At the end of the XIX century. the panorama of London was enriched by the building, which was destined to become one of the architectural symbols of the British capital - along with the old tower castle, Palace of Westminster, Big Ben and Saint Paul Cathedral. This is the Tower Bridge (Tower Bridge) - one of the most famous and beautiful bridges in the world.
Built in the spirit of medieval buildings, with Gothic towers and heavy chains of bridge structures, it forms a single ensemble with the ancient Tower Castle.
Tower Bridge embodied all the features of the Victorian era. The need for its construction was acute in mid-nineteenth century, when the population of east London, where the port and numerous warehouses are located, began to grow rapidly. Until 1750, the banks of the Thames were connected by only one London Bridge laid down in Roman times. As the British capital grew, new bridges were built, but they were all located in the western part of the city. With increased traffic, residents of east London had to spend many hours trying to get across to the opposite bank. Every year the problem became more acute, and finally in 1876 the city authorities decided to build a new bridge in east London.
It was required, however, to erect it in such a way that the bridge structures did not interfere with the movement of ships along the Thames. On this occasion, many ideas were put forward, for the consideration of which a special committee was formed. In the end, the committee decided to announce an open competition for best project bridge.
More than 50 projects took part in the competition (some of them can be found today in the Tower Bridge Museum). It took a long time to study them. Only in October 1884 did the committee decide on its
Choice: The winner was city architect Horace Jones, who developed his design in collaboration with engineer John Wolf Barry. It took 8 years, £1,600,000 and the tireless work of 432 workers to make this project a reality.
The construction of Tower Bridge began in 1886. After Jones' death in 1887, J. Barry, having received wider artistic freedom, changed a number of details of the project, which, however, only won the bridge. Its construction was completed in 1894.
Tower Bridge fully corresponded to the technical level of that time. It became the largest and most complex drawbridge in the world. Two of its massive pillars go deep into the river bed, more than 11 thousand tons of steel went into the creation of structures of towers and spans. Outside, the steelwork is clad in Cornish with cue granite and Portland stone. Two impressive neo-Gothic towers on granite bases, decorated with decorative masonry, rise above the Thames to a height of 63 m each. It is believed that it was these towers that gave the name to the bridge (English, the Tower - tower, Towerbridge - Tower Bridge). A friend of the version, the name of the bridge comes from the nearby ancient London castle Tower.
Each tower has two elevators - one for the ascent, the other for the descent, but in order to climb to the top, you can also use the stairs of 300 steps arranged in each of the towers.
The bridge is 850 m long, 40 m high and 60 m wide. The bridge parts adjacent to the banks are motionless. Their width at the confluence with the shore reaches 80 m. The central span, 65 m long, has two floors. The lower tier is located at a height of 9 m from the water, and during the passage of large vessels, it is parted. Previously, it was raised up to 50 times a day, but at present the bridge is raised only 4-5 times a week. The upper tier is located at a height of 35 m from the lower tier, and pedestrians use it when the communication on the lower tier is interrupted. Pedestrians go upstairs or spiral staircases inside the towers (each staircase is 90 steps), or on the elevator, which simultaneously takes 30 people. This method is associated with some inconvenience, so that the Londoners very quickly abandoned it. In 1910, the span of the upper tier even had to be closed: instead of using it during the passage of ships, the public preferred to wait for the ship to pass and the lower tier of the bridge to lower.
The bridge is controlled like a ship: it has its own captain and a team of sailors who beat off the "bottles" and stand on watch, like on a military ship. Initially, hydraulic lifts were powered by a steam engine. She controlled the huge pumping engines that raised and lowered the drawbridge doors. Despite the complexity of the system, it took just over a minute for the bridge wings to reach their maximum elevation angle of 86 degrees.
The Victorian-era steam-lifting bridge functioned well until 1976. Currently, the wings of the bridge are raised and lowered using electricity, and the bridge itself has become a kind of functioning museum. Antique pump engines, accumulators and steam boilers are part of its display. Museum visitors can get acquainted with modern mechanisms that control the bridge.
In the history of the Tower Bridge, there are several tragicomic cases when people had to indulge in the most incredible stunts in order to avoid an accident. In 1912, pilot Frank McClean, dodging a collision, was forced to fly his biplane between two tiers of bridge spans. And in 1952, the driver of the bus, which was on the bridge at the moment when the wings began to diverge, hit the gases so as not to fall into the river, and the bus with passengers made a dizzying jump from one diverging bridge leaf to another ...
The original metalwork of the Tower Bridge was painted chocolate brown. But in 1977, when the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was celebrated, the bridge was painted in the colors of the national flag - red, white and blue.
In 1982, the towers and the reconstructed upper deck of the bridge reopened to the public, this time as a museum. An impressive panorama of the British capital opens from here. In order for museum visitors to take pictures of the views of London, special windows are arranged in the glazing of the upper tier of the bridge. And the mechanisms inside the towers are a real exhibition of Victorian era technology.
Some believe that the Tower Bridge is somewhat overpowering with its massiveness. But it has already firmly entered the London landscape and, together with the Tower, has become one of the city's most popular attractions.
Publication date:
2015-11-21
(Eng. Tower Bridge) - a combined (partially suspension, partly drawbridge) bridge over the Thames, built in neo gothic style in 1886-1894. The bridge got its name due to its close proximity to the Tower and eventually became one of the symbols of London.
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History of Tower Bridge
In the second half of the 19th century, increased economic importance the East End and, as a result, the intensification of traffic and pedestrian flows in it, raised the question of building a new transport crossing below the London Bridge along the Thames before the City of London. The traditional bridge was not suitable for such purposes, as it would have made it impossible for vessels with high masts to enter the port of London.
In 1877, a "Special Committee for Bridges and Underground Communications" was formed to deal with this problem, headed by Sir Albert J. Altman. More than 50 projects were submitted for consideration by the committee. Their study was very for a long time- only after 7 years, in 1884, was approved by the project proposed by the city architect, Sir Horatio Jones. To solve the problem of ship passage, engineer Sir John Wolfe-Barry proposed the idea of a combined bridge - the central section of the bridge between the two towers was to be movable, and the sections from the towers to the banks were to be suspended.
After eight years of construction, the bridge was inaugurated June 30, 1894 Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII) and his wife Alexandra of Denmark.
Before the construction of the bridge, the shortest route across the Thames was the Tower Underground Tunnel (located 400 meters west of the bridge). It was opened in 1870 and is one of the oldest subway lines in the world, but the movement of trains on it was stopped after 3 months. After some time, the crossing was opened to pedestrian traffic for a fee, but after the construction of the Tower Bridge, its revenues fell sharply (its use was free), and in 1898 the tunnel was closed.
In 1977, the metal structures of the bridge were painted red, blue and white colors on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The original color of metal structures is chocolate brown.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the reconstruction of Tower Bridge was carried out, which included cleaning of old paint, repainting and installation new system lighting on towers and pedestrian galleries.
In 2012, the Tower Bridge became one of the sites on which the Olympic symbols were placed in connection with the holding in London Olympic Games. During the opening ceremony of the games famous football player David Beckham carried the Olympic flame on a sports boat under the bridge, after which a grand fireworks display was launched from the bridge.
Tower Bridge, like four other bridges across the Thames, is owned by the Bridge House Estates charitable foundation, which in turn is controlled by the City of London Corporation - municipal administration oldest area of London.
- group tour(no more than 15 people) for the first acquaintance with the city and the main attractions - 2 hours, 15 pounds
- see the historical core of London and learn about the main stages of its development - 3 hours, 30 pounds
- find out where and how the culture of tea and coffee drinking was born, and plunge into the atmosphere of those glorious times - 3 hours, 30 pounds
Bridge construction has begun in 1886 under Sir Horatio Jones. Famous engineers and architects, as well as 432 workers, were involved in the construction. First, massive concrete supports with a total weight of more than 70 thousand tons were poured at the bottom of the Thames. More than 11 thousand tons of steel were spent on the creation of the towers and passages themselves. The towers and galleries were then overlaid with Portland limestone and Cornish granite on the outside to protect the steel structures from corrosion and give the bridge a more aesthetic appearance. appearance.
In 1887, Sir Jones died, and J. Stevenson took over the building work. New leader made changes to the architectural style of the towers in order to make their appearance more “gothic” and in harmony with the view of the nearby Tower. The total cost of building the bridge was £1.184 million (£114 million at 2014 exchange rates).
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Design features
The length of the bridge is 244 meters, each of the two towers has a height of 65 meters. The central span between the towers has a length of 61 meters and consists of two adjustable wings, which, if necessary, rise up 86 degrees to allow ships to pass along the Thames. Folding wings weigh 1000 tons each; used to lift them. special system counterweights in order to minimize the effort and time required to raise the bridge. Thanks to this, the full rise of the wings is carried out in just in 1 minute.
The folding wings are driven by a hydraulic system located in the towers. Initially, the system was based on hydraulic accumulators that stored water at a pressure of 5.2 megapascals. Water was pumped into the accumulators by two steam engines with a capacity of 270 kilowatts each. In 1974, this system was replaced by an electro-hydraulic one. It uses special oil instead of water, and the engines are replaced with electric ones. Individual elements of the bridge's original hydraulic system are today part of the Tower Bridge exhibition.
The sections of the bridge between the towers and the banks of the Thames are suspension bridges 82 meters long each. The chains supporting the bridge are attached to the towers on one side and to the bridge abutments on the other.
transport value
Tower Bridge is the most important transport artery in London. More than 40,000 motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians cross it every day. In order to protect the bridge, restrictions have been imposed on the movement of vehicles: the maximum speed is limited to 32 km / h, and Weight Limit- 18 tons. Control over compliance with these restrictions is carried out by a special system that includes laser sensors (to measure the height of cars and their speed), cameras (to fix violators) and piezoelectric sensors (to determine the weight of cars by pressure on the roadway).
The bridge is raised about 1000 times a year. Today, the traffic on the Thames is much less intensive than a hundred years ago, but, as before, it takes precedence over road traffic. Ships must notify the bridge authorities no later than 24 hours before the expected time of passage. The passage of ships is free.
Pedestrian galleries
The design of the Tower Bridge provided for the possibility of its crossing by pedestrians even during the separation of the spans. For this, in addition to the usual pedestrian sidewalks located on both sides of the roadway, two pedestrian galleries were built between the two towers at a height of 44 meters above the river level. It was possible to get into them by stairs located inside the towers.
Almost immediately after the opening of the bridge, the pedestrian galleries between the towers acquired an unseemly reputation. The fact is that since you had to climb the stairs to the galleries to a fairly decent height, ordinary citizens tried not to go there, and soon the galleries were chosen for their meetings by pickpockets, prostitutes and other unreliable personalities. For this reason, the galleries were closed in 1910. It was not until 1982 that it was reopened as the Tower Bridge exhibition, which also includes the interior of the towers and the Victorian machine room where power plants raising the bridge. Galleries are used and how viewing platforms from which opens beautiful view to central London. Entrance to the galleries is paid.
- In May 1997, US President Bill Clinton's motorcade was cut in two while crossing the bridge, as the bridge was raised to allow the Gladys barge to pass. The cortege was a little behind the schedule, but the ship passed the bridge according to it, and since according to the rules priority is given to river traffic, the bridge was raised. This incident caused outrage from the security services of the US president, to which the spokesman for the administration of the Tower Bridge said: "We tried to contact the American embassy on the phone about this, but no one answered there."
- Tower Bridge and another bridge over the Thames - London - are often confused. In 1968, the London Bridge was sold and, according to a widespread legend, its buyer, the American businessman Robert McCulloch, believed that he was actually buying Tower Bridge, one of the symbols of the capital of Foggy Albion. However, the entrepreneur himself denies this.
- The bridge, as one of the symbols of London, often appears in feature films about the life of the English capital. So, it can be seen in the films "Sherlock Holmes" (it is shown here still under construction), "Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street", "Dark Butler", "Street Dancing" and many others.
- In 1952, the bridge's opening mechanism erroneously triggered when a city bus passed the drawbridge. Driver Albert Gunter succeeded by squeezing top speed, to avoid the bus falling into the water and injuring passengers. For this, Gunther received a reward of £10 from the Corporation of the City of London (in terms of 2014 prices - £263).
- April 5, 1968 Lieutenant Royal air force Alan Pollock arbitrarily flew his Hawker Hunter fighter under the pedestrian galleries of the bridge. The reason for this act was the disappointment of the pilot in connection with the refusal of the leadership of the Royal Air Force to hold an air parade to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their creation. The pilot was arrested and fired from the Air Force.
- Some rooms in the towers and pedestrian galleries of the bridge can be rented for weddings, private or corporate events.
- A copy of the bridge towers can be seen in the city of Suzhou in China.
Tower Bridge is one of the symbols of London. This striking example of Victorian architecture was built in 1894 by Sir Horace Jones. In the second half of the 19th century, due to the increased horse and foot traffic in the port area in the East End, the question arose of building a new crossing over the Thames east of London Bridge. In 1876 a committee was set up to work out a solution to the problem. A competition was organized for which more than 50 projects were submitted. Only in 1884 was the winner announced and a decision was made to build a bridge proposed by jury member H. Jones. Construction works began on June 21, 1886 and continued for 8 years. On June 30, 1894, the bridge was inaugurated by Prince Edward of Wales and his wife, Princess Alexandra.
The Tower Bridge is a 244 m long drawbridge with two 65 m high towers placed on intermediate supports. The central span between the towers, 61 m long, is divided into two lifting wings, which can be raised at an angle of 83 ° to allow ships to pass. Each of the more than 1,000 tonne wings is equipped with a counterweight to minimize the required force and allow the bridge to be opened in one minute. The span is driven by a hydraulic system, originally water. Water was pumped by two steam engines. In 1974, the system was completely updated - now the oil hydraulics are electrically driven. For pedestrians, the design of the bridge provided for the possibility to cross the bridge even during the opening of the span. For this purpose, in addition to the usual sidewalks located along the edge of the carriageway, pedestrian galleries were constructed in the middle part, connecting the towers at a height of 44 meters. It was possible to get into the gallery by stairs located inside the towers. Since 1982, the gallery has been used as a museum and observation deck.
In previous years, when docks, cargo piers and other port facilities were located right in the center of the city (below London Bridge), and dozens of ships rose up the Thames estuary to London, the bridge was raised 50 times a day. Now Tower Bridge is divorced infrequently. And one of the most spectacular attractions is the passage under the Tower Bridge of sea cruise ships (however, only very small, mostly expeditionary, cruise ships can rise to London along the Thames - for example, such as the famous MS Fram, Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten).
Now there is a museum in the Tower Bridge, you can walk along the pedestrian galleries, take pictures from above, tourists have access to the old engine room, where steam engines, with the help of which the adjustable mechanisms were previously put into action.
1. View from under the bridge up the river:
Looking down the river from the upper walkway. Until relatively recently, these were industrial port areas. Now the industry has left these places and moved 25 kilometers closer to the mouth of the Thames, and the old industrial quarters of the city have been thoroughly restored and turned into newfangled areas called Dockland - beautiful embankments, cafes, restaurants, yacht clubs, office buildings. It's very nice that prominent representatives industrial 19th architecture- the beginning of the 20th century were carefully restored and, having completely changed the "stuffing", retained their appearance.
6. Looking up the river towards the center of London:
8. On the left in the photo is the 310-meter Shard London Bridge skyscraper under construction, the highest in the European Union:
9. Drawbridge span of the Tower Bridge:
10. A ticket to the Tower Bridge Museum, in addition to the main exhibitions and the upper pedestrian galleries, includes a visit to the old machine rooms with steam engines.
In London - one of the most recognizable in the world. The roots of its Victorian Gothic style lie in the law that forced the developers to create a structure that harmonizes with the nearby Tower.
Description
Tower Bridge is both drawbridge and suspension. It crosses the River Thames, is located not far from which it is named, and has become a symbol of the city.
The bridge consists of two towers connected by two horizontal walkways designed to balance the horizontal forces exerted by the suspension parts on the ground sides. The vertical part of the forces in the suspension sections and the vertical reactions of the two transitions are borne by two massive towers. lifting axles and working equipment located at the base of the towers. Current color scheme The bridge dates back to 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. It was originally blue and green.
The nearest London Underground station is Tower Hill on the Circle and District lines, and the nearest LRT station is Tower Gateway.
Contrary to popular belief, the song "London Bridge Is Falling Down" has nothing to do with Tower Bridge in London.
History of the building
Plans were drawn up around 1876 when East London became densely populated. The bridge over the Thames in this area seemed very important. The main problem was that it was necessary to let ships with high masts pass to the port facilities between the bridge and the Tower. It took another eight years and many design discussions before construction began.
So, to solve the problem of crossing the river in 1877, a Special Committee of Bridges and Tunnels was formed under the leadership of Sir Albert Joseph Altman, and a public competition for projects was announced. Over 50 applications were submitted, including by civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette. The appraisal of the designs was surrounded by controversy, and it was not until 1884 that a design submitted by the city architect Horace Jones in collaboration with John Woolf Barry was approved.
The bridge was completed in 1894. Five contractors - Sir John Jackson (foundation), Baron Armstrong (hydraulics), William Webster, Sir H.H. Barlet and Sir William Eroll, as well as nearly 450 workers, were involved in the construction of the bridge. It took 11,000 tons of steel to build the arches. At the time, many people did not like its Victorian Gothic design, but over time the bridge has become one of London's most famous symbols. It was officially opened on June 30, 1894 by the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII) and his wife, the Princess of Wales (Alexandra of Denmark).
bridge connected iron gate on the north bank of the river with Horsleydown Lane on the south, now known as Tower Bridge Approach and Tower Bridge Road respectively. Prior to the opening of the Tower Bridge, the subway - 400 meters to the west - was the shortest way to cross the river from Tower Hill to Tooley Street in Southpark. Opened in 1870, the Tower Subway was one of the world's earliest subway lines.
When Tower Bridge opened in London, most of foot traffic has switched to it due to lack of usage fees. The tunnel was closed in 1898 due to low profitability.
Tower Bridge in London is one of five London bridges now owned and maintained by Bridge House Estates, a non-profit partnership overseen by the City of London Corporation. This is the only partnership bridge that does not link the City of London to the Southpark shore; its northern exit leads to Tower Hamlets.
Mechanics
The proximity of the bay and the location in the direction of the sea required the ability of the bridge to pass large ships. Hence the decision to create a movable structure that can be opened to allow the movement of boats. The mechanism is hidden in two towers. Until 1976, when it was electrified, steam power was used to pump water into hydraulic accumulators that powered the engines.
The entire bridge is 800 feet (244 m) long and the towers built on piles are 213 feet (65 m) high. The central span, 200 feet (61 m) long, is divided into two equal slabs. Each of them is more than 30 meters wide and weighs 1000 tons and can open at an angle of 83 degrees. In the open position, the bridge has a rise of almost 45 m. Today it rises to the height necessary for the passage of a particular vessel; the exception is the passage of the ship carrying the monarch. In this case, parts of the structure rise completely. Previously, the bridge was opened almost fifty times a day, but today it is only 1,000 times a year. The drawdowns are planned in advance (for cruise ships, etc.) so guests can go to the bridge site and see when it will be raised and lowered. There is no lift fee.
Reaction
Although the bridge is undoubtedly a landmark, professional critics in the early 20th century were skeptical of its appearance. “He represents the vice of bad taste and pretentiousness, falsification of the real facts of the structure,” wrote H.Kh. Statham, and Frank Brangwyn argued that "a more absurd structure than the Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river."
Bridge visit
Numerous tourists are constantly photographed against the backdrop of this grandiose structure. You can also go inside the bridge, from where you will have a magnificent view of London from the transition between the two towers. At one time they earned an unpleasant reputation as a shelter for prostitutes and pickpockets. Accessible only by stairs, they were rarely used by ordinary pedestrians and were closed in 1910. The re-opening took place in 1982 during the Tower Bridge Exhibition, a display housed in the bridge's towers, walkways and Victorian engine rooms. Here you can also see the Tower Bridge from the inside, photos, films telling about the history of the amazing structure. Special interest call real steam engines. There is a fee to enter the exhibition.
2008-2012
In April 2008, it was announced that the Tower Bridge would undergo a £4m facelift. The job consisted of stripping the old paint down to bare metal and repainting it blue and white. Each section was surrounded by scaffolding and protective plastic to prevent old paint from falling into the Thames and polluting the river. Beginning in mid-2008, contractors worked on a maximum of a quarter of the bridge at a time to avoid problems, but sometimes road closures were unavoidable.
The painting process was completed in 2009. Work was also carried out to replace the lighting system of the bridge. A multi-purpose lighting system designed by Eleni Shiarlis is installed inside the crossings, as they are used for exhibitions and other purposes. All elements are installed modern way without the aid of drilling. With the help of illumination, the bridge acquired a stunning view at night.
The upgrade of the four suspension chains was completed in March 2010 using the latest paint system requiring up to six different coats.
In the article you can see the modified Tower Bridge, the photo of which shows the structure in all its splendor.
There is a legend that the bridge was almost bought in 1968 by American businessman Robert McCulloch to be moved to This fact they, however, are denied.
In May 1997, the presidential cortege was divided as a result of the opening of the bridge.
Even those who have never been to England will recognize him immediately. Every year it is visited by thousands of tourists. Londoners pass through it every day, most likely without even thinking about its history at that moment. it Tower Bridge- one of the symbols of London.
The history of the Tower Bridge, which should not be confused with the neighboring London Bridge, is connected with the nearby Tower of London. In 1872 English parliament considered a bill to build a bridge across the Thames. Although the commandant of the Tower was against the idea, Parliament decided that the city needed another bridge that would effectively harmonize with the architecture of the Tower of London. Tower Bridge, as it is today, owes its appearance to the decision of Parliament.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, many bridges crossed the Thames. The most famous of them is London Bridge. By 1750, it became very shaky, and traffic jams constantly formed on the bridge. Vessels from all over the world gathered near the bridge, waiting for a place in the crowded harbor.
At that time, the Thames was literally filled with various ships, so that it was possible to walk several kilometers along the decks of ships standing at the berths.
In February 1876, the London authorities announced an open competition for the design of a new bridge. According to the requirements, the bridge must be high enough to allow massive merchant ships to pass under it, as well as to ensure the continuous movement of people and wagons. About 50 interesting projects were sent to the competition!
Most of the contestants proposed options for high bridges with fixed spans. But they had two common drawbacks: the distance above the surface of the water at high tide was insufficient for the passage of ships with high masts, and the rise to the bridge was too steep for horses pulling wagons. One of the architects proposed a bridge project in which people and wagons climbed high bridge using hydraulic lifts, the other is a bridge with ring parts and sliding decks.
However, the swing bridge by Sir Horace Jones, the chief architect of the city, was recognized as the most realistic project. Despite all the advantages of the project, the decision to choose it was delayed, and then Jones, in collaboration with the famous engineer John Wolf Barry, developed another innovative bridge, eliminating all the shortcomings of the first in the new project. Barry, in particular, suggested to Jones that the upper walkways be made, which were not included in the original design.
At the request of the municipality, city architect Horace Jones designed a Gothic drawbridge to be built downstream of London. Under such a bridge, ships heading to the docks up the Thames could pass freely. The bridge project had one feature that many considered an original solution.
Horace Jones traveled widely. When he was in the Netherlands, small drawbridges, thrown over the channels, inspired him to create a drawbridge with a counterweight. Jones and his assistants designed such a bridge and decided to use unusual construction methods, combining steel structures with masonry. This is how the world-famous appearance of the Tower Bridge arose.
After three weeks of heated discussion, the Jones-Barry project was approved. A huge sum of £585,000 was allocated for the creation of a grandiose structure. The developers of the bridge suddenly became very rich people - their fee amounted to £30,000. In 1886, construction began, but in May 1887, even before the foundation was completed, Jones suddenly died, and all responsibility fell on engineer Barry. The latter invited the talented architect George Stevenson as his assistant, thanks to whom the bridge underwent a number of stylistic changes.
Stevenson was a fan of Gothic architecture Victorian era and expressed his passions in the bridge project. He also decided to put the steel trusses of the bridge on display: the new structural material- steel - at that time was in vogue, and it was in the spirit of the times.
Tower Bridgedecorated with two towers, which are connected by two pedestrian crossings, raised to a height of 34 meters above the roadway and 42 meters above the water. Roads from both banks of the Thames lead to the lifting wings of the bridge. These huge canvases weigh approximately 1,200 tons each and open to form an 86-degree angle. Thanks to this, ships with a carrying capacity of up to 10,000 tons can freely pass under the bridge.
For pedestrians, the design of the bridge provided for the possibility to cross the bridge even during the opening of the span. For this purpose, in addition to the usual sidewalks located along the edge of the carriageway, pedestrian galleries were constructed in the middle part, connecting the towers at a height of 44 meters. It was possible to get into the gallery by stairs located inside the towers. Since 1982, the gallery has been used as a museum and observation deck.
Only for the construction of towers and pedestrian galleries it took more than 11 thousand tons of steel. To better protect the metal structure from corrosion, the towers were faced with stone, the architectural style of the building is defined as Gothic.
By the way, these sepia-colored photographs, dated 1892, captured the Tower Bridge under construction, one of the main attractions of Great Britain.
For the past five years, the photographs have lain in a suitcase under the bed of a Westminster resident who wished to remain anonymous, who found them in a dumpster during the demolition of one of the buildings. In addition to the photo, he found several account books. The man says that he took the books to the Tower Bridge Museum and tried to tell the employees that he also had photographs, but they did not even want to listen to him, saying that they already had more than enough photographs. The man admits that he simply did not know what to do with the photographs - and therefore put them in a suitcase and put it under the bed.
So they would have been lying there if one day the owner of an unusual find did not decide to tell his neighbor Peter Berthud, who works as a guide in Westminster, about the photographs. Peter recalls that he could not believe his own eyes when he saw unique photos. He spent several days studying albums and documents, trying to find out if these photographs were known to specialists - and found that no one even knew they existed!
Tower Bridge is the lowest bridge along the Thames (it is the first one you meet if you climb it from North Sea) and the only one of all bridges that is movable.
The photographs show the steel base of the bridge, the existence of which many do not even know - after all, the outer part of the bridge is lined with stone. The bridge was designed by Horace Jones, who was succeeded by John Wolf-Barry after his death. It was he who insisted that the bridge be lined with stone.
Peter Berthud calls this photo his favorite. “These people had no idea that they were building a monument of architecture,” he says.
The bridge got its name due to its proximity to the Tower: the northern end of the bridge is located near the southeast corner of the Tower, and a road runs parallel to the eastern wall of the Tower, which is a continuation of the Tower Bridge.
By the time the Tower Bridge was built, movable structures had long been something of a surprise. But the remarkable thing about Tower Bridge was that its raising and lowering was entrusted to complex machinery. And never before had hydraulics been used on such a scale in bridges. In St. Petersburg, for example, at that time, the labor of workers was usually used to build bridges, which was eventually replaced by the work of water turbines powered by the city's water supply.
Tower Bridge was powered by steam engines, they rotated the pumps that created in the system high pressure water in hydraulic accumulators. Hydraulic motors were “fed” from them, which, when the valves were opened, began to rotate crankshafts. The latter transmitted torque to the gears, which, in turn, rotated the gear sectors, which ensured the raising and lowering of the wings of the bridge. Looking at how massive the lifting wings were, one would think that the gears had a monstrous load. But this is not so: the wings were equipped with heavy counterweights that helped the hydraulic motors.
There were four steam boilers under the southern end of the bridge. They were fired with coal and produced steam at a pressure of 5-6 kg/cm2, producing the necessary energy to operate huge pumps. When switched on, these pumps supplied water at a pressure of 60 kg/cm2.
Since power was always needed to draw the bridge, there was a supply of water under huge pressure in six large accumulators. Water from the accumulators flowed to eight engines that raised and lowered the drawbridge. Various mechanisms set in motion, the axis with a diameter of 50 centimeters began to rotate, and the bridge canvases rose. The bridge was raised in just one minute!
The construction of the Tower Bridge began in 1886 and was completed 8 years later. The grand opening of the new bridge took place on June 30, 1894, by Prince Edward of Wales and his wife, Princess Alexandra.
Today, motors run on electricity. But, as before, when the Tower Bridge is raised, the traffic stops, and pedestrians and tourists watch in fascination as the huge wings of the bridge rise.
A warning signal sounds, the barriers close, the last car leaves the bridge, and the controllers report that the bridge is free. The four connecting bolts are silently extended, and the wings of the bridge soar upwards. Now all eyes are on the river. Whether it is a tugboat, a pleasure boat or a sailboat, everyone watches with interest as the ship passes under the bridge.
A few minutes later another signal sounds. The bridge closes and the barriers go up. The cyclists quickly take their place in front of the line of waiting cars in order to be the first to race across the bridge. A few more seconds, and the Tower Bridge is again waiting for a signal to let the next ship through.
The most curious are not content with just watching the bridge work. They take the elevator up to the north tower, where the Tower Bridge Museum is located, to learn more about the history of its creation and visit an exhibition where an electronic doll introduces visitors to interesting details.
On the exhibited paintings, you can see how talented engineers worked on the creation of the bridge, and how the opening ceremony took place. And on the stands vintage photographs the majestic building of the Tower Bridge is captured in brownish tones.
From the height of the pedestrian crossing, visitors have a stunning view of London. If you look to the west, you can see St. Paul's Cathedral and the banking buildings in the City of London, as well as the Telecom Tower towering in the distance.
Those on the east side who expect to see the docks are in for a disappointment: they have been moved downstream, away from the modern metropolis. Instead, the redeveloped Docklands district appears in front of the eye, striking with its buildings and buildings, made in the Art Nouveau style.
Unusual, breathtaking, stunning - this is the view from this famous bridge, business card London. If you find yourself in London, why not get to know Tower Bridge better? This masterpiece of architecture will forever leave indelible impressions in your memory.
Interesting Facts
In 1968, Robert McCulloch, a businessman from Missouri (USA), purchased the old London Bridge destined for demolition. The bridge was dismantled and transported to America.
Stone blocks, which were built into the reinforced concrete supporting structure of the bridge as a cladding, were installed near the canal near the city of Lake Havasu City, Arizona (USA).
Legend has it that McCulloch bought London Bridge, mistaking it for Tower Bridge, one of the main symbols of foggy Albion. McCulloch and one of the city council members of the capital, Ivan Lakin, who oversaw the deal, deny this interpretation of events.
Tower Bridge in London is a real work of art of architects, as well as the greatest landmark of London and the whole of Great Britain, which at least once, but definitely worth seeing alive.
