Designed by Sir Horace Jones and completed posthumously.
432 workers were involved in its construction which took
8 years.
Sir Horace Jones also (re)designed Leadenhall Market, in
Bishopsgate, Old Billingsgate fish market and Smithfield meat market.
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| Tower Bridge, City Hall, The Shard, HMS Belfast, Tower Wharf and The Tower of London (on right) |
It features two bridge towers built on enormous piers. Between
them, the 61 metre-long central span can be raised at an 86° angle, to let large
ships pass - thanks to two bascules (drawbridge-type of opening.)
Originally, the raising involved the use of steam engines
and hydraulic mechanism.
The system was updated in 1974 with new electro-hydraulic
motor using oil.
Nowadays, it only takes 5
minutes to raise the bascules – which happens approximately 1,000 times
a year. Only if the size of a ship does require it, or if the Monarch is on board,
will the bascules be opened to their widest angle.
On each side of the bridge towers are the suspension
sections, each an extra 82 metre-long span. The ‘chains’ are anchored at the
abutments on each shore (straight anchor girders); they pass through the low abutment
arch/tower (one at each end of the bridge); vertical rods are holding the
chains to the girders; the suspension chains run through the upper walkways,
where they are connecting and tied.
They have a steel structure and are clad in Cornish granite
and Portland stone.
The bridge towers are also linked by two horizontal upper
walkways at about 44 metres above the river.
The upper walkways used to be open to the sky. They were closed
in 1910 and remained so, for many years, due to criminal activities taking
place where few visitors would go (there was no lift yet in the towers).
Incredibly, on at least two occasions, a plane was illegally
flown under the upper walkways.
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| The steel bridge towers and upper walkways under construction in the 19th century |
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| The Tower Bridge Exhibition entrance is on west side of the north bridge tower. |
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“Unattended Bicycles:
Bicycles are not to be secured to the fencing.
Bicycle racks are provided at each end of the Wharf.”
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| The view from Tower Wharf, right against the northern abutment of Tower Bridge: rounded City Hall and pointy Shard. |
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| HMS Belfast passing under Tower Bridge (the bridge's bascules fully raised). |
In 1886, a large stone plaque was added to the abutment
on the Tower Wharf side. It features a finely detailed carved-coat of arms, and
two sculpted turrets. It reads: “THIS MEMORIAL STONE was laid by HRH ALBERT
EDWARD, PRINCE of WALES KG on BEHALF of HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA, Monday June
21st 1886, in the 50th Year of HER MAJESTY'S long happy and prosperous reign”
To exit The Tower of London area and get to Tower Bridge
Approach, one has to walk under the abutment and under the road that goes
though the arch.
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| Great door. Good coffee especially if you have a coupon for a free cup! |
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| Looking upriver from under Tower Bridge, towards London Bridge. HMS Belfast permanently moored on the southern shore of The Thames (centre of pic.) |
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The colour scheme for the metal parts of the bridge is currently blue
and white. Repainted between 2008-2012. Before that, I think that, it had been red-white-bleu
since the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977.
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Huge anchoring point for the suspension chain, nicely painted.
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Emerging from under the road, looking up at the North Abutment
Tower/Arch.
In blue and white, the steel anchoring girder, part of the
suspension system.
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There are steps to get back to road level with several nice City of London coat of arms.
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| The London Borough of Tower Hamlets, where I believe we were in fact standing, was only granted a coat of arms in 1965. |
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The view of The Tower of London, from the northern end of
Tower Bridge.
Post
with our photos of The Tower of Londonhttp://gherkinscall.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/the-tower-of-london.html |
Tower Bridge carries a very busy road, the A 100,
with footpaths alongside barrier fences.
40,000 users each day!
The road passes through the bridge towers, whereas the
pedestrians walk around them.
The bridge is exactly half a mile long, including the
approaches.
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North
Abutment Arch of Tower Bridge and The Shard.
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Photos of the estuary and The Thames from the plane
