Tower
Bridge Official Web Site
Tower
Bridge Scheduled Bridge Lifts |
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One
of the most famous and photographed bridges in the world, Tower
Bridge is still very much a working bridge.
Tower Bridge is one of London's main thoroughfares for crossing
the river and is despite its medieval appearance, comaratively not
that old.
(Tower Bridge was actually built in 1894.)
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Raising
of Tower Bridge Times
The bridge doesn't raise itself at set times for visitors, only when
the commercial need arises. Count yourself fortunate if you do witness
the bridge raising. (Local radio stations sometimes broadcast if the
bridge is due to rise within their traffic reports and there is a
web page, see link at the top of the page that states dates and times).
Tower Bridge Experience Attraction
In 1993 Tower Bridge was "opened" to the public. As a public
highway you could always walk across the bridge, the Tower Bridge
Experience allows you to go inside the bridge, walk the high level
walkways and be entertained and educated with various exhibits ranging
from old steam engines to modern video, interactive displays.
The entrance is on the bridge at the North Tower on the Tower
of London side of the bridge. From this position you have a classic
position for a photograph of the Tower below. You are led up the North
Tower to the higher level walkways.
These walkways were originally built to allow pedestrians to cross
the bridge when the main bridge was raised.
The walkways are 140 feet above the River Thames and give good views
up the river including landmarks like St
Paul's Cathedral. You cross the bridge using the walkways and
then descend using the South Tower.
On descending the South Tower you come to the Victorian Engine Rooms,
the original source of steam power which lifted the famous bridge.
Displays explain how everything worked.
The final phase of a visit is the exhibition. Here displays and models
illustrate the history of Tower Bridge and demonstrate some of the
technical achievements. Much of the original machinery is there to
see and touch.
Admission
Charges 2008
Adult
£6.00 , Child £3.00 (under 5 Free)
Opening Times :
1 April - 30 September: 10:00 - 18:30
1
October - 31 March: 09:30 - 18:00
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Getting
to Tower Bridge :
The easiest
way by public transport is the London Underground to Tower Hill on
the Circle and District Lines. This is opposite the Tower of London.
You just walk down the eastern side of the Tower of London onto the
bridge.
A more scenic option is to arrive by boat on the scheduled
river services that stop in front of the Tower of London. |
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The
very popular hop
on, hop off London tour buses of course also stop at, and cross
Tower Bridge. The hop on, hop off ticket also includes a river cruise.
So why not arrive by boat and depart by the hop on, hop off bus on
the same ticket.
If you are not so tight with time, you can follow the Thames path
from the southern end of Tower Bridge right down to Westminster and
Big Ben on a pedestrianised walkway by the River Thames. |
What
To Do Around Tower Bridge :
A visit to Tower Bridge for most people is an add on to a visit to
the Tower of London.
Tower Bridge is on the edge of the City of London, the original part
of London that once had a city wall. This area is the main commercial
area of London but is very interesting for visitors.
We have made available a free self guided walk, (outline map below)
that makes a circuit of the best of the City of London including Tower
Bridge and the Tower of London.
See: City
of London Self Guided Walk Pages
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