Great Britain has always been interesting for tourists with the cognitive purpose of recreation. Of particular interest is the capital of the kingdom, rich in sights , historical monuments and picturesque places. One of the main attractions of London - Tower Bridge is world famous. This object, located in the heart of the British capital, rises above the river Thames. It, along with Big Ben, is considered a symbol of London, and therefore any self-respecting tourist should definitely visit such a magnificent Tower Bridge. Well, we will acquaint you with the history of the Tower Bridge and curious data about it.
Tower Bridge: history of creation
The construction of the Tower Bridge began in the 80 years of the XIX century. The need for communication between the two banks of the Thames was due to the development of the East End area. Residents had to cross the other London Bridge to the other shore. The increase in equestrian traffic and the number of pedestrians made this uncomfortable. In addition, the Tower of Subway, an underground tunnel under the Thames, which later became pedestrian, did not save the situation.
That is why in 1876 a committee was established, which decided on the construction of a new bridge over the River Thames in London. The committee announced a competition for which 50 projects were proposed. And only in 1884 the winner was chosen - Horace Jones. In two years the construction of the bridge began, lasting eight years. Unfortunately, the author of the project did not live to see the end of the construction, John Wolf-Berry completed the bridge construction. By the way, the building received its name thanks to the close proximity to the fortress of the Tower of London. The opening of the bridge took place in a solemn atmosphere by the Prince of Wales Edward, as well as his wife Princess Alexandra June 30, 1894.
There is a lot of interesting facts in the history of the Tower Bridge. For example, its construction took more than 11 thousand tons of steel. The structure, which was originally of chocolate color, was painted in 1977 in the colors of the British flag (red, blue and white) to the anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
The Tower Bridge in London
The object is a sliding bridge, the length of which is 244 m. It passes the vessel to London Pool - a section of the Thames that is part of the London Port. The most characteristic features of the most famous bridge in London are the towers installed on the intermediate supports and the span between them is 65 cm in length. This central span is divided into two wings that rise at an angle with built-in counterweights and a special hydraulic system. Now the engines are powered by electricity.
By the way, even during the divorce of the passage pedestrians can reach the opposite shore thanks to the galleries that connect both towers at a height of 44 m, if to climb the stairs designed in them. True, because of the constant theft of pickpockets
How to get to the Tower Bridge?
You can visit the Tower Bridge Gallery every day in the summer (from April 1 to September 30) from 10:00 to 18:30. In the winter (from October 1 to March 31), visitors are expected from 9:30 to 18:00. Regarding where the Tower Bridge is located, you can reach it by Tower Bridge road by car or by metro (Tower Gateway Station, Tower Hill).