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Shire horses prepare Tower moat for bloom

News imagePA Media Shire horses called William and Joey from Hampton Court Palace, plough the moat at the Tower of LondonPA Media
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.

News imagePA Media Shire horses called William and Joey from Hampton Court Palace, plough the moat at the Tower of LondonPA Media
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.
News imagePA Media Shire horses called William and Joey from Hampton Court Palace, walk through an archway as they begin their work to plough the moat at the Tower of LondonPA Media
The horses travelled from Hampton Court Palace in south-west London to the Tower of London to carry out their work ploughing the ground.
News imagePA Media Shire horses called William and Joey from Hampton Court Palace, plough the moat at the Tower of LondonPA Media
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.
News imagePA Media A man holding a bucket throws seeds onto the ground as work continues to prepare the moat in bloom of the Tower of London PA Media
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.
News imagePA Media Shire horses called William and Joey watch as a man rearranges the frame they use to plough the ground outside the Tower of London against the backdrop of tall buildings of the City of LondonPA Media
The Superbloom was created to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.This year, it will help mark the King's coronation.
News imagePA Media People view the Tower of London moat filled with ceramic poppiesPA Media
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.
Tower of London