendix D Criteria for the assessment of outstanding universal value Appendix E Scheduled Monuments and Listed Structures within the World Heritage Site Appendix F The interpretation programme at the Tower 2 Executive summary 3 Executive summary HM Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London (the Tower) is one of England’s most evocative ancient monuments. There is a tangible sense of history in every tower and around every corner, making it an endlessly fascinating place for visitors from all round the world. The buildings and layout that we see today stand as the culmination of a sequence which started around 1067, and have developed dynamically ever since in line with the changing needs of the site’s occupants, users and visitors. The Tower was inscribed onto the World Heritage List in 1988. Inscribed under two of the required criteria for inscription, the justification was: Criterion (ii): A monument symbolic of royal power since the time of William the Conqueror, the Tower of London served as an outstanding model throughout the kingdom from the end of the 11th century. Like it, many keeps were built in stone, e.g. Colchester, Rochester, Hedingham, Norwich or Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight. Criterion (iv): The White Tower is the example par excellence of the royal Norman castle in the late 11th century. The ensemble of the Tower of London is a major reference for the history of medieval military architecture. The vision for the Tower of London World Heritage Site is to sustain its outstanding universal value and to effectively manage the Tower in order to protect, conserve and present it to the public and to transmit it to future generations. The purpose of the Tower of London World Heritage Site Management Plan is to ensure the effective management of the WHS for present and future generations and to provide an agreed framework for long-term decision- making on the conservation and improvement of the Tower. The Tower benefits from unique characteristics that afford opportunities for its future development. Conversely, these characteristics also raise complex issues that affect the conservation and management of the site. The Plan seeks to utilise 4 opportunities in a way that is appropriate to the Tower’s significance and work towards an optimal solution to the challenges and issues faced by the Tower. The Plan sets out management objectives for the Tower, supported by actions, which reflect the opportunities, challenges and issues. Historic Royal Palaces is the lead body responsible for implementing the Plan, in co-operation with its on-site and off-site partners. The Tower of London World Heritage Site Consultative Committee, a group including on-site partners, local authorities and heritage specialists, will provide a forum for consulting on issues affecting the Tower and its environs. The Committee will review progress on the objectives and assist in monitoring implementation of the action plan every year. The entire Plan will be reviewed every five years. 5 Part A – Context to the Management Plan 6 1.0 Introduction 1.1 World Heritage and the World Heritage Convention 1.1.1 World Heritage is the designation for places that are of ‘outstanding universal value’ (OUV) to humanity and, as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.