{"id":10907,"date":"2022-11-07T10:55:45","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T10:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/tower-bridge-london\/"},"modified":"2024-05-30T14:20:26","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T14:20:26","slug":"tower-bridge-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/en\/tower-bridge-london\/","title":{"rendered":"Tower Bridge in London"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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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! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca1 The Captain\u2019s tip<\/strong> \ud83d\udca1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Want to know more about the history of London?<\/strong> Captain Ulysses highly recommends this free guided tour of the capital<\/a><\/mark>. It\u2019s up to you to choose how much you wish to tip the tour guide!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking for a hotel in London?<\/strong> Be sure to check out the Captain’s article: Where to stay in London? Advice & recommendations<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Brief history of Tower Bridge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The origins of the Tower Bridge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the 2nd<\/sup> half of the 19th<\/sup> century,\nthe need to build a bridge to connect the two banks of the Thames\ndownstream from London Bridge<\/em> was becoming increasingly pressing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To oversee the project, a special committee was created in\n1877: The Special Bridge or Subway Committee<\/em>. A total of over 50\narchitectural projects were submitted to the committee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the final project wasn’t approved until 1884:\ncivil engineer\nJohn Wolfe-Barry’s proposal won the tender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The construction of the Tower Bridge <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The construction of the Tower Bridge began 2 years later, in 1886.\n1886. A total of 432 workers were mobilized; construction works lasted 8\nyears <\/p>\n\n\n\n

or an overall budget of \u00a31.6 million\n(equalling to some 200 million pounds today). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modernization & renovations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 1974, the hydraulic lifting mechanism was replaced by a much more modern electrohydraulic system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tower Bridge Exhibition<\/em>, a museum dedicating to Tower Bridge’s history and daily operations, opened its doors 8 years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2008, the bridge was completely renovated for\n4 million pounds! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Side<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tower Bridge in a few words<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Tower Bridge is undoubtedly one of a kind: at the\ntime of its construction, the bridge was at the forefront of innovation.\nIts complex structure featured the characteristics of 3 different types of bridges:\nbascule bridges, suspension bridges and girder bridges. A formidable technical feat!\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its deck – the lower central part on which the cars are circulating – can\nopen to let the boats through. Captain\nopening mechanism is concealed in the neo-gothic towers which\nare covered with Cornish granite. Pedestrians can cross the bridge on\ntwo walkways even when\nthe deck is raised to let boats through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"blueprint-Tower-Bridge-\u00a9-Wikipedia\"
Wikipedia<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Visiting Tower Bridge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Crossing Tower Bridge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If don’t want to visit the exhibition, you can simply\nwalk across Tower Bridge to admire the bridge’s\nstunning architecture from up close. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the bridge, you’ll have a beautiful view on the Thames, the\nTower of London and the City. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Tower<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Tower<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Visiting the Tower Bridge Exhibition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Opened in 1982, the Tower Bridge Exhibition invites\nvisitors to discover the history and the mechanism of the bridge through\ninteractive exhibits. Visitors can also venture out on Tower Bridge’s\npedestrian walkways to admire the view over London from the\ntop! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tower Bridge Glass Floor<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Perched 42 meters above the Thames, the glass floor\noffers a spectacular view of the lower level of the\nbridge, down below! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Made of a set of tempered glass panels,\nthe glass walkways are 11 meters long and 1.80 meters wide.\nDon’t panic, there’s no risk of falling! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, if you are afraid of heights, you may want to\nabstain: the view is really quite vertiginous! (some parts of the walkways are\nnot made of glass if you’d rather enjoy the views while\nstaying good old-fashioned solid floor)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tower
diamond geezer<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The engine rooms<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

At the time of construction, the opening mechanism of the\nbridge was at the cutting edge of technology. Tower Bridge was the\nthe largest and most sophisticated weighbridge in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the old engine rooms – the Victorian\n engine rooms<\/em> – are no longer in operation and have opened their doors to\nvisitors so they can discover the incredible machinery that\nused to operate the bridge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Engine
James Petts<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The bridge lift<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

More than 125 years after its inauguration, Tower Bridge\ncontinues to lift to allow the passage of large ships sailing on the\nThames. The bridge lifts approximately 850 times per year, or one to four times per\nday on average. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admiring Tower Bridge from the Thames<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Captain Ulysses highly recommends embarking on a\nThames river cruise. The\nthe river, the view of Tower Bridge is particularly magical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can chose between a number of different cruises according to your\nbudget and your preferences. Captain Ulysses recommends in particular (in\norder of ascending price): <\/p>\n\n\n\n