Gunpowder & Fire – Storage and Safety at the Tower

Explore the Tower’s munitions story: where powder lived, how risks were managed, and what fires changed.

11/27/2025

12 min read

Barrels representing historic gunpowder storage

Powder Logistics

Barrels, ventilation, and separation distances formed a safety grammar before modern risk science.

Bowyer and Beyond

Associated towers and stores distributed hazard across the site.

Image Highlights

Gunpowder barrels Bowyer Tower Great fire

Lessons

Fire reshaped policy and layout.
The armoury today is also a story of learning.

Bottom Line

Powder at the Tower blends power and peril—and a long arc of adaptation.

Over de auteur

Risk & Resilience Editor

Ik maakte dit om je de Tower of London slim te laten beleven — duidelijk tempo, beter timing en context die elke kapel, kroon en stenen gang laat resoneren.