Tower Bridge in London

Spanning the Thames near the Tower of London (from which it gets its name), the Tower Bridge has become a true symbol of the English capital! Follow the guide!

Brief history of Tower Bridge

The origins of the Tower Bridge

In the 2^nd half of the 19^th century, the need to build a bridge to connect the two banks of the Thames downstream from London Bridge was becoming increasingly pressing.

To oversee the project, a special committee was created in 1877: The Special Bridge or Subway Committee. A total of over 50 architectural projects were submitted to the committee.

But the final project wasn’t approved until 1884: civil engineer John Wolfe-Barry’s proposal won the tender.

The construction of the Tower Bridge

The construction of the Tower Bridge began 2 years later, in 1886. 1886. A total of 432 workers were mobilized; construction works lasted 8 years

or an overall budget of £1.6 million (equalling to some 200 million pounds today).

Tower Bridge was inaugurated on June 30, 1894 by the Prince of Wales, who was later to become Edward VII. While its neo-gothic architectural style was really far rom unanimous at the beginning, the bridge quickly became a symbol of the British capital!

Modernization & renovations

In 1974, the hydraulic lifting mechanism was replaced by a much more modern electrohydraulic system.

. Tower Bridge Exhibition, a museum dedicating to Tower Bridge’s history and daily operations, opened its doors 8 years later.

In 2008, the bridge was completely renovated for 4 million pounds!

Tower Bridge in a few words

The Tower Bridge is undoubtedly one of a kind: at the time of its construction, the bridge was at the forefront of innovation. Its complex structure featured the characteristics of 3 different types of bridges: bascule bridges, suspension bridges and girder bridges. A formidable technical feat!

Its deck – the lower central part on which the cars are circulating – can open to let the boats through. Captain opening mechanism is concealed in the neo-gothic towers which are covered with Cornish granite. Pedestrians can cross the bridge on two walkways even when the deck is raised to let boats through.

Visiting Tower Bridge

Crossing Tower Bridge

If don’t want to visit the exhibition, you can simply walk across Tower Bridge to admire the bridge’s stunning architecture from up close.

From the bridge, you’ll have a beautiful view on the Thames, the Tower of London and the City.

During the summer months, food trucks and other street food stalls often take up residence on the banks of the Thames just a stone’s throw from the bridge. Why not have lunch by the water, while admiring the view on Tower Bridge?

Visiting the Tower Bridge Exhibition

Opened in 1982, the Tower Bridge Exhibition invites visitors to discover the history and the mechanism of the bridge through interactive exhibits. Visitors can also venture out on Tower Bridge’s pedestrian walkways to admire the view over London from the top!

The Tower Bridge Glass Floor

Perched 42 meters above the Thames, the glass floor offers a spectacular view of the lower level of the bridge, down below!

Made of a set of tempered glass panels, the glass walkways are 11 meters long and 1.80 meters wide. Don’t panic, there’s no risk of falling!

That said, if you are afraid of heights, you may want to abstain: the view is really quite vertiginous! (some parts of the walkways are not made of glass if you’d rather enjoy the views while staying good old-fashioned solid floor)

The engine rooms

At the time of construction, the opening mechanism of the bridge was at the cutting edge of technology. Tower Bridge was the the largest and most sophisticated weighbridge in the world.

Today, the old engine rooms – the Victorian engine rooms – are no longer in operation and have opened their doors to visitors so they can discover the incredible machinery that used to operate the bridge.

The bridge lift

More than 125 years after its inauguration, Tower Bridge continues to lift to allow the passage of large ships sailing on the Thames. The bridge lifts approximately 850 times per year, or one to four times per day on average.

If you have the opportunity, don’t hesitate to plan your visit of Tower Bridge around the lifting of the bridge: it’s a sight worth seeing! The bridge lift times vary: find out more here.

Admiring Tower Bridge from the Thames

Captain Ulysses highly recommends embarking on a Thames river cruise. The the river, the view of Tower Bridge is particularly magical.

You can chose between a number of different cruises according to your budget and your preferences. Captain Ulysses recommends in particular (in order of ascending price):

• Cruise on the Thames from Westminster to Greenwich (perfect if your buget is limited)
• Evening cruise on the Thames
• Jet boat on the Thames
• Lunch cruise on the Thames
• Dinner cruise on the Thames

Access

Getting to Tower Bridge

he Tower Bridge is easily accessible by public transport:

• Subway: Tower Hill (District and Circle lines) and London Bridge (Northern and Jubilee lines)
• Bus lines 15, 42, 78, 100 and 343

Hop-on hop-off bus tours also stop at Tower Bridge.

👉 More info: hop-on hop-off bus tour + cruise on the River Thames

Opening hours

You can walk across the bridge 24/7. The Tower Bridge Exhibition is open:

• from 10 am to 6 pm from April to September
• from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from October to March.

It is closed on December 24, 25 and 26 and exceptionnally only opens at 10 a.m. on January 1^st.

Admission

In 2018, Tower Bridge welcomed a total of 900,000 visitors… the queues to the entrance of the monument can be desperately long, especially during school holidays!

👉 That’s why Captain Ulysses strongly encourages you to opt for a skip-the-line ticket.

👉 Skip the lines: book your tickets and visits in London!