Discover more of Tower Bridge's history when you see inside Tower Bridge. A huge challenge faced the City of London Corporation - how to build a bridge downstream from London Bridge without disrupting river traffic activities.
To generate ideas, the Special Bridge or Subway Committee was formed in , and a public competition was launched to find a design for the new crossing.
Over 50 designs were submitted to the Committee for consideration, some of which are on display at Tower Bridge. It took eight years, five major contractors and the relentless labour of construction workers each day to build Tower Bridge under the watchful eye of Sir John Wolfe Barry. Two massive piers were built on foundations sunk into the riverbed to support the construction, and over 11, tons of steel provided the framework for the Towers and Walkways. This framework was clad in Cornish Granite and Portland Stone to protect the underlying steelwork and to give the Bridge a more pleasing appearance.
When it was built, Tower Bridge was the largest and most sophisticated bascule bridge ever completed 'bascule' comes from the French word for 'seesaw'.
These bascules were operated by hydraulics, using steam to power the enormous pumping engines. The energy created was stored in six massive accumulators, meaning that as soon as power was required to lift the Bridge, it was always readily available.
The accumulators fed the driving engines, which drove the bascules up and down. Despite the complexity of the system, the bascules only took about a minute to raise to their maximum angle of 86 degrees. Find out more about this process. Today, the bascules are still operated by hydraulic power, but since they have been driven by oil and electricity rather than steam. He then proceeded to fly under at least three other bridges on his way to Westminster. The original colour of the Bridge was a chocolate brown colour.
Discover the story of Albert Gunter, driver of the number 78 bus, and others who completed daring feats at Tower Bridge. The people make a place. Uncover the fascinating stories of the people who built Tower Bridge and have worked here since its completion. Have you ever wondered which vessels Tower Bridge has opened for? We've compiled 7 of the most interesting vessels to have sailed through Tower Bridge. Build it up with silver and gold, Silver and gold, Silver and gold.
Build it up with silver and gold, My fair lady. Gold and silver I have none, I have none, I have none. Gold and silver I have none, My fair lady. Build it up with needles and pins, Needles and pins, Needles and pins. Build it up with needles and pins, My fair lady. Pins and needles bend and break, Bend and break, Bend and break. Pins and needles bend and break, My fair lady. Build it up with wood and clay, Wood and clay, Wood and clay. Build it up with wood and clay, My fair lady.
Wood and clay will wash away, Wash away, Wash away. Wood and clay will wash away, My fair lady. Build it up with stone so strong, Stone so strong, Stone so strong. Build it up with stone so strong, My fair lady. Stone so strong will last so long, Last so long, Last so long. Stone so strong will last so long, My fair lady. It was therefore decided in that a new, larger bridge should be built in its stead. To minimise any disruption to traffic, the new bridge was to be build 30 metres upstream of the old crossing, therefore allowing the Medieval bridge to function until the latter was opened in Once this was completed, the old bridge was quickly dismantled and lost into the annals of history.
The specific remnant in question is the archway under the tower itself, and from until the demise of the old London Bridge in , this archway was the main pedestrian entrance onto the bridge. Hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of people must have walked through it, crossing from the City of London to Southwark and vice-versa.
These stones are actually the remains of the old medieval London Bridge, more specifically parts from the northernmost arch.
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