Tower Bridge, this is the visit of the famous London suspension bridge

If you haven't had the chance to visit it yet, the Tower Bridge It is one of your must-sees when planning a trip to london.

It is one of the great icons of the capital of the United Kingdom and, without a doubt, the most spectacular and beautiful bridge that crosses the Thames River.

Although the Tower Bridge It is a drawbridge with two large towers, when referring to it, do not confuse it with Tower of London, the great fortress in front of the bridge, which safeguards the historic Royal Palace and royal jail.

Nor do you confuse it, as usually happens, with the London bridge, the previous upstream bridge that is in front of the City.

History of Tower Bridge, London's suspension bridge

El Tower Bridge It was ordered to be built in the 1880s as a result of the need to build a new bridge that would cross the Thames River to facilitate traffic between the two banks of London.

The design of the bridge was commissioned by Sir Horace Jones, the prestigious architect of the great buildings of the City Londoner, although there were two other architects, Wolfe Barry y Stevenson who finally took on the project.

For its design he proposed the construction of a drawbridge with two large towers and a relatively low lifting central deck.

The purpose was to facilitate the passage of ships to the docks (Upper Pool) which at that time was nearby mentioned above London bridge.

La queen Victoria imposed the neogothic architectural style for two towers, and the result is a spectacular mix of classical architecture and engineering work.

Finally, Tower Bridge opened in 1894.

Tower Bridge dimensions

El Tower Bridge has a length 244 meters and the two large towers have a height of 65 meters, and it is striking that the central lifting deck is only nine meters above the level of the Thames.

After the inauguration of Tower Bridge London, total preference was given to ships that needed to pass under it.

When the Tower Bridge drawbridge is raised

To this end, a system had been established by which the central panels were raised quickly, before which road traffic had to wait.

When the docks between the London bridge and Tower Bridge, the need to raise the bridge was significantly reduced.

Nowadays, it is something exceptional and, in fact, it has become a tourist attraction.

Thus, here you can consult the Tower Bridge opening dates and times , which are published in the official website to plan the visit at that special moment.

This is the visit to Tower Bridge, suspension bridge over the Thames

In your trip to london Not only will you be able to see multiple panoramic views of the Tower BridgeFor example, from the walls of the Tower of London, and thus appreciate its spectacular beauty.

You will also have the opportunity to visit the Tower Bridge Exhibition.

This allows you to learn the history of the famous drawbridge, and you will also be able to climb the catwalks that join the two towers.

To go visit the Tower Bridge, the ideal thing is to get to the metro station Tower Hill, the same one you will use for visit the Tower of London.

From the metro, you will walk towards the bridge and you will be able to appreciate the spectacular nature of the north tower.

How to climb the walkways of Tower Bridge in London

At the base of said north tower you have the box office and access to visit of Tower Bridge.

Upon entering the north tower, the first thing you can do is watch a video of about ten minutes, with a dramatized report that tells you the history of the construction of Tower Bridge.

If they do not offer it to you before the video starts, you can request that they add the subtitles in Spanish.

Now, you will climb to the top of the north tower and you will access the east walkway, where you will find a exhibition of posters and photographs that show you the history of the bridge.

After walking along the east walkway, when you reach the south tower you will be able to see another explanatory video of the Tower Bridge.

This exhibition continues through west walkway, which you will access later.

When I visited, there was an excellent photographic sample of the most famous bridges from all historical periods and from all continents, which I don't know if it was temporary or permanent.

In this curious exhibition I was able to see photos from ancient Roman aqueducts, passing through high-end bridges, such as, for example, the San Francisco Golden Gate, to the most modern designs that have been made in recent years.

I can tell you that you will not find any photo of a bridge in Spain.

Likewise, from both gateways you will have the best panoramic views of the areas surrounding the Tower Bridge London and Thames River, such as the Tower of London or the financial zone of the City.

Of course, you also have excellent views of the HMS Belfast, the cruise ship that participated in the Second World War, the largest of those built by the Royal Navy, and which since 1971 has been exhibited for visits along with the Tower Bridge, on the south bank of the Thames.

When you go down the interior staircase of the south tower, you will see large panels with splendid drawings of the structure of this spectacular bridge.

How to visit the Engine Room of London's Tower Bridge

La visit of Tower Bridge will continue directing you to the location of the old engine room of this great work of engineering.

They are located near the drawbridge; Some signs on the street will help you get there.

In this room, first of all you will see the great hydraulic machinery allowing operate the drawbridge.

Precisely to allow this operation and compensate for the high weight of the two drawable sections, the metal structure of the bridge was covered by the large stone walls of the towers.

The original mechanism of the bridge allowed both sections to be raised with incredible speed, but after the closure of the docks in 1970, Upper Pool, and river traffic under the bridge was almost completely reduced, the possibility of even closing the bridge was raised.

You must bear in mind that up to 80 people worked to ensure the proper functioning of the lifting system and the avant-garde hydraulic machinery from the late XNUMXth century was very expensive to maintain.

Finally in 1976 it was decided to replace it with a hydroelectric system.

During your visit of the Tower Bridge Engine RoomIn addition to the historic hydraulic machines, through various panels you will be able to understand the keys to how the bridge mechanism works.

In short, you already know that in London you have a date with your famous drawbridge over the Thames.

Visiting hours of Tower Bridge in London

El Tower Bridge visiting hours It is throughout the year, from 9,30:18,00 a.m. to 24:25 p.m., with last access one hour before, and remaining closed only on December 26, XNUMX and XNUMX.

Tower Bridge ticket prices

The Tower Bridge ticket prices from London are £11,40 for adults, £8,60 for students and seniors over 60 years old, and £5,70 for children aged 5 to 15 years.

There are price discounts for families with children.

How to buy London Tower Bridge tickets

In advance of your trip, here you can buy tickets to visit Tower Bridge.

Likewise, to visit this monument you have the option of a combined ticket from VIP access to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

This ticket allows you to enter early to visit the aforementioned royal castle, before its general opening to the public, and then go to the famous bridge.

Finally, you may be interested to know that the Tower Bridge It is included among the attractions that you enter for free after purchasing the London Pass tourist card.