Tower Bridge, London
Nihan Uğurlu · Keyfi Yazılarım ·
Travel memories from 2015. Hours and prices may change; check official links before visiting.
A walk beside the Thames, a magnificent bridge and London views from day into evening. A memory from my 2015 trip, through my own photographs.
First impressions
In my previous post, I mentioned that I would write about our three-day London trip in more detail. Let me start with Tower Bridge, which I would call one of London’s most important landmarks. It really is an impressive, magnificent bridge. You just want to keep looking at it :) And there it was before us in all its glory — the ‘bloody tower’, as I called it. Spanning the River Thames, Tower Bridge opened in 1894 and is one of the world’s most recognisable bridges. To me, it is one of the loveliest buildings that capture the spirit of England.
Its grandeur and architecture feel fit for royalty. It amazes me that people could build structures like this so long ago and that they can remain standing for centuries. Construction began in 1886 and took eight years. The two leaves in the middle of the bridge can also lift open and close again.
Up in the towers
You can go up to the top of the bridge’s towers with a ticket. We heard that you could enjoy views of London, watch films about the bridge’s architecture and its engineer, and see an exhibition of photographs of this bridge and others around the world. We didn’t go up ourselves, so that was what we had heard. Tower Bridge was designed by Horace Jones and John Wolfe Barry. My notes from the time described it as 265 metres long, with 450 workers involved in its construction.
Walking across the bridge
We walked across the bridge, and that was a pleasure in itself. Opposite were City Hall and The Shard, with more office buildings and towers beyond them. The view from here really is wonderful. There are so many lovely spots for photographs.
When the bridge opens
I learned that bridges whose leaves lift to let boats through are called bascule bridges, and Tower Bridge is the most famous example. Watching it open has become an attraction in its own right — and it really does look lovely. Look up the bridge-lift times; if one fits your plans, you can catch it while you’re there.
Nearby sights and getting there
Below the bridge there is a shop where you can buy souvenirs, along with the bridge exhibition. The Tower of London is another attraction nearby. You can reach the area on the Underground’s Circle and District lines.