Tower Bridge London, great Tourist Attraction

Tower Bridge London

Tower Bridge with the bridge in the raised position to allow a boat to pass. The raised bascule can be seen through the arch.

Tower Bridge Low North Tower

Tower Bridge Tall South Tower

Tower Bridge High Walkways

Pay for a Visit to the workings of the tower to walk along this high level walkway,
There is a section with a glass floor to see if you have nerves of steel, like the internal steel framework of he towers.
This bridge is NOT a stone bridge but an iron one. The stonework is just fabulous loking cladding

Tourist on the Tower Bridge High Walkways

Tower Bridge High Walkway.

Tower Bridge High Walkway Great Views Views

Tower Bridge Engine Room Boilers

Tower Bridge Description

The most recognisable & best known bridge in London & possibly the world.
Tower Bridge was and still is a miracle of engendering.
, taking 8 years to build in the reign of Queen Victoria.
Opened by The Prince & Princess off Wales in 1894

Tower Bridge Construction

The bridge is made of iron & held together with over 2 million rivets
The beautiful stonework that gives the bridge it's majestic appearance is only a cladding to hide the towers ironworks. The stone facade gives Tower Bridge it's great and much older looking appearance.
The bridge was constructed as a double bascule raising drawbridge type. in the central section. On either side are 2 suspension bridges that go from the tall central towers located in the river and the smaller land based towers.
The 2 high level walkways served as not only as pedestrian walkways but also strengthening beams to take the weight of the suspension wrought iron chains

Tower Bridge Opening

The roadway between the towers can be raised similar to 2 giant drawbridges, 1 on each tower. The drawbridges are called 'bascules', the french word for see saw and weigh 1100-tonne each
Massive counterweights on the land side of the see saw descend into the towers bases as the bridge raises.
The Tower Bridge is opened around 1000 times a year
Ships passing underneath do not pay for the bridge opening. This goes back to the days when the River Thames was the lifeblood of London and it's main highway. A modern day concession is that ships have to give 24 hours notice
It is a fabulous sight seeing the bridge open so check out Opening times of the Bridge
The raising and lowering was achieved by the use of hydraulic pressure. This pressure was maintained by steam engines used as pumps. The engine room is open to visitors. Now the hydraulic pressure is maintained by electric motors
The bridge was once raised when a London 78 bus was on it. The driver gunned the accelerator and successfully jumped the gap, movie stunt style. Luckily only minor injuries were received by the passengers.

Tower Bridge High Level Walkways

The 2 High Level Walkways are 42 metres above the river
Spectacular views are available from the walkways. There are viewing areas without glass to take better photographs
The walkways allowed pedestrians to cross the river when the bridge was up, but were under used & closed for this purpose.
The walkways are now open to visitors on a Bridge tour, see below. With fabulous views up and down the river.
The walkways can also be hired for special events
The walkways are enclosed in glass with special glassless sections for taking photographs.

Tower Bridge Tour Information & Price

This self guided Experience tour allows visitors to

Tour the Victorian Engine Room
Take the lift to the high level walkways
Duration - around 1.5 hours
Opening Times
April - September 10:00 - 18:30 (last admission 17:30)
October - March All times 30 minutes earlier

Adult Price Guide: £11.40

Tower Bridge Engineering Tour Information & Price

There are also less frequent Engineering Tours that visit additional parts of the bridge:

Bridge Control Room
The massive Bascule Chambers below the level of the river bed
The Machinery Room that houses the hydraulic machinery that powers the lifting of the Bridge
The tour is limited to 12 visitors on Saturday & Sunday usually around 4:30 pm.
Booking is almost essential because the tours soon sell out

Adult Price Guide: £30.00

Tower Bridge Location

Located
Bridges the River Thames next to The Tower of London

Nearest Tube Station:
Tower Hill station Located on The north side of The Tower of London just over the main road (use pedestrian underpass). District and Circle lines.