Tower Bridge is the most frequently confused structure in London. Almost everyone who comes to London for the first time points at it and says, "Look, London Bridge." The real London Bridge is a few hundred metres away and looks quite ordinary. This confusion arises precisely because Tower Bridge was conceived not as an ordinary bridge, but as an engineering masterpiece of the Victorian era.
Tower Bridge, Built to Solve a Transport Problem
In the second half of the 19th century, the population of east London grew sharply. More than a million people lived east of London Bridge, but the only way to cross the river was via London Bridge itself. Walking or taking the ferry took up to two hours. In 1876, a special bridge committee was created, which announced an open competition for a design. More than 50 proposals were received. Among them were spiral approaches and a bridge high enough for ships to pass — but engineers calculated that horses pulling carts would not manage the climb.
In the end, the design by the City architect Horace Jones and the civil engineer John Wolfe Barry won. Barry`s father, Charles Barry, was the author of the Palace of Westminster, and the stylistic echo between the two Gothic-style buildings is no accident. Construction of Tower Bridge began in 1886, 432 workers laboured for 8 years, and £1,184,000 was spent (by today`s standards — hundreds of millions). The bridge officially opened on 30 June 1894.
What This Bridge Actually Is
Tower Bridge is not simply a suspension bridge. It combines three types of structures: between the towers and the banks — suspension spans, between the two towers — a double-leaf bascule span (bascule, from the French for "see-saw"), and the upper pedestrian walkways are built as cantilever structures.
The two halves of the bascule span between the towers rise upward on hidden pivots, letting ships through. The width of the bascule span is 76 metres, and the height of the towers above the Thames is 61 metres. Construction used 31 million bricks and 11,000 tonnes of steel, and the piers go into the riverbed almost 8 metres.
From Steam to Electricity: The Secret of the Engine Room
Originally, Tower Bridge ran on steam power. At the base of the towers were boiler rooms and steam pumps: coal was burned, steam was produced, which pushed the pistons, and these, through hydraulics, raised the span. This system was used until 1976, when it was replaced by an oil-electric drive.
Operating the bridge required more than 80 people, of whom about 30 worked in the engine room — constantly shovelling coal into the furnaces and monitoring the water. The huge green flywheels were designed by the engineer William Armstrong himself, and he also ordered the machines to be painted in the colour of the family coat of arms. Today the original steam engines and boilers are preserved in the Victorian Engine Rooms and open to visitors.
The Upper Walkways: From a Den of Vice to a Glass Floor
Originally, the upper walkways between the towers were built with a simple purpose: when the span was raised, pedestrians could cross to the other side via the top. But people preferred to wait until the bridge closed again rather than climb the stairs. Soon the walkways turned into a gathering place for prostitutes and thieves, and in 1910 they were closed. They stood empty for 72 years and reopened only in 1982 as part of the exhibition.
In 2014, a glass floor appeared in the walkways. Each panel consists of five layers of glass and can withstand the weight of two black cabs or an elephant. From a height of 42 metres, you can see red buses and black taxis moving beneath your feet; if you are lucky enough to catch the bridge being raised, you can watch a vessel pass directly below. The walkways have small viewing windows for photography.
A Few Moments Worth Remembering
• 1912: the pilot Frank McClean flew a biplane through the gap between the bascule span and the upper walkways to avoid an aviation accident.
• 1952: the driver of bus route 78, Albert Gunter, pressed the accelerator when the span began to rise, and the bus jumped from one half of the bridge to the other. All 20 passengers remained unharmed, Gunter escaped with a broken leg and received £10 in compensation.
• 1977: for the Queen`s Silver Jubilee, the bridge was repainted in red, white, and blue. Before that, it was painted in "bright chocolate brown," which, according to legend, was Queen Victoria`s favourite colour.
• Under the north side of the bridge there is a recess known as "Dead Man`s Hole" — bodies from the Thames were often washed up there and retrieved.
Information for Visitors to Tower Bridge
• Address: Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 2UP. The nearest Underground station is London Bridge (Jubilee and Northern lines).
• Opening hours: daily 9:30–18:00, last entry 17:00. Closed 24–26 December.
• Tickets: adult standard — £18, child (5–15 years) — £9, family discounts are available. In summer 2026 (until 1 September) discounts apply: adult £15.80, child £7.90. Children under 5 — free, for visitors with disabilities one accompanying person is admitted free. Residents of Southwark, Tower Hamlets, and the City of London can buy a local ticket for £1 upon proof.
• Recommended time: 60–90 minutes. The route is one-way: first the lift to the north tower, then the upper walkways (including the glass floor), descent to the south tower, and finally the Victorian Engine Rooms with the steam machinery.
• Tips: come at opening time, when there are fewer people and the light is better. The route includes climbs and crossings, so wear comfortable shoes. If you are interested in engineering, linger in the engine room — there are volunteers there who answer questions.
The main attraction of Tower Bridge is not its age, but the fact that it combined the "useful" and the "beautiful" at the highest level. It is a genuinely working bridge — it is raised about 800 times a year, though no longer for cargo ships, but mainly for pleasure boats. At the moment when you stand on the glass floor and look down, beneath you is the smartest solution that Victorian-era engineers left to London.
