| Tower Bridge, London (picture by Peter Watts) |  |
Tower Bridge, London
Tower Bridge, London
Tower Bridge is right next to the Tower of London. It is often confused with London Bridge, however London Bridge is the next bridge up the Thames from Tower Bridge. Moored between the two is the HMS Belfast. There is now a newer panorama from Tower Bridge available.As well as being a functioning bridge, Tower Bridge also contains an exhibition about the history of the bridge, and allows you access to the high walkway that spans the two towers, giving a remarkable view of London from the top of Tower Bridge. Entrance to this attraction within Tower Bridge is free with the London Pass.
Tower Bridge are unique for the bridges in London, with two Gothic towers and a raisable span. This allowed ships access to the Pool of London port which lay between Tower Bridge and London Bridge until the late 1800's. Designing a river crossing that would continue to allow access to the port whilst meeting traffic demands took 8 years. Finally plans by Joseph Bazalgette's for a bascule bridge were accepted in 1874. The central 61m (200 foot) span between the two towers was split into two bascules which can be raised to 83° to allow river traffic to pass.
Tower Bridge was steam powered, pumping water into the accumulators and the hydraulic raising mechanism. The machinery for this was housed in the two towers of the bridge, which were designed in the now iconic Victorian Gothic form. It took 432 workers over 8 years to build Tower Bridge, using about 70,000 tons of concrete for the river bed supports, and 11,000 tones of steel in the two towers and the walkways situated near the tops of them. The bridge was clad in a mixture of Cornish granite and Portland Stone. Each bascule weighed over 1000 tons, was counterbalanced within the towers and could be raised to the full height within a minute.
There are a number of other important London tourist attractions very close to Tower Bridge. The London Pass provides free access to the Tower of Lodon, HMS Belfast and the Monument. Other important attractions include the City Hall, Design Museum and Hays Galleria.