Article: published on 14 March 2023
- Published
Shire horses prepare Tower moat for bloom
The shire horses ploughing the moat at the Tower of London
Two shire horses are getting the Tower of London's moat ready to bloom in the spring.
The horses, named William and Joey, walked the length of the moat, loosening the ground in preparation for seeds to be sown.
The current shape of the moat was created in 1270 when Edward I expanded it. Since then, it was filled with water in the 13th Century to defend the famous fortress, drained at the request of the Duke of Wellington in the 1840s, then used as a grazing ground for livestock, before being used as allotments during World War Two.
The horses travelled from Hampton Court Palace in south-west London to the Tower of London to carry out their work ploughing the ground.
The Tower of London Superbloom was first held last year. The project "aimed to bring diversity of nature to this urban environment and the moat has successfully become a welcoming new habitat and a green haven for pollinators, insects and seed-eating birds", according to Historic Palaces.
Seeds were planted into the sown ground. Twenty nine flower species were planted last year, with each of the flower species having been specially selected for their colour and ability to attract pollinating insects.
The Superbloom was created to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
This year, it will help mark the King's coronation.
In 2014, the moat was full of a different type of flower - ceramic poppies, precisely 888,246 with each one representing a British and Commonwealth military fatality from World War One.