Tower Bridge is one of the most famous buildings in London. Its towers and striking Victorian Gothic design make it easy to spot. The bridge is about 240 meters long and is right next to the Tower of London. You can’t miss it. Tower Bridge has even been in well-known movies, like Harry Potter.

Tower Bridge is more than just a place to walk across and take in the amazing views of London. Now you can look around the inside of the bridge and the path that goes between the two towers. This is a great chance to find out more about its past and how it was built.  

The best way to get to Tower Bridge  

Tower Bridge is somewhere you’ll need to go before you can visit it. London’s public transportation methods, which include buses, trains, and the tube, make getting to Tower Bridge quick and easy.  

To get to Tower Bridge, take the train to London Bridge. It’s only an 11-minute walk away. Several nearby towns and cities, such as Kent, Brighton, and Bedford, send trains to this stop. You can also take the Circle (yellow) or District (green) tube to Tower Hill stop and walk for 9 minutes to get to Tower Bridge.  

You can walk or ride a bike along the Thames to get to Tower Bridge if you want to see some sights. This is a useful tool from Transport for London (TFL) that lets you plan your journey. 

Thames Bridge vs. Tower Bridge  

People often mix up Tower Bridge with its neighbor, London Bridge. But London Bridge and Tower Bridge are very different in important ways that make them easy to tell apart. 

Because of its past, London Bridge is without a question the more well-known of the two. There’s even a baby song about it! But Tower Bridge is easier to spot because it has towers at each end.  

The new London Bridge was finished being built in 1973. Tower Bridge, on the other hand, was finished earlier, in 1894. London Bridge is a box girder bridge made of steel and concrete, while Tower Bridge is a suspension bridge. The only architectural detail on the bridge is a spike sculpture on the southern side. The design is also very simple.  

Near the Tower of London, Tower Bridge spans the River Thames. In London, London Bridge goes over the river between King William Street, Southwark, and Borough High Street.  

Both bridges have a road for cars and a path for people to walk on. Tower Bridge has never had to be rebuilt like London Bridge has. 

History and facts about Tower Bridge  

In the 1800s, London’s business growth sped up, and the city needed an extra bridge to cross the water below London Bridge. That’s when the thought for Tower Bridge came to mind.  

The plan for building Tower Bridge  

The Special Bridge or Subway Committee was created in 1876 to figure out how to build a bridge that wouldn’t get in the way of river traffic. The public was asked to come up with a plan for Tower Bridge, and more than 50 drawings were sent to the Committee. Some of these can still be seen at Tower Bridge right now.  

Building the Tower Bridge   

That plan for Tower Bridge was put forward by Sir Horace Jones in October 1884. Jones was an engineer and surveyor for the City of London. Jones and civil engineer John Wolfe Barry worked together to make the plans.  

The building of Tower Bridge began in 1866 and was finished eight years later with the help of 432 construction workers. The stairs and tower frame are made of about 11 tons of steel.  

Tower Bridge was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on June 30, 1894. Since then, it has stayed an important way to cross the Thames.  

The bascule bridge  

The bridge had to be able to handle big ships because it was built close to the harbor. The middle span of the bridge was split into two equal bascules, which are parts that can be raised and lowered. 

When Tower Bridge was first built, its bascules were moved by hydraulics. They were moved up or down to make room for river traffic. The energy that was made was kept in six huge accumulators and was always ready to use.  

Instead of steam, oil and electricity have been used to move the bascules since 1976. Each of the bascules weighs more than 1,000 tons and can be raised for 5 minutes. The engines and accumulators from the original Tower Bridge can be seen in the Engine Room.