Built as part of the inner defensive wall by Henry III and Edward I around the White Tower, throughout its history it has been used on and off to house prisoners. Its large size and close location to the Lieutenant’s Lodgings, now the Queen’s House, made the Beauchamp Tower perfect for housing really important prisoners.  Most of the graffiti was carved between the 16th and 17th centuries during a period of religious and political upheaval when the Tower of London became the country's foremost state prison.