Tower Bridge London Facts

One of the Tower Bridge London facts is that a total of 50 designs were submitted to the City of London Corporation when the idea was first suggested. You will find some of these designs on display at Tower Bridge London even today. The approval of the designs of the Tower Bridge London by the Special Bridge or Subway Committee took about 8 years. Ultimately, the bascule and suspension design proposed by City Architect Sir John Wolfe Barry and Sir Horace Jones was approved in October 1884.

The construction of Tower Bridge London took place between 1886 and 1894. One of the amazing facts about Tower Bridge London that the bridge was the hard work of five fundamental companies and 432 construction workers. The two giant piers were constructed on foundations that disappear into the riverbeds. The framework of the bridge used about 11000 tons of steel and also included Cornish granite and Portland stone.

One of the other Tower Bridge London facts states that the bridge was inaugurated by the royal family. The Prince of Wales, King Edward VII, and his wife, The Princess of Wales opened Tower Bridge London with a huge celebration on June 30, 1894. The moment in which the bridge was inaugurated created history as people used the Tower Subway under the Thames to commute before the construction of Tower Bridge.

The Tower Bridge London used hydraulic pumps powered by coal-burning steam engines to operate bascules or walkways of the tower until 1974. After this, the system was replaced with an electro-hydraulic system or electrical and oil-driven system that lifts the bascules in just five minutes. You will find some of the original steam engines on display within the Engine Rooms of the Tower Bridge.

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Another great event which can be considered as the Tower Bridge London facts is that the first Tower Bridge lift occurred on June 30, 1894. There was a delay of about two minutes when the bascules of the Tower Bridge were lifted for the first time. Harbour Master’s vessel, Daisy was the first vessel to pass through Tower Bridge, followed by a cascade of honorary vessels. You can catch a glimpse of the last three ships to pass through the bridge on that day in William Lionel Wyllie’s painting named Opening of Tower Bridge, which is displayed at Guildhall Art Gallery.

One of the interesting facts about Tower Bridge London is that a bus jumped over the bascules on December 30, 1952. Bus number 78 was operated by the bus driver Albert Gunter when the bridge suddenly started opening. At that time, a watchman was appointed to ring the warning bell before opening the bascules of the bridge. The ringing of the warning bell did not happen on that particular day. Consequently, Albert managed to leap from one bascule to another without injuring anybody inside the bus. The bus driver was later rewarded for his bravery.

If you visit Tower Bridge London today, you will find the glass walkway. According to the Tower Bridge London facts, the two glass walkway was constructed in the year 2014. Since its opening, this was the first development to the structure of the bridge that was highly significant in terms of public experience. This glass walkway on Tower Bridge London offers stunning views of the River Thames flowing under the bridge as well as the surrounding views of London.

Another one of the interesting facts about Tower Bridge London is that it opens about 800 times a year, which counts up to two times a day. You may feel that it is significantly a large number, but it is a surprise to know that it is nothing compared to the first year of operation. In the year 1894, the bascules of the Tower Bridge London were raised about 6194 times, which is equivalent to 17 times in a day. When we look at the data, it is evident that things have become more streamlined than the previous times.

A man named Frank Miller, who was challenged by his 13 years old son, flew a plane through Tower Bridge London in 1951. Although he won 35 shillings for the dare, he was fined a heavy amount of GBP 100 in court. Later, in the year 1912, another Frank flew a plane through Tower Bridge London, but his reasons do not seem to be as amusing as the previous one.

You will be astonished to know one of the Tower Bridge London facts that the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics was held at the Tower Bridge of London. The Olympic rings were suspended from the bascules on the bridge. Moreover, the movie sequence of James Bond, 007, and ‘the Queen’ flying through the bridge in a helicopter was also shot on Tower Bridge during the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.

Another fun Tower Bridge London facts asserts that the original color of Tower Bridge London was chocolate brown. In the year 1977, the bridge was painted in red, white, and blue color to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the Queen. Some more developments took place in the bridge between 2008 and 2016. It was during this time that the bridge was painted in the bright blue and white colors that you see today.

The Tower Bridge London is the significant crossway of the River Thames. Today, this bridge is used by a stupendous crowd of 40000 people and approximately 21000 vehicles every day, excluding the number of times (i.e., 800) the bascules were lifted to let the ships through. The continuous lifting of the walkways has resulted in massive wear and tear. To maintain the structure of the bridge, the City of London Corporation has put a limit on the speed of up to 32 kilometers per hour and a weight limit of 18 tons for vehicles using the bridge.

The Tower Bridge London facts reveal that the largest Lego structure ever built was of Tower Bridge, which stands at a whopping height of 13 meters. This structure was constructed for the launch of the latest Discovery car by Land Rover. This structure used about 5805846 Lego pieces, which broke its previous record of 470646 bricks. When you lay these bricks on a straight road, you will find that the construction would stretch for around 200 miles, which is equivalent to the distance between Tower Bridge in London and Paris.

The architects, named Sir James Horace and Sir John Wolfe Barry, who constructed Tower Bridge London, were also responsible for the design of the famous markets in London. Some of their remarkable works include Smithfield Market, Leadenhall Market, and Billingsgate Market.

The Tower Bridge London facts state that people generally confuse London Bridge with Tower Bridge. When we compare the two, it is evident that London Bridge is situated further upriver and is plainer than Tower Bridge. Therefore, Tower Bridge London is the most renowned bridge in London that attracts about 500000 visitors annually.