The Tower of London is Transformed for The Platinum Jubilee With Wildflower Superbloom And a Slide
When we think of the Tower of London it is probably the Crown Jewels or the iconic Beefeaters who protect them that springs to mind. However, from this summer onwards the tower’s moat is set to have a whole new look and become a tourist attraction of its own.
The moat at the tower has been turned into a wildlife flower display, with 20 million seeds sewn to create a superbloom. Described as a “floral tribute to Her Majesty” in the Platinum Jubilee year, the display can be accessed in style by going down a slide into the moat.
“We wanted it to have a celebratory feel and we also wanted to bring people down into the moat which is not something that we’ve ever done before,” Rhiannon Goddard, Project Director of the superbloom, told Town & Country today. “We wanted people to feel immersed in the flowers and really feel that they are stepping out of the city and into nature and getting close to nature.” Some 29 species of flowers will grow in the moat, including Gypsophila elegans, Papaver rhoeas hybrids or ‘Shirly poppies,’ Cosmos bipinnatus and two varieties of chrysanthemums.
Since the moat was drained in 1845 on the orders of the Duke of Wellington it has been a mown lawn and the public has not been able to walk inside. “Upon arrival in the moat— either by slide or on foot—visitors will discover a transformed landscape. Paths, walkways and viewing points have been installed throughout, offering a new perspective on the Tower’s ancient walls,” Historic Royal Palaces, the charity which runs the Tower, said in a statement.
In 2014, the moat was memorably filled with more than 800,000 ceramic poppies to mark the centenary of the outbreak of WWI. Members of the royal family visited that display, however it is not yet known if they will make public visits to see the superbloom.
As well as the permanent floral display there is also a temporary display specifically for the jubilee year called the Queen’s Garden. This features 12 glass floral emblems by artist Max Jacquard which represent the flowers on the Queen’s Norman Hartnell coronation gown as well as a glass model of the Imperial State Crown. “It’s surrounded by what’s called a treasure chest seed mix which has nods back to the colors in the Crown Jewels,” Rhiannon Goddard said.
The drier than usual weather of the past few months has meant that the wildflower blooms across the moat have not fully come through yet, but they are expected to blossom in time for the public to enjoy the attraction across the summer. Accompanying the wildlife is a soundscape composed by Scottish composer Erland Cooper called Music for Growing Flowers. “I’ve tried to help tell the story of the 20 million seeds that have been planed in this castle—a place designed originally to keep people out is now welcoming people in,” Erland told Town & Country. “It’s the simplest feather of a thing,” he said of the melody. “It’s just a little melody that’s passed around perhaps like a pollinator—a bird or a butterfly —between the instruments.”
The superbloom opens to the public on June 1. For more information or to book tickets visit hrp.org.uk.
You Might Also Like
