Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge Exhibition

History of Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge - No. 2 Thing to do in London

Tower Bridge is just gorgeous. The walkways at the top of the bridge provide fantastic views of London. Combine with a visit to the Tower and your day is done. A few years ago London Bridge was sold (yes sold) and rebuilt somewhere in an American desert. It is believed locally that Tower Bridge was the real target.

Tower Bridge High-Level Walkways - Tower Bridge Exhibition

The high-level walkways between the towers have a naughty and nasty history of underworld crime in a high rise location. As a result, the walkways were closed for over 70 years. Finally, in 1982, the walkways were reopened as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition. The exhibition is now housed in Tower Bridge's twin towers, the high-level walkways and the Victorian engine rooms. See below for more on the history of Tower Bridge and its construction.

Million Dollar Views down the River Thames

The views for the walkways are simply stunning and draw in hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

What's on at Tower Bridge?

What's on at Tower Bridge? Tower Bridge is often abuzz with activity as it acts like a magnet for tourists and locals alike. It can be anything from theatre shows, street theatre, jazz music, food festivals or just market stalls. There is invariably something going on inside the Tower Bridge Exhibition or around Tower Bridge itself.

The History of Tower Bridge

The decision to build a bridge near the Tower of London was taken due to the ever growing London populous made it almost impossible not to build a bridge there. Yet it took another eight years before the building of Tower Bridge could commence. The reason for the delay was, in part at least, due to the Tower of London. It was felt to be important that, the bridge to be and the Tower of London should complement each other, and the Tower of London wasn't about to be changed.

The New Victorian Gothic Bridge

It was architect Horace Jones job, with a little help from John Wolfe Barry, to build a bridge fit for kings, queens and country. It took 11,000 tons of steel and nearly 450 workers 10 years to complete the 265 meter long bridge in 1894. Once the bridge was opened, many people complained that they didn't like the look of Tower Bridge's Gothic features. However, as time has passed by, most Londoners have grown to love the bridge. It is not unusual for visitors, and even some locals, to believe that Tower Bridge is much older than it really is.

Steam Engines

The Tower Bridge exhibition has films shows, photos and interactive displays giving you a full historical account of the bridge and it's reason for being. You can also inspect the original steam engines that once made the bridge go up and down.

For more visit the offical website:

http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TBE/EN/