Tower Bridge planned openings Tower Bridge Maintenance
BBC News of Tower Bridge
24 Frith photos of Tower Bridge
FLICKR slideshow of Thames Bridges
Tower Bridge is younger than it looks. That was built in to the design, which was intended to match,
but not compete with, the Tower of London.
1870: Some fifty schemes were examined including a free ferry as at Woolwich.
The subway built in this year, should not, it was decided, include a giant under river arcade of shops.
Bazalgette submitted a design for a giant parabolic arch.
1878: This rather
quaint design was submitted by Sir Horace Jones.
And Sir Horace Jones, City Engineer, was the eventual winner.
Queen Victoria was not amused -
... to those who say the bridge will increase the defensive strength of the Tower and improve the beauty and historical associations of the place all I can say is "Bosh!"
Other hostile comment included -
... architectural gimcrack ...
... a monstrous and preposterous architectural sham ...
... a discredit to the generation that created it ...
1886: Tower Bridge work started.
1890: Tower Bridge under construction, Francis Frith –
Tower Bridge under Construction, 1890, Francis Frith
1892: Photo of Tower Bridge under construction. The design had to keep the river unobstructed during the building period, and it was desirable that the roadway should be no higher than bank level. This ruled out a stone bridge because of the timber supports required below the arches whilst the stones were positioned, and also the clearance for large ships would be impossible.
Tower Bridge design and construction.
380 feet long, 60 feet wide.
Central drawbridge with two bascules of 1,100 tons each,
originally raised by steam-driven hydraulic power,
today by electricity.
Two 300-foot steel towers clad in granite and Portland stone support the bascules
as well as a 200-foot-high walkway which is cantilevered out from the towers.
Suspension chains support the road spans from the riverbanks to the two towers.
Architect: Horace Jones. Engineer: John Wolfe Barry.
Contractors: Sir William Arrol & Co. and William Armstrong.
1894: Tower Bridge opened 30th June. Painting by Wyllie, National Maritime Museum Site -
The day was glorious, the sun hot enough to raise a tremulous golden haze over river and land, the breeze brisk enough to keep colour sparkling and the landscape clear. Mr Wyllie found here all that his heart could desire – the close-packed flotilla of shipping, the race of the mighty river tide, the avenue of unpaintably brilliant and varied flaunting bunting, which led up to the mighty bridge standing white midstream in the westering sunlight, and the great fleet of craft of all sizes and rigs, headed by the Admiralty yacht Irene, passing under its vast uplifted arms. Here was a subject for an historical painter, and in that sense he has conceived and executed it.
Tower Bridge opening celebrations
1894: Tower Bridge opening, Francis Frith –
Tower Bridge Opening, Francis Frith.
Known as 'the Wonder Bridge'
1894: Tower Bridge opened to traffic. It has a double drawbridge
(bascules) to enable tall ships to pass into the Port of London.
The machinery was steam-driven. The
high-level walkways were built as a result of the Act of Parliament
giving permission for the construction of the bridge specifying that there
should be access to the public at all times.
When the bridge
was first built it needed to open approximately 22 times a day but this is
now reduced to about once or twice a day and of course on special
occasions. The original design was by Sir Horace Jones assisted among
others by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
1894: The Builder –
“the most monstrous and preposterous architectural sham that we have ever known.”
1900s?: Tower Bridge, Postcard -
Tower Bridge, Postcard, 1900s?
1910: Tower Bridge, Francis Frith -
Tower Bridge 1910, Francis Frith
1913: Tower Bridge, Postcard -
Tower Bridge, Postcard, 1913
1918: A Dictionary of London -
TOWER BRIDGE: Over the Thames, from the eastern boundary of the Tower to Southwark, parish of St. John Horseleydown (O.S.). Erected by the Corporation of the City of London at a cost of over £1,000,000, 1885-94. Designed by Sir Horace Jones and Wolfe Barry. Half a mile long. Southern Approach opened 1902, Northern Approach carried out 1907.
1920: Tower Bridge, Francis Frith -
Tower Bridge 1920, Francis Frith
1976: The
original steam machinery was replaced by a diesel electric hydraulic
system. The original machinery was preserved.
1976: Regulations for opening -
The bascule bridge will be open for the purpose of providing passage for the navigation of any vessel
after the receipt by the Bridge Master of not less than 24 hours notice that passage for the navigation of the vessel is required and at or about the time stated in the notice as the intended time of passage.
Provided always that if the navigation of any vessel is not thereby delayed or interfered with it shall not be necessary to open the bascule bridge for the passage of any vessel, the mast or masts or funnel or funnels of which are capable of being readily moved or lowered with safety to the vessel.
By day and by night a red light will be shown both up and down the river from the piers on each side of the bascule bridge to indicate that the bascule bridge is closed or being closed or opened.
By day and by night a green light will be shown both up and down river from the piers on each side of the bascule bridge to indicate that the bascule bridge is open.
In restricted visibility, in addition to the signal prescribed by Regulation 4, a high frequency repetitive note of 820 cycles per second will be transmitted for a period of approximately 10 seconds, followed by a silent period of the same duration. These signals will be given over the loud hailer system from the north pier of the bridge for such period as the bascule bridge is open for river traffic.
In the event of it not being possible to give the signals mentioned in the Regulation owing to electrical failure of otherwise, hand beaten gongs will be sounded every 30 seconds from the north pier of the bridge for such period as the bascule bridges is open for river traffic.
In restricted visibility, the bascule bridge will be opened in pursuance of Regulation 2 for the passage of any vessel on the Master thereof giving warning when ready and in position to pass through the bridge by a sound signal of one prolonged blast followed by two short blasts followed by one prolonged blast.
22nd July 1976 S.J CLAYTON Town Clerk
Tower Bridge, Adrian Warren Photo Library
Tower Bridge © 2001, Doug Myers
Alisdair MacDonald (1940-2007) set up his camera on London Bridge (with Tower Bridge in the background) between noon and one o’clock and photographed every vessel that passed in the hour. He then created this composite image to show how busy the Thames really is! -
PHOTOSYNTH is a worthwhile experimental program - install it if you don't have it already!
THAMES STRATEGY EAST Part 4 - Reach 1-3 - This covers the following Reaches:
Upper Pool; Lower Pool; Limehouse; Greenwich; Blackwell; Bugsby's; and Woolwich. A large (7.79Mb) pdf file.
Thames Strategy East
has the overall details.
Detailed description of Upper Pool, Lower Pool, and Limehouse reach
Map: Tower of London
Left bank, just above Tower Bridge
1610: Camden -
Where the wall endeth also toward the river there were two very strong forts or Bastilions,
of which the one Eastward remaineth yet, usually called The Tower of London,
in the British tongue Bringwin or Tourgwin of the whitenesse.
A most famous and goodly Citadell, encompassed round with thicke and strong walles,
full of loftie and stately Turrets, fensed with a broad and deepe ditch,
furnished also with an armorie or magazine of warlicke munition, and other buildings besides,
so as it resembleth a big towne, and a man may truly suppose that those two Castles
which Fitz-Stephen recorded to have beene at the East-side of this Citie went both to the making of this one.
Tower of London in Picturesque Views on the Thames by Samuel Ireland, 1802
1880: Picturesque England -
THE Tower of London - at once a palace, a fortress, and a prison - is most closely associated with the events of English history.
When we say a palace, we must add, that of the palace of the Tudors that existed within those walls as a splendid building,
with a painted hall, spacious galleries and noble courts, not a vestige now remains. Its place has been taken by the Ordnance Offices.
The Tower itself has remained as we see it, though the dwelling-place of kings within its walls is gone. Yet how grand that painted hall must have been!
Here King John of France was feasted by King Edward III.
Here Henry of Lancaster wore the crown torn from Richard II.’s brow,
and Henry VIII. banqueted with his queens, two of whom were destined to die in that fatal fortress.
The Tower is always a weird place, by night especially. The writer spent many days and nights, during childhood, as a guest there,
and has often walked in the solemn moonlight round it, on the platform under the old trees, passing the Devil’s Battery, the Stone Battery,
and the Wooden Battery, and again the White Tower, all clothed in the solemn light - awesome, and full of terrible memories;
for the past scenes of three or four hundred years seemed to be absolutely present under the charm of the hour,
and one could almost see the victims of the savage Yorkists and Tudors passing in shadowy procession before one.
The boy princes;
the unhappy Anne Boleyn clasping her little throat;
the saintly Jane Grey;
the gallant Raleigh.
Gray has apostrophised the Tower thus:
Ye towers of Julius, London’s lasting shame,
With many a foul and midnight murder fed;
and Shakspeare asserts the same origin of the Tower in the scene where young Edward V. objects to the Tower as his residence.
Prince: I do not like the Tower, of any place:-
Did Julius Caesar build that place, my lord?
Buckingham: He did, my gracious lord, begin that place;
Which, since, succeeding ages have re-edified. ...
But in fact Julius Caesar did not build the Tower. It was built by Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester (who also erected Rochester Castle), in 1078,
for William the Conqueror. Rufus added to the keep, Henry I. strengthened it, and Stephen kept his court here.
It is a singular fact that Ralph Flambard, Bishop of Durham, who assisted in completing the Tower, was the first person imprisoned in it.
He managed, however, to escape. His friends conveyed a rope to him in a flagon; he made his keepers tipsy (therefore doubtless wine had been sent with the flagon),
and then, when they were so intoxicated as to be blind and incapable, he let himself down from a window in the south gallery, taking his pastoral staff with him.
The rope broke, and the bishop had a serious fall; but though he was injured by it, he managed to escape to Normandy, and lived to recover his See.
King John held his court here; Edward II. found refuge in the fortress; and here were imprisoned two monarchs - David, king of Scotland, and John, king of France,
the captives of our third Edward. Richard II. found safety in the Tower from, Jack Cade and his rebels, and was imprisoned here when first brought to London
by usurping Bolingbroke. Here his grandson, the saintly Henry VI., expiated his grandsire’s crime by his death, - murdered, it is said, by Gloucester.
In a strangely small and dark room in the Bloody Tower the two young princes of York are said to have been murdered.
The room is not generally shown, as the tower is inhabited; but we have seen it, and no spot could have been better adapted for a foul midnight murder.
A passage runs between it and the wall of the tower, and the light in it is borrowed from the loophole or window, the side of the room towards the passage
being glazed half-way from the top. Through this window tradition says that Tyrrel watched the ruffians execute their deed of blood.
The bed is placed sideways to the window. ...
The Tower of London, 1880
a) Lion's Tower; b) Bell Tower; c) Beauchamp Tower; d) The Chapel;
e) The keep or White Tower; f) Jewel House; g) Queen's lodgings;
h) Queen's Gallery and Gardens; i) Lieutenant's Lodgings; k) Bloody Tower;
l) St Thomas' Tower & Traitors Gate; m) Place of Execution on Tower-hill.
Tower Millenium Pier, left bank
Tel: 020 7941 2420 Fax: 020 7941 2410
Tower Pier has been re-built and was formally opened by Mayor Ken Livingstone
on 14th July 2000, renamed as Tower Millenium Pier.
Tower Subway
Subway from upstream of the Tower of London to Pickle Herring Wharf on the right bank
1870: Built
by James Henry Greathead using his newly invented tunnelling shield.
This revolutionised tunnelling compared to the
methods used previously, enabling the tunnel to completed at a fraction of
the cost and considerably quicker than Brunel had achieved.
Such was the success of this invention that the
Greathead shield was used on nearly all subsequent tunnels under London.
The Tower Subway was originally operated as a cable
car service, but this proved to be uneconomic and the cars were taken out
of service and replaced with a footpath. It
thrived until Tower Bridge was built
virtually over the top of it and it was abandoned shortly afterwards.
Today the tunnel is used to carry a water main and
telecommunications cables.
1919: U155, launched in 1916 as the Deutschland, was one of only two cargo submarines built in the
First World War. She made two voyages to America in a mercantile capacity before being taken
over and armed by the German Navy in February 1917.
She was surrendered to the British in November 1918 and in the following year was placed on display
as a floating exhibition at Temple Pier.
U155 at Tower Bridge, 1919
Map: HMS Belfast, right bank
London Bridge City Pier, right bank
William Dunbar (1465?-1530?) To the City of London -
London, thou art of townes A per se.
Soveraign of cities, semeliest in sight,
Of high renoun, riches, and royaltie;
Of lordis, barons, and many goodly knyght;
Of most delectable lusty ladies bright;
Of famous prelatis in habitis clericall;
Of merchauntis full of substaunce and myght:
London, thou art the flour of Cities all.
Gladdith anon, thou lusty Troy Novaunt,
Citie that some tyme cleped was New Troy,
In all the erth, imperiall as thou stant,
Pryncesse of townes, of pleasure, and of joy,
A richer restith under no Christen roy;
For manly power, with craftis naturall,
Fourmeth none fairer sith the flode of Noy:
London, thou art the flour of Cities all.
Gemme of all joy, jasper of jocunditie,
Most myghty carbuncle of vertue and valour;
Strong Troy in vigour and in strenuytie;
Of royall cities rose and geraflour;
Empresse of townes, exalt in honour;
In beawtie beryng the crone imperiall;
Swete paradise precelling in pleasure:
London, thow art the floure of Cities all.
Above all rivers thy river hath renown,
Whose beryl streames, pleasant and preclare,
Under thy lusty walles runneth down;
Where many a swan doth swim with winges fair,
Where many a barge doth sail, and row with oar,
Where many a ship doth rest with top-royal.
O town of townes, patron and not compare,
Upon thy lusty Brigge of pylers white
Been merchauntis full royall to behold;
Upon thy stretis goth many a semely knyght
In velvet gownes and cheynes of fyne gold.
By Julyus Cesar thy Tour founded of old
May be the hous of Mars victoryall,
Whos artillary with tonge may not be told:
London, thou art the flour of Cities all.
Strong be thy wallis that about the standis;
Wise be the people that within the dwellis;
Fresh is thy ryver with his lusty strandis;
Blith be thy chirches, wele sownyng be thy bellis;
Riche be thy merchauntis in substaunce that excellis;
Fair be thy wives, right lovesom, white and small;
Clere be thy virgyns, lusty under kellis:
London, thow art the flour of Cities all.
Thy famous Maire, by pryncely governaunce,
With swerd of justice the rulith prudently.
No Lord of Parys, Venyce, or Floraunce
In dignytie or honoure goeth to hym nye.
He is exampler, loode-ster, and guye;
Principall patrone and roose orygynalle,
Above all Maires as maister moost worthy:
London, thou art the flour of Cities all.
Northern Line Tunnel
1900: City branch tunnel.
South London Railway, 1890
1911: The River's Tale, Rudyard Kipling -
Twenty bridges from Tower to Kew—
(Twenty bridges or twenty two)—
Wanted to know what the River knew,
For they were young and the Thames was old,
And this is the tale that the River told:—
“I walk my beat before London Town,
Five hours up and seven down.
Up I go till I end my run
At Tide-end-town, which is Teddington.
Down I come with the mud in my hands
And plaster it over the Maplin Sands.
But I’d have you know that these waters of mine
Were once a branch of the River Rhine,
When hundreds of miles to the East I went
And England was joined to the Continent.
I remember the bat-winged lizard-birds,
The Age of Ice and the mammoth herds,
And the giant tigers that stalked them down
Through Regent’s Park into Camden Town.
And I remember like yesterday
The earliest Cockney who came my way,
When he pushed through the forest that lined the Strand,
With paint on his face and a club in his hand.
He was death to feather and fin and fur,
He trapped my beavers at Westminster.
He netted my salmon, he hunted my deer,
He killed my herons off Lambeth Pier.
He fought his neighbour with axes and swords,
Flint or bronze, at my upper fords,
While down at Greenwich, for slaves and tin,
The tall Phoenician ships stole in,
And North Sea war-boats, painted and gay,
Flashed like dragon-flies Erith way;
And Norseman and Negro and Gaul and Greek
Drank with the Britons in Barking Creek,
And life was gay, and the world was new,
And I was a mile across at Kew!
But the Roman came with a heavy hand,
And bridged and roaded and ruled the land,
And the Roman left and the Danes blew in—
And that’s where your history-books begin!”
[ "Five hours up and seven down": If you check you will find this isn't quite right,
but the time from low tide to the next high tide is definitely shorter than the time from
high tide to the next low tide. Look at
the tide graph
and see. The low to high slope is steeper than the high to low slope.
This is presumably due to the stream of the river contributing to a rising tide
and tending to maintain the level of a falling tide.
"Tide-end-town, which is Teddington" has in modern times had scorn poured on such a simplistic
derivation. But then Kipling might just have been right! ]
Upstream to the Custom House
Estuary
PLA
QEII Br
Barrier
Tower Br
Custom Ho
London Br
; Frost Fairs
Cannon St Rb
The Great Stink
Southwark Br
Millenium Br
Blackfriars Rb
Blackfriars Br
Waterloo Br
Charing Cross Rb
Westminster Br
Lambeth Br
Vauxhall Br
Victoria Rb
Chelsea Br
Albert Br
Battersea Br
Battersea Rb
Wandsworth Br
Fulham Rb
Putney Br
Hammersmith Br
Barnes Rb
Chiswick Br
Kew Rb
Kew Br
RICHMOND
Twickenham Br
Richmond Rb
Richmond Br
TEDDINGTON
Kingston Rb
Kingston Br
Ditton Slip
Hampton Br
MOLESEY
SUNBURY
Walton Br
Desborough Cut
SHEPPERTON
Chertsey Br
CHERTSEY
M3 Br
Laleham Slip
PENTON HOOK
Staines Rb
Staines Br
Runnymede Br
BELL WEIR
Magna Carta Is
OLD WINDSOR
Albert Br
Datchet
Victoria Br
Black Potts Rb
ROMNEY
Eton
Windsor Br
Windsor Rb
Windsor Slip
Elizabeth Br
BOVENEY
Dorney Lake
York Cut
Summerleaze Fb
MonkeyIsland
New Thames Br
BRAY
Bray Slip
Maidenhead Rb
Maidenhead Br
Below Boulters
BOULTERS
Cliveden
Hedsor
COOKHAM
Cookham Slip
Cookham Br
BourneEnd RFb
Quarry Woods
A404 Br
MARLOW
Marlow Br
Bisham
TEMPLE
HURLEY
Medmenham
Culham Ct
Aston Slip
HAMBLEDEN
Temple Is
Fawley Ct
Remenham
Regatta
Phyllis Ct
Henley Slip
Leander
Red Lion
Henley Br
Angel on Br
Landing
Hobbs Boatyard
Hobbs Slipway
MARSH
Hennerton
Bolney
Wargrave
Shiplake Rb
R.Loddon
SHIPLAKE
Sonning Br
SONNING
Dreadnought
K&A Canal
CAVERSHAM
Reading Br
Caversham Br
Reading Slip
Purley
MAPLEDURHAM
Hardwick Ho
Whitchurch Br
WHITCHURCH
Hartswood Reach
Gatehampton Rb
Goring Gap
Goring Br
GORING
Swan
CLEEVE
Moulsford
Moulsford Rb
Papist Way Slip
Winterbrook Br
Wallingford Br
BENSON
Shillingford Br
R.Thame
DAYS
Burcot
Clifton Hampden
Clifton Church
Clifton H Br
Barley Mow
Long Wittenham
CLIFTON
Appleford Rb
Sutton Courtenay
Sutton Br
CULHAM
Culham Cut Fb
Abingdon Slip
Abingdon
Abingdon Br
ABINGDON
Nuneham Rb
Nuneham
Nuneham Park
Radley Boats
SANDFORD
Rose Island
Kennington Rb
Isis Br
Iffley Mill
IFFLEY
Oxford Rowing
Isis
Donnington Br
Riverside Slip
Boathouses
Punting
Lower Cherwell
Upper Cherwell
Islip
Head of River
Salters Steamers
Folly Br
Bacons Folly
Oxford Fb
Osney Fb
Weir stream
Osney Rb
Bullstake Stream
Osney Marina
OSNEY
Osney Br
Four Rivers
OLD RIVER
CANAL
Medley Weir Site
Medley Fb
Bossoms
Perch
Trout
GODSTOW
Godstow Nunnery
Godstow Br
Thames Br
KINGS
River Evenlode
EYNSHAM
Swinford Br
Oxford Cruisers
PINKHILL
Farmoor
Stanton Harcourt
Bablock Slip
Arks Weir Site
NORTHMOOR
Harts Fb
//Rose Revived
Newbridge
//Maybush
River Windrush
below Shifford
SHIFFORD
Shifford Fb
Tenfoot Fb
Trout Inn
Tadpole Br
RUSHEY
Old Mans Fb
RADCOT
Radcot Cradle Fb
Swan Inn
Radcot New Br
Radcot Old Br
GRAFTON
Eaton Hastings
Kelmscott
Eaton Fb
BUSCOT
Bloomers Hole Fb
Trout Inn
St Johns Br
ST JOHNS
Halfpenny Br
Marina Slip
LIMIT
Inglesham
Hannington Br
Kempsford
Castle Eaton Br
Marston Meysey
A419 Br
Cricklade
SOURCE?
THAMES HEAD
SEVEN SPRINGS