Exploring The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, United Kingdom
I have a thing for museums. Literally any kind of museum… anyone else? Maybe it’s because I grew up in Washington DC and went to every single museum for a school trip at some point? I loved visiting the Royal Armouries in the Tower of London, so I was excited to step into the Royal Armouries Museum which displays arms and armor that was just sitting around in the Tower of London storage. By the way, this museum is HUGE! A lot bigger than it looks. I thought I would be here an hour, but I was wrong, I totally lost track of time!
Exploring The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds
*This is a very informational post* Every once in a while, I like to write a post about history (BECAUSE I LOVE HISTORY) and I know there are other people out there who love history as much as I do, but for those that don’t…. you can look at the pretty pictures.
Getting to the Royal Armouries Museum.
The Royal Armouries Museum is located at the Leeds Dock just outside the city center. It’s about a 2-hour train ride from London and a 20-minute walk from the train station. There’s also a free water taxi that you can take from Granary Wharf to Leeds Dock that runs every 20 minutes (which is a fun way to go!).
If you are driving, there is a big parking garage next to the museum. You’ll probably spend about 4 hours in the area, so that’s £6.00 for parking. Not bad considering museum entry is FREE!
Hall of Steel.
This is the first “exhibit” you will see when you enter the museum. It’s an architectural centerpiece with 17th and 19th-century arms perfectly placed on the walls going all the way to the top of the tower.
The Horned Helmet.
This is actually the first thing you see before you even enter the museum. (Well a replica of course). This is the symbol of the Royal Armouries Museum and is now known as ‘Max’. During Henry VIII’s reign in the 16th century, this armor was presented to the king by Maximilian I as a gift for the alliance between England and the Roman Emperor. The only thing that remains of the full suit is the helmet. Henry VIII would’ve worn this for celebrations and court pageants rather than actual combat.
The helmet is very detailed and you can see with the crow’s feet by the eyes and the stubble on the chin. The helmet clearly represents a fool and was an inside joke between the king and Maximilian. The horns are not original and were added later, although not sure when.
Henry VIII
If you have been following me for a while or know me, then you know I LOVE Henry VIII. I am fascinated with his reign and his six wives. Not only did he reinforce the Royal Navy, creating a massive army of ships, but he separated the Church of England during the English Reformation in the name of love, created alliances as fast as he was winning battles, and still had plenty of leisure time to throw lavish parties, go hunting, and take part in a good ol’ jousting match.
This Royal Armouries Museum has an entire section dedicated to Henry VIII. Apart from the horned helmet, there are two different types of foot combat armor and different horse armor that belonged to Henry. The most significant was the armor he used during the summit that celebrated the Anglo-French Treaty of 1514, better known as the Field of the Cloth and Gold. There is even a famous painting that commemorates the occasion by an unknown artist.
**Also, anyone who thought Henry VIII was oversized his entire life is completely wrong.. he was very athletic and active and didn’t start getting larger until later in his life… this armor proves that.**
Gothic Armor
This German armor dates back to the mid 1400’s. This time period was filled with fashionable armor made with scalloped edges, intricate details, and fluted decoration. It is known as the “Gothic” style today because it mirrored the intricacy of the Gothic style architecture in cathedrals we know and love today.
Lion Armor
This unique Renaissance armor is embossed with lion heads and gold embellishments. The actual owner is unknown, but it did get around. It’s seen in several portraits and at one point in time it was said to be used by an artist in art studio. It wasn’t far from battle though. There were interchangeable pieces that would turn this armor from a show piece into battle armor, there’s even the sword marks on the helmet to prove it.
Presentation Sword
This very intricate and decorated Chinese sword is one of the finest and rarest in the world. It was not used for war, but most likely made for imperial presentation to a great Tibetan monastery during the Ming Dynasty. Most likely dated between 1402 and 1424.
Elephant Armor
*I feel like I need to say this* I DO NOT condone the riding of elephants and I will never ride an elephant or visit a “sanctuary” that provides elephant rides. I mentioning this because it IS a part of HISTORY. This is reality people.
This is the world’s largest and heaviest armor coming in at 260lbs. It was used in Indian warfare and is the most complete surviving elephant armor in the world. It is made of 8,450 iron plates and even has intricate details of lotus flowers, elephants, and birds embossed on the bigger panels.
Elephant’s were used in war from 1000 BC until the 1800’s mainly in India and Southeast Asia, but you did find them in some places in Europe. Their main role was to fight and on top of the armor, they had sword attachments for their tusks that could destroy the heaviest of armors. Elephants were invaluable during battle.
More about ethical elephant sanctuaries: 5 Things to Know Before Going to an Elephant Sanctuary
Oriental
There’s an entire section of Oriental weaponry and armor. It was one of my favorites because everything was so detailed and intricate (reminded me of the detailed temples of Thailand).
There’s different zones of Asian war armor… Southeast Asia, Persia, Turkey, China, Islam, China, Japan….. So there’s plenty to see here. Some of the highlights here are the presentation sword, the mounted samurai warrior and the elephant armor.
Movie Weapons
They have a big display of James Bond’s weapons throughout the years. No, not the ones used in the movies, but the real ones that are mentioned in early books of Ian Fleming and most of the Bond movies.
There’s another large display with swords from the Lord of Rings trilogy and The Hobbit. Once again, not used in the movie, but built by the man that made all the weapons for the movie, using the same molds. So you get to see the clean, sparkly versions of the swords.
You can also see one of the guns used in the Alien movies (pretty exciting, I love Alien!).
Reality Check
There’s an entire display about modern use of weapons and guns and some freighting statistics to go along with it. This photo displays some of the weapons that have been seized on the streets of Leeds by the local law enforcement.
Modern Technology
You’ll also get a lesson in modern day forensics and crime scene investigations… which ya TV crime drama lovin’ girl is all about!
More museums in England: Exploring the National Railway Museum in York
Demonstrations and Information Sessions
Want to watch a Victorian fencing match? Learn how Saxon sword smiths developed their weapons? Hear stories of women snipers in Soviet Russia? Or watch a Medieval sword fight? You can do ALL OF THAT in one day at the museum. Don’t forget to pick up a “What’s On Today” leaflet!
Wars
Learn about ancient warfare and see weapons and armor dating back to 650 BC. Learn about the Crimean War, Civil War, The Great Rebellion in India, Zulu wars, First World War and more. You really get to dive deep into the history of warfare by not only looking at the weapons and defences, but playing around with the interactive exhibits.
Jousting Tournaments
You can frickin’ see a live jousting tournament! You have got to be kidding me?! NOPE! You do need to purchase advance tickets for the tournament because it does sell out and it is an event, so this doesn’t happen every weekend! But wayyyyyyy better than Medieval Times!
There’s so much more to see while visiting, this is just a little taste of what the Royal Armouries Museum has to offer. Just remember to leave enough time to see everything because I was shocked at how much time I spent here.
Don’t forget to check their website for any upcoming events!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below… and if you’ve been here and enjoyed it as much as me, let me know!
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