The Pandemonium Witches: Murders, Mystery, and Mayhem · TPW3MPodcast

S1. E102 - From Crown Jewels to Crowned Corpses: Unlocking the Tower of London

·1 hr 41 min·5 clips

The Tower’s torture devices included the rack, the Scavenger’s Daughter, and manacles.

1. The Pandemonium Witches episode centers on the Tower of London, officially called His Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London. 2. Kat, Rachel, M, and Meg host the episode, and Rachel’s personal interest in the Tower drives the topic choice. 3. The episode asks what the Tower of London was for over nearly 1,000 years, beyond the simple image of a haunted prison. 4. The hosts explain that William the Conqueror began the stone White Tower in 1078 after the Norman conquest. 5. They describe the complex as a castle on the north bank of the River Thames in Tower Hamlets, with the White Tower at its core. 6. The show notes that Edward I completed a major rebuild in 1285 and that the layout has remained largely the same since then. 7. They say the site included a royal residence, the Royal Mint, the Royal Armouries, a public record office, and even a zoo. 8. The episode emphasizes that the Tower held kings, queens, and political prisoners while also guarding the crown jewels. 9. The hosts point out that the Tower was never a permanent torture chamber, even though torture did occur there. 10. They say the Tower functioned as a safer holding place than prisons like the Fleet for some high-status prisoners. 11. The discussion of the Princes in the Tower names Edward V, his younger brother Richard, and Richard Duke of Gloucester. 12. They mention that bones thought to belong to the princes were discovered in 1674 during demolition work near the White Tower. 13. The hosts connect the Tower to Tudor history by naming Henry VII, Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth of York, and Elizabeth I. 14. They note that Anne Boleyn was executed on Tower Green and that Elizabeth of York died at the Tower after giving birth. 15. The episode describes the Yeoman Warders as royal bodyguards since 1509 and explains their nickname, “Beef Eaters.” 16. The hosts also mention that the Yeoman Warders helped guard the crown jewels and managed prisoners after the Tower’s military role changed. 17. The tone is informal, joke-heavy, and conversational, with repeated side comments about history, food, and family life. 18. The format mixes researched narration with back-and-forth interruptions, corrections, and personal anecdotes from the hosts. 19. Listeners who like English castles, Tudor history, and haunted sites will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a tight, archaeology-only history lesson may skip it.

As heard by us

A chatty, skeptical look at the Tower of London that separates myth from record without losing its energy.

This episode treats the Tower of London with a skeptical, lively eye. The hosts move from Yeoman Warders and the Beefeaters nickname to the old idea that the name came from beef in their pay, then step back to separate the Tower's fearsome reputation from the parts that were…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Want the Tower’s dark reputation untangled with jokes, facts, and some good chaos?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The Pandemonium Witches: Murders, Mystery, and Mayhem