There’s also a legend that says it’s good luck to see the bridge being raised. In 2019, the bascules were raised 725 times, around twice a day. It might surprise you to hear that it’s still opened regularly. There were a lot of tall ships on London’s waterways then. In Tower Bridge’s first year, the bascules went up over 6,000 times – an average of 17 times every single day. The paint wasn’t always this colour according to this fun fact about Tower Bridge The bascules are raised more often than you might expect A major restoration of the bridge is required every 25 years. Between 2008-2011 it was repainted – a job that took approximately 44,000 man hours and 22,000 litres of paint. It hasn’t always been red, white and blueĭid you know the bridge was originally brown? It was painted red, white and blue in 1977 to mark the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. The hydraulic power was upgraded in 1976, now using oil and electricity rather than steam. One of our favourite facts about Tower Bridge is that the moving parts are called bascules The bridge is an extremely sophisticated feat of engineeringĪ bridge that opens? You don’t see those every day, and that’s because the construction is pretty complicated! When it first opened, steam was used to power the enormous pumping engines, which in turn operated the hydraulics and raised the bascules. When the bridge was completed, it was the largest and most sophisticated bascule bridge in the world. It’s actually a French word meaning see-saw. You might not have heard the word bascule before. It was funded by a committee rather than by public money. It’s thought that the final cost was one million pounds. Pretty sunset at Tower Bridge, London Tower Bridge cost one million pounds to construct The Prince also pulled a lever to raise the bascules for twelve steam-boats to pass through. Official invitations were sent out to notable guests and on the day the royal party paraded across the bridge in carriages. ![]() On 30th June 1894, the Prince and Princess of Wales officially opened the bridge, with huge celebrations taking place in the area. The bridge was officially opened by the Royal Family Other workmen included steelworkers, carpenters, painters, riveters, steam crane drivers and more! It was a risky job at times too, with 8 fatalities during the construction. For example, there was a team of divers who cleared the riverbed for the bridge’s vast foundations. It wasn’t just a case of getting a few builders to put the bridge together! There are plenty of jobs you might not have thought about. How old is Tower Bridge? Newer than you might think! A huge variety of skilled tradesmen and construction workers were required He only saw the foundations of his bridge built. Sir Horace Jones was knighted in 1886 but sadly died the following year. While this might sound about right, it was only supposed to take 4 years! The original architect never saw his bridge completed In total, over 1000 workers helped built the bridge over an 8-year period. There are lots of fun facts about Tower Bridge’s history and contstruction It took eight years to buildĪs you can imagine with something of this size (and without the modern machinery we use today) it took a long time to complete the impressive bridge. It wasn’t until 1884 that architect Sir Horace Jones and engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry’s final designs were approved. There were over 50 designs to choose from, but apparently, none were chosen at that stage. It’s relatively new when you compare it to the Tower of London, which dates back to 1066! It was built as the result of a competitionĬan you believe that the bridge you see today was actually designed for a competition? In 1877, the Special Bridge Committee launched a competition for the public to submit designs for a new bridge over the Thames. Tower Bridge was designed to look a lot older than it is, so as to blend in with the Tower of London. Pretty skies over Tower BridgeĢ7 Interesting Facts About Tower Bridge It’s newer than you thinkĭon’t be fooled by its old-fashioned appearance. There’s so much to learn about this London landmark, so if you’re planning to visit, it’s time to swot up. It’s always a hive of activity.īut, how much do you actually know about Tower Bridge? Do you know how old Tower Bridge is? What about interesting facts about Tower Bridge’s construction? Have you heard about the crazy events that take place on the walkways? Tourists snap selfies by it, double decker buses cross over it, while passenger boats zoom under it. The fairytale like structure is one of London’s most famous icons. There are plenty of interesting facts about Tower BridgeĮvery time I see Tower Bridge, I can’t quite believe how amazing it is. With stats, facts and surprising stories, how much do you know about this famous London icon? ![]() These facts about Tower Bridge will surprise you.
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