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Henry VIII and Mid-Tudor Crisis Virtual Tour

Uncover Tudor instability, fear, and power at the Tower of London

About this learning resource

Format: Video

Explore part of the Tower of London that was used as a prison during the reign of Henry VIII and the Mid-Tudor Crisis with this immersive 360° virtual tour of the Beauchamp Tower. The tour features:

  • videos

  • challenges

  • historic sources

  • student worksheet.

Ideal for KS4 and KS5 students. This tour can be easily adapted to suit modules on either the Henry VIII or Mid-Tudor Crisis.

Resource Information

Key Stage

  • Home Educators
  • KS4 (age 15-16)
  • KS5 (age 16+)

Subjects

  • History

Topic

  • Crime & Punishment
  • Tudors
  • Elizabethans

Type

  • Virtual tours

Palace

  • Tower of London

Tour chapters

The tour is organised into short, standalone chapters.

Ground Floor

  • Tudor Crime
  • Tudor Punishment
  • Religious Rollercoaster

First Floor

  • Prisoners’ Graffiti
  • Protestant Prisoners under Mary I
  • Catholic Prisoners under Elizabeth I
  • Researching the Graffiti
  • Who Lives Here Today?

Suggested enquiry questions

  • How does the Beauchamp Tower help us understand how Henry VIII dealt with opposition during his reign?

  • How does the Beauchamp Tower help us understand the instability of power during the Mid‑Tudor Crisis?

Other options

You can also explore similar versions of this virtual tour related to other topics:

Helpful resources

Important! We recommend downloading these files to your computer and opening them in the appropriate app to ensure the correct layout.

Download Teacher Guide

Short introduction on how to use the tour, suggested enquiry questions and teaching sequences. Plus tour video transcripts.

Download Student Workbook

A printable and editable workbook for students to fill out whilst exploring the virtual tour. The questions in this workbook match the challenges in the virtual tour experience.

Thomas Abel's graffiti in the Beauchamp Tower - Imprisonment at the Tower display and exhibition at the Tower of London. The carving shows a large bell with an 'A' on the front, with the name 'Thomas' carved above it.

Download Image Bank

A selection of high quality images from the virtual tour for you to use in your lessons.

More learning resources

This graph reveals how many prisoners were held at the Tower of London during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.

Key Stage

  • KS2 (age 7-11)
  • KS3 (age 11-14)
  • KS4 (age 15-16)
  • KS5 (age 16+)

Subject

  • History

Topic

  • Crime & Punishment
  • Tudors
  • Elizabethans

Download short editable biographies of prisoners at the Tower of London for Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5. Use key facts, activities and historic sources to explore crime and punishment at the Tower of London. 

Key Stage

  • KS2 (age 7-11)
  • KS3 (age 11-14)
  • KS4 (age 15-16)
  • KS5 (age 16+)
  • Home Educators
  • International Schools

Subject

  • History
  • Archaeology

Topic

  • Normans
  • Medieval
  • Tudors
  • Elizabethans
  • Stuarts
  • 20th & 21st Century
  • Diverse Histories
  • Crime & Punishment

Download short editable biographies of Tudor Kings and Queens for Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5. Use key facts, activities and historic sources to explore these famous monarchs. 

Key Stage

  • KS2 (age 7-11)
  • KS3 (age 11-14)
  • KS4 (age 15-16)
  • KS5 (age 16+)
  • Home Educators

Subject

  • History

Topic

  • Tudors
  • Elizabethans