The Flamsteed Tower

This is one of the four turrets that give the White Tower its iconic outline.

The Flamsteed Turret is named after John Flamsteed (1646-1719), the astronomer royal, who is said to have used the roof of the White Tower as an observation deck.

The Tower’s distinctive cupolas (domes) were added by Henry VIII in 1532 in preparation for the coronation of Anne Boleyn.

The draughtsman has drawn the turret with great precision in plan, section and elevation, revealing the roof structure beneath the dome and using gold pigment to pick out the gilded details of the 17th-century weather vane.