Дорогой ученик! В этом материале подготовлен рассказ про Тауэрский мост. Под английским текстом есть перевод на русский язык.
Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London. It was opened in 1894. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become an iconic symbol of London. |
Total length of the bridge is 244 metres. The height of the bridge is 65 metres. The bridge consists of two towers tied together at the upper level by two horizontal walkways. |
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The bridge deck is freely accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians. The bridge’s twin towers, high-level walkways and Victorian engine rooms form part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, for which an admission charge is made. |
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Tower Bridge is still a busy crossing of the Thames: it is crossed by over 40,000 people (motorists, cyclists and pedestrians) every day. |
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The London Eye – Лондонский глаз »
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Краткий текст на английском языке про Лондон »
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Официальный сайт моста Tower Bridge
Перевод на русский язык
Примечание: этот текст частично переведен автоматическим переводчиком, в нем могут быть неточности и ошибки.
Тауэрский мост – это комбинированный раскрывающийся и висячий мост в Лондоне. Он был открыт в 1894 году. Мост пересекает Темзу недалеко от Лондонского Тауэра и стал знаковым символом Лондона. |
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Общая длина моста составляет 244 метра. Высота моста составляет 65 метров. Мост состоит из двух башен, соединенных на верхнем уровне двумя горизонтальными проходами. |
Платформа моста свободно доступна как для транспортных средств, так и для пешеходов. Башни-близнецы моста, пешеходные дорожки высокого уровня и викторианские машинные отделения являются частью выставки Tower Bridge Exhibition, где взимается плата за вход. |
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Тауэрский мост по-прежнему является оживленным переходом через Темзу: его пересекают более 40 000 человек (автомобилистов, велосипедистов и пешеходов) каждый день. |
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Tourist attractions in London – Достопримечательности Лондона »
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Tourist attractions in Great Britain – Достопримечательности Великобритании »
Представлено сочинение на английском языке Тауэрский мост/ Tower Bridge с переводом на русский язык.
Tower Bridge | Тауэрский мост |
Tower Bridge has long been a permanent symbol of London. This building is located in the very center of the capital of Great Britain and rises majestically over the Thames connecting its two banks. | Тауэрский мост уже давно стал неизменным символом Лондона. Это строение находится в самом центре столицы Великобритании и величественно возвышается над Темзой, соединяя два её берега. |
The bridge is located very close to the Tower fortress, which is why it got its name. There are stately Gothic towers on both sides of the bridge. At the bottom they are connected by a transport highway, and at the top there is a glass covered pedestrian gallery. | Мост располагается в непосредственной близости от крепости Тауэр, отчего он и получил своё название. По обеим сторонам переправы расположены статные готические башни. Снизу их соединяет транспортная магистраль, а вверху находится стеклянная пешеходная галерея. |
It used to be used to get across the Thames when the bottom of the bridge was separated. Today, the gallery has turned into a kind of museum, which can be visited for a fee and tourists are happy to do it. And generally speaking, tourists are very fond of Tower Bridge. All those who come to London try not only to take pictures next to this landmark, look inside the towers and walk along the glass gallery, but also take a ride across the bridge in the car. | Раньше её использовали для того, чтобы перебраться через Темзу, когда нижняя часть моста была разведена. Сегодня же галерея превратилась в своеобразный музей, который можно посетить за отдельную плату, чем с удовольствием пользуются туристы. Да и в принципе туристы очень любят Тауэрский мост. Все приезжающие в Лондон стремятся не только сфотографироваться рядом с этой достопримечательностью, заглянуть внутрь башен и пройтись по стеклянной галерее, но и проехаться по мосту на автомобиле. |
It considers very lucky to catch the moment when the bridge opens. Previously, such an action was considered pretty common, since after its construction in 1894, the wings of the structure rose above the river more than several dozen times a day. Today this is done only at the special request of large vessels, which must inform authorities in advance about their route along the waters of the Thames. | Особым счастьем считает застать момент разведения моста. Прежде такое действие считалось обыденностью, поскольку после постройки в 1894 году крылья сооружения поднимались над рекой более нескольких десятков раз в день. Сегодня же это делают лишь по специальному требованию крупных судов, которые заранее должны сообщить о маршруте своего следования по водам Темзы. |
I think raising Tower Bridge looks incredibly beautiful. Especially in the evening, when all of London shines with mysterious lights. I would really like to visit England someday and see this wonderful action with my own eyes. | Думаю, разведение Тауэрского Моста выглядит невероятно красиво. Особенно вечером, когда весь Лондон сияет загадочными огнями. Мне бы очень хотелось когда-нибудь побывать в Англии и увидеть эту чудесную картину своими глазами. |
Тауэрский мост — одна из уникальных и удивительных достопримечательностей Англии. Это великое сооружение для перехода расположено в центральной части Лондона, столица которого — Великобритания, и объединяет оба берега реки Темзы. Рядом находится Тауэр — самая знаменитая и страшная темница в мире. Именно в честь этой темницы мост имеет название Тауэрский, так как был построен в качестве переправы из этой темницы.
Над проектом по строительству моста работал один из выдающихся архитекторов Англии Джон Хорас. Он принял участие в конкурсе среди большинства известных архитекторов и стал победителем. Хорас предложил построить разводной мост над рекой Темзой, чтобы разгрузить движение на других площадках. Власти Англии долго думали и спустя 8 лет согласились и одобрили предложенный проект. Начались подготовительные работы, которые длились два года. В 1886 году началось строительство, которое продолжалось долгих восемь лет. Мост был официально открыт в 1894 году. На его строительство потребовалось около 1 миллиона фунтов, десятки тысяч тонн металла, природного камня и гранита. 350 человек трудились чтобы возвести это выдающееся сооружение, 10 человек погибли во время строительных работ.
Мост представлен в виде красивых башен, которые прекрасно передают всю прелесть готического стиля. Башни соединены огромной платформой, и возвышаются словно огромные замки. Платформа служит для передвижения людей с одного конца на другой. Также имеются галереи и коридоры, которые обеспечивают людям безопасное перемещение. Существует четкий график в какое время разводятся стороны этого чудо-творения. Раньше они разводились как только было замечено подплывающее к судно. Часовой подавал сигнал, и разводящиеся стороны расходились. Сигнал звучал для людей, которые в спешке начинали покидать проезжую часть. После того как судно проплывало, разводные пролеты снова сходились.
Сейчас график изменился, если раньше мост разводили по 30 раз в день, то сейчас 3-5 раз. Туристы желающие полюбоваться на это событие, могут подняться на верхнюю платформу по лифтам которые установлены в башнях, или использовать винтовые лестницы идущие от дорожной части.
Перевод
The Tower Bridge is one of the unique and amazing sights of England. This great structure for the crossing is located in the central part of London, the capital is Great Britain, and unites both banks of the River Thames. Nearby is the Tower — the most famous and terrible prison in the world. It is in honor of this dungeon the bridge has the name of Tower, because it was built as a ferry from this dungeon.
The project for the construction of the bridge was worked by one of the most outstanding architects of England, John Horace. He took part in the competition among the most famous architects and became the winner. Horace suggested building a drawbridge over the River Thames to relieve traffic on other sites. The authorities of England thought for a long time and after 8 years agreed and approved the proposed draft. Preparatory work began, which lasted two years. In 1886 construction began, which lasted for long eight years. The bridge was officially opened in 1894. Its construction required about 1 million pounds, tens of thousands of tons of metal, natural stone and granite. 350 people worked to erect this outstanding structure, 10 people were killed during construction work.
The bridge is presented in the form of beautiful towers, which perfectly convey all the charm of the Gothic style. The towers are connected by a huge platform, and towering like huge castles. The platform serves to move people from one end to the other. Also there are galleries and corridors that provide people with a safe movement. There is a clear timetable at what time the parties divorce this wonder-creation. Previously, they were divorced as soon as it was seen the ship. The sentry signaled, and the divorced sides parted. The signal sounded for people who were in a hurry to leave the roadway. After the ship floated, the swing flights again converged.
Now the schedule has changed, if before the bridge was bred 30 times a day, now it is 3-5 times. Tourists wishing to admire this event can climb the upper platform by the elevators that are installed in the towers, or use the spiral staircases coming from the roadway.
Рассказ: Тауэрский мост — 4.7 out of
5
based on
41 votes
Tower Bridge
If you make a list of the most beautiful sights in London, Tower Bridge will surely be in the top ten. Located in the historical center of London, this construction is one of the places that tourists must visit. And it is not surprising, because this magnificent bridge conveys the spirit of Britain, a country in which centuries-old traditions are intertwined with vital necessity through an elegant solution.
By the way, transport problems became the reason for the construction of the bridge: due to the growing economy, numerous traffic jams appeared at the end of the 19th century, which prevented the movement of horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians, as well as numerous ships. Parliament decided that the capital needed another bridge that would connect the left and right banks of the Thames and harmoniously fit into the historical center of London.
In 1876, a competition was announced in which about 50 works took part, they were considered for several years. In the end, in 1884, the project by Horace Jones, the chief architect of the city, won. The construction of the bridge began in 1886, the work was carried out for 8 years. Horace Jones died a year after the start of work and engineer John Wolf-Berry began to supervise the construction of the grandiose structure, which was completed in 1894.
Now residents of Britain and tourists from all over the world enjoy the view of this bridge, made in the Gothic style. Tower Bridge has two towers connected by walkways on which pedestrians move. Since 1982, these passages have housed a museum and an observation deck. Also, the bridge is equipped with lifting bascules, these are two roadbeds that can rise so that ships pass under the bridge.
Tower Bridge combines solemn beauty, practicality, and elegance. Therefore, it is one of the hallmarks of London, along with Big Ben and Buckingham Palace.
Перевод
Если вы составите список самых красивых достопримечательностей Лондона, то Тауэрский мост наверняка войдет в первую десятку. Находясь в историческом центре Лондона, это сооружение относится к числу мест, обязательно посещаемых туристами. И не удивительно, ведь этот величественный мост передает дух Британии, страны, в которой вековые традиции переплетаются с жизненной необходимостью через элегантное решение.
Между прочим, причиной строительства моста стали транспортные проблемы: из-за растущей экономики в конце 19 века возникали многочисленные пробки, что мешало двигаться как конным экипажам и пешеходам, так и многочисленным судам. Парламент решил, что столице был нужен еще один мост, который соединит левый и правый берег Темзы и гармонично впишется в исторический центр Лондона.
В 1876 году был объявлен конкурс, в котором приняли участие около 50 работ, которые рассматривались в течение нескольких лет. В конце концов, в 1884 году победил проект Горация Джонса, главного архитектора города. Строительство моста началось в 1886 году, работы велись в течение 8 лет. Гораций Джонс умер через год после начала работ, и инженер Джон Вольф-Берри начал руководить строительством грандиозного сооружения, которое было завершено в 1894 году.
Теперь жители Британии и туристы со всего мира наслаждаются видом этого моста, выполненного в готическом стиле. Тауэрский мост имеет две башни, соединенные переходами, по которым движутся пешеходы. С 1982 года в этих галереях размещаются музей и смотровая площадка. Также мост оснащен подъемными крыльями, это две дорожные полосы, которые могут подниматься так, чтобы корабли проходили под мостом.
Тауэрский мост сочетает в себе торжественную красоту, практичность и элегантность. Поэтому он является одной из визитных карточек Лондона наряду с Биг Беном и Букингемским дворцом.
Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel.[1] It crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and is one of five London bridges owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust founded in 1282. The bridge was constructed to give better access to the East End of London, which had expanded its commercial potential in the 19th century. The bridge was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales in 1894.
Tower Bridge |
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View from Shad Thames |
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Coordinates | 51°30′20″N 0°04′31″W / 51.5055°N 0.075406°W |
Carries | London Inner Ring Road |
Crosses | River Thames |
Locale | London boroughs: – north side: Tower Hamlets – south side: Southwark |
Named for | Tower of London |
Maintained by | Bridge House Estates |
Heritage status | Grade I listed building |
Website | www.towerbridge.org.uk |
Preceded by | London Bridge |
Followed by | Elizabeth II Bridge |
Characteristics | |
Design | Bascule bridge / Suspension Bridge |
Total length | 800 feet (240 m) |
Height | 213 feet (65 m) |
History | |
Architect | Horace Jones |
Construction start | 21 June 1886 |
Construction end | 1894 |
Opened | 30 June 1894 |
Location | |
The bridge is 800 feet (240 m) in length and consists of two 213-foot (65 m) bridge towers connected at the upper level by two horizontal walkways, and a central pair of bascules that can open to allow shipping. Originally hydraulically powered, the operating mechanism was converted to an electro-hydraulic system in 1972. The bridge is part of the London Inner Ring Road and thus the boundary of the London congestion charge zone, and remains an important traffic route with 40,000 crossings every day. The bridge deck is freely accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians, whereas the bridge’s twin towers, high-level walkways and Victorian engine rooms form part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition.
Tower Bridge has become a recognisable London landmark. It is sometimes confused with London Bridge, about 0.5 miles (800 m) upstream, which has led to a persistent urban legend about an American purchasing the wrong bridge.
HistoryEdit
InceptionEdit
Elevation, with dimensions
In the late 19th century, commercial development in the East End of London increased, leading to demand for a new river crossing downstream of London Bridge. A traditional fixed bridge at street level could not be built because it would cut off access by sailing ships to the port facilities in the Pool of London between London Bridge and the Tower of London.[2]
A Special Bridge or Subway Committee chaired by Sir Albert Joseph Altman was formed in 1877 to find a solution.[3] More than fifty designs were submitted, including one from civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, which was rejected because of a lack of sufficient headroom. A design was not approved until 1884, when it was decided to build a bascule bridge.[2][4] Sir John Wolfe Barry was appointed engineer and Sir Horace Jones the architect (who was also one of the judges).[5][6] An Act of Parliament authorising construction was passed in 1885. It specified that the opening span would provide a clear width of 200 feet (61 m) and headroom of 135 feet (41 m). The design had to be in a Gothic style.[5] Construction was funded by the Bridge House Estates, a charity established in 1282 for maintenance of London Bridge that subsequently expanded to cover Tower Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Southwark Bridge and the Millennium Bridge.[7]
Barry designed a bridge with two bridge towers built on piers. The central span was split into two equal bascules or leaves, which could be raised to allow river traffic to pass. The two side spans were suspension bridges, with rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained in the bridge’s upper walkways.[5]
ConstructionEdit
Tower Bridge under construction, 1892
Construction started in 1886, with the foundation stone laid by the Prince of Wales on 21 June, and took eight years.[8][9] Major contractors included Sir John Jackson (foundations),[10] Armstrong, Mitchell and Company (hydraulics), William Webster,[11] and Sir William Arrol & Co.[12] 432 people worked on the site; E W Crutwell was the resident engineer for the construction.[13]
Two piers, containing over 70,000 long tons (78,400 short tons; 71,123 t) of concrete, were sunk into the riverbed to support the construction.[14] More than 11,000 long tons (12,320 short tons; 11,177 t) of steel were used in the framework for the towers and walkways, which were then clad in Cornish granite and Portland stone to protect the underlying steelwork.[15]
Jones died in 1887, and George D. Stevenson took over the project.[16] Stevenson replaced Jones’s original brick façade with the more ornate Victorian Gothic style, which made the bridge a distinctive landmark, and was intended to harmonise the bridge with the nearby Tower of London.[13][16] The total cost of construction was £1,184,000[9][13] (equivalent to £143 million in 2021).[17]
OpeningEdit
Tower Bridge was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by the Prince and Princess of Wales.[5][18] The opening ceremony was attended by the Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Carrington and the Home Secretary, H. H. Asquith.[9] An Act of Parliament stipulated that a tug boat should be on station to assist vessels in danger when crossing the bridge, a requirement that remained in place until the 1960s.[18]
The bridge connected Iron Gate, on the north bank of the river, with Horselydown Lane, on the south – now known as Tower Bridge Approach and Tower Bridge Road, respectively.[13] Until the bridge was opened, the Tower Subway – 0.25 mi (400 m) to the west – was the shortest way to cross the river from Tower Hill to Tooley Street in Southwark. Opened in 1870, Tower Subway was among the world’s earliest underground («tube») railways, but it closed after just three months and was reopened as a tolled pedestrian foot tunnel. Once Tower Bridge was open, the majority of foot traffic transferred to using the bridge, as there was no toll to cross. Having lost most of its income, the tunnel was closed in 1898.[19]
The high-level open-air walkways between the towers gained a reputation for prostitutes and pickpockets. Since they were only accessible by stairs, the walkways were seldom used by regular pedestrians and were closed in 1910.[20][21] The walkway reopened in 1982 as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition.[20][22]
20th centuryEdit
Tower Bridge during the first mass air raid on London, 7 September 1940
Tower Bridge – 1950, BW Lee
During the Second World War, Tower Bridge was seen as a major transport link to the Port of London, and consequently was a target for enemy action. In 1940, the high-level span took a direct hit, severing the hydraulic mechanism and taking the bridge out of action. In April 1941, a parachute mine exploded close to the bridge, causing serious damage to the bascule, towers and engine room. In 1942, a third engine was installed in case the existing ones were damaged by enemy action.[23] It was a 150 hp horizontal cross-compound engine, built by Vickers Armstrong Ltd. at their Elswick works in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was fitted with a flywheel having a 9-foot (2.7 m) diameter and weighing 9 tons, and was governed to a speed of 30 rpm. The engine became redundant when the rest of the system was modernised in 1974, and was donated to the Forncett Industrial Steam Museum by the City of London Corporation.[24]
The southern section of the bridge, in the London Borough of Southwark, was Grade I listed on 6 December 1949.[25] The remainder of the bridge, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, was listed on 27 September 1973.[26] In 1974, the original operating mechanism was largely replaced by a new electro-hydraulic drive system, designed by BHA Cromwell House, with the original final pinions driven by modern hydraulic motors.[27][28]
In 1982, the Tower Bridge Exhibition opened, housed in the bridge’s twin towers, the long-closed high-level walkways and the Victorian engine rooms. The latter still house the original steam engines and some of the original hydraulic machinery.[29][30][31]
21st centuryEdit
The bridge closed for a month in 2000 to repair the bascules and perform other maintenance.[32] A computer system was installed to control the raising and lowering of the bascules remotely. However, the system proved unreliable, resulting in the bridge being stuck in the open or closed positions on several occasions during 2005 until its sensors were replaced.[33]
In April 2008, authorities announced that the bridge would undergo a £4 million refurbishment that would take four years to complete. The work entailed stripping existing paint down to bare metal and repainting in blue and white.[34][35] Before this, the bridge’s colour scheme dated from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue for Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee. Its colours were subsequently restored to blue and white.[34][35] Each section was enshrouded in scaffolding and plastic sheeting to prevent the old paint falling into the Thames and causing pollution. Starting in mid-2008, contractors worked on a quarter of the bridge at a time to minimise disruption, but some road closures were inevitable. The completed work should stand for 25 years.[36] The renovation of the walkway interior was completed in mid-2009. The renovation of the four suspension chains was completed in March 2010 using a state-of-the-art coating system requiring up to six different layers of paint.[34] A lighting system based on RGB LED luminaires was installed, concealed within the bridge superstructure and attached without drilling holes, owing to the bridge’s Grade I listing.[37]
On 8 July 2012, as part of the London Olympics, the west walkway was transformed into a 200-foot-long (61 m) Live Music Sculpture by the British composer Samuel Bordoli. 30 classical musicians were arranged along the length of the bridge 138 feet (42 m) above the Thames behind the Olympic rings. The sound travelled backwards and forwards along the walkway, echoing the structure of the bridge.[38][39]
Following the Olympics, the rings were removed from Tower Bridge and replaced by the emblem of the Paralympic Games for the 2012 Summer Paralympics.[40]
In 2016, Tower Bridge was closed to all road traffic from 1 October to 30 December.[41] This was to allow structural maintenance work to take place on the timber decking, lifting mechanism and waterproofing the brick arches on the bridge’s approaches. During this, the bridge was still open to waterborne traffic. It was open to pedestrians for all but three weekends, when a free ferry service was in operation.[42]
DesignEdit
StructureEdit
The bridge is 800 feet (240 m) in length with two towers each 213 feet (65 m) high, built on piers.[43] The central span of 200 feet (61 m) between the towers is split into two equal bascules, or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 86 degrees to allow river traffic to pass.[44] The bascules, weighing over 1,000 tons each, are counterbalanced to minimise the force required and allow raising in five minutes.[45]
The two side spans are suspension bridges, each 270 feet (82 m) long, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge’s upper walkways. The pedestrian walkways are 143 feet (44 m) above the river at high tide, and accessed by lifts and staircases.[5][13]
One of the chimneys on the bridge connects up to an old fireplace in a guardroom of the Tower of London. It is long-disused.[46]
Hydraulic systemEdit
One of the original steam engines
The original raising mechanism was powered by pressurised water stored in several hydraulic accumulators.[47] The system was designed and installed by Hamilton Owen Rendel while working for Armstrong, Mitchell and Company of Newcastle upon Tyne.[48][49] Water at a pressure of 750 psi (5.2 MPa) was pumped into the accumulators by a pair of stationary steam engines.[50] Each drove a force pump from its piston tail rod. The accumulators each comprise a 20-inch (51 cm) ram on which sits a very heavy weight to maintain the desired pressure.[45]
The entire hydraulic system along with the gas lighting system was installed by William Sugg & Co Ltd. The gas lighting was initially by open-flame burners within the lanterns, but was soon updated to the later incandescent system.[51]
In 1974, the original operating mechanism was largely replaced by a new electro-hydraulic drive system, designed by BHA Cromwell House.[50] The only remaining parts of the old system are the final pinions, which fit into the racks on the bascules and were driven by hydraulic motors and gearing. Oil is now used in place of water as the new hydraulic fluid.[52]
Signalling and controlEdit
Originally, river traffic passing beneath the bridge was required to follow a number of rules and signals. Daytime control was provided by red semaphore signals, mounted on small control cabins on either end of both of the bridge piers. At night, coloured lights were used, in either direction, on both of the piers: two red lights to show that the bridge was closed, and two green to show that it was open. In foggy weather, a gong was sounded as well.[13]
Vessels passing through the bridge were required to display signals. By day, a black ball at least 2 feet (0.61 m) in diameter was mounted high up where it could be seen. Night passage called for two red lights in the same position. Foggy weather required repeated blasts from the ship’s steam whistle. If a black ball was suspended from the middle of each walkway (or a red light at night) this indicated that the bridge could not be opened. These signals were repeated about 1,000 yards (910 m) downstream, at Cherry Garden Pier, where boats needing to pass through the bridge had to hoist their signals/lights and sound their horn, as appropriate, to alert the Bridge Master.[13]
Some of the control mechanism for the signalling equipment has been preserved and is housed in the Tower Bridge’s museum.[53]
TrafficEdit
The tall ship Wylde Swan passing under Tower Bridge decorated for the London Olympics in August 2012. Note the Olympic rings folded up to allow passage of the mast.[54]
Preparing Tower Bridge for raising. When this occurs, gates across the low-level part are closed and motorists are ordered to stop by a red light on ordinary traffic signals, not by a pair of flashing red lights.
RoadEdit
Tower Bridge is still a busy crossing of the Thames, used by more than 40,000 people (motorists, cyclists and pedestrians) every day.[33] The bridge is on the London Inner Ring Road, and is on the eastern boundary of the London congestion charge zone (drivers do not incur the charge by crossing the bridge).[55]
To maintain the integrity of the structure, the City of London Corporation has imposed a 20-mile-per-hour (32 km/h) speed restriction, and an 18-tonne (20-short-ton) weight limit on vehicles using the bridge. A camera system measures the speed of traffic crossing the bridge, using a number plate recognition system to send fixed penalty charges to speeding drivers.[56]
A second system monitors other vehicle parameters. Induction loops and piezoelectric sensors are used to measure the weight, the height of the chassis above ground level, and the number of axles of each vehicle, with drivers of overweight vehicles also receiving fixed penalty notices.[56]
PedestrianEdit
From the outset, the high-level connection was a pedestrian route and was intended to allow pedestrian movement to continue while the bridge was open. This was closed in 1910 due to growing crime in this hidden area, but was reopened in 1982 when a glass floor was also installed.[57]
RiverEdit
The bascules are raised about a thousand times a year.[58] River traffic is now much reduced, but it still takes priority over road traffic. Today, 24 hours’ notice is required before opening the bridge, and opening times are published in advance on the bridge’s website;[59] there is no charge for vessels to open the bridge.[60]
Proximity to UndergroundEdit
The nearest London Underground tube stations to Tower Bridge are Tower Hill on the Circle and District lines, London Bridge on the Jubilee and Northern lines and Bermondsey on the Jubilee line, and the nearest Docklands Light Railway station is Tower Gateway.[61] The nearest National Rail stations are at Fenchurch Street and London Bridge.[62]
CyclingEdit
Transport for London have proposed Cycle Superhighway 4 to run across Tower Bridge.[63]
ExhibitionEdit
Interior of high-level walkway (used as an exhibition space)
The Tower Bridge Exhibition is a display housed in the bridge’s twin towers, the high-level walkways and the Victorian engine rooms. It uses films, photos and interactive displays to explain why and how Tower Bridge was built. Visitors can access the original steam engines that once powered the bridge bascules, housed in a building close to the south end of the bridge.[31]
The exhibition charges an admission fee. Entrance is from the west side of the bridge deck to the northern tower, from where visitors ascend to level 4 by lift before crossing the high-level walkways to the southern tower. In the towers and walkways is an exhibition on the history of the bridge. The walkways also provide views over the city, the Tower of London and the Pool of London, and include a glass-floored section. From the south tower, visitors can visit the engine rooms, with the original steam engines, which are situated in a separate building beside the southern approach to the bridge.[64]
ReactionEdit
Side view of Tower Bridge, from King’s Stairs Gardens
Although Tower Bridge is an undoubted landmark, professional commentators in the early 20th century were critical of its aesthetics. «It represents the vice of tawdriness and pretentiousness, and of falsification of the actual facts of the structure», wrote Henry Heathcote Statham,[65] while Frank Brangwyn stated that «A more absurd structure than the Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river».[66]
Benjamin Crisler, the New York Times film critic, wrote in 1938: «Three unique and valuable institutions the British have that we in America have not: Magna Carta, the Tower Bridge and Alfred Hitchcock.»[67] Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank selected Tower Bridge as one of his four choices for the 2002 BBC television documentary series Britain’s Best Buildings.[68][69] The bridge and its surrounding landscape was depicted in an official BBC trailer for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup (in reference to London being one of the host cities).[70]
Tower Bridge has been mistaken for the next bridge upstream, London Bridge.[71] A popular urban legend is that in 1968, Robert P. McCulloch, the purchaser of the old London Bridge that was later shipped to Lake Havasu City in Arizona, believed that he was in fact buying Tower Bridge. This was denied by McCulloch himself and has been debunked by Ivan Luckin, the vendor of the bridge.[72]
A partial replica of Tower Bridge has been built in the city of Suzhou in China. The replica differs from the original in having no lifting mechanism and four separate towers.[73] The Suzhou replica was renovated in 2019, giving it a new look that differs from the original London design.[74]
IncidentsEdit
On 10 August 1912, the pioneering stunt pilot Francis McClean flew between the bascules and the high-level walkways in his Short Brothers S.33 floatplane. McClean became a celebrity overnight because of the stunt, and went on to fly underneath London Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge and Waterloo Bridge.[75][76]
On 3 August 1922, a 13-year-old boy fell off a slipway next to the south side of Tower Bridge. A man jumped into the Thames to save him, but both were pulled under a barge by Butler’s Wharf and drowned.[77]
In December 1952, the bridge opened while a number 78 double-decker bus was crossing from the south bank. At that time, the gateman would ring a warning bell and close the gates when the bridge was clear before the watchman ordered the raising of the bridge. The process failed while a relief watchman was on duty. The bus was near the edge of the south bascule when it started to rise; driver Albert Gunter made a split-second decision to accelerate, clearing a 3-foot (1 m) gap to drop 6 feet (2 m) onto the north bascule, which had not yet started to rise. There were no serious injuries. Gunter was given £10 (equivalent to £310 in 2021[17]) by the City Corporation to honour his act of bravery.[78][79]
On 5 April 1968, a Royal Air Force Hawker Hunter FGA.9 jet fighter from No. 1 Squadron made an unauthorised flight through Tower Bridge. Unimpressed that senior staff were not going to celebrate the RAF’s 50th birthday with a flypast, the pilot flew at low altitude down the Thames without authorisation, past the Houses of Parliament, and continued on towards the bridge. He flew beneath the walkway, at an estimated 300 miles per hour (500 km/h). He was placed under arrest upon landing, and discharged from the RAF on medical grounds without the chance to defend himself at a court martial.[80][81]
On 31 July 1973, a single-engined Beagle Pup was twice flown under the pedestrian walkway of Tower Bridge by 29-year-old stockbroker’s clerk Peter Martin. Martin, who was on bail following accusations of stock market fraud, then «buzzed» buildings in the city before flying north towards the Lake District, where he died when his aircraft crashed some two hours later.[82][83]
In May 1997, the motorcade of United States President Bill Clinton was divided by the opening of the bridge. The Thames sailing barge Gladys, on her way to a gathering at St Katharine Docks, arrived on schedule and the bridge was opened for her. Returning from a Thames-side lunch at Le Pont de la Tour restaurant with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Clinton was less punctual and arrived just as the bridge was rising. The bridge opening split the motorcade in two, much to the consternation of security staff. A spokesman for Tower Bridge is quoted as saying: «We tried to contact the American Embassy, but they wouldn’t answer the phone.»[84]
On 19 August 1999, Jef Smith, a Freeman of the City of London, drove a flock of two sheep across the bridge. He was exercising a claimed ancient permission, granted as a right to freemen, to make a point about the powers of older citizens and the way their rights were being eroded.[85]
Before dawn on 31 October 2003, a Fathers 4 Justice campaigner climbed a 100-foot (30 m) tower crane near Tower Bridge at the start of a six-day protest dressed as Spider-Man.[86] Fearing for his safety, and that of motorists should he fall, police cordoned off the area, closing the bridge and surrounding roads and causing widespread traffic congestion across the City and East London. [87][88]
On 11 May 2009, six people were trapped and injured after a lift fell 10 feet (3 m) inside the north tower.[89]
On 9 August 2021, the bridge remained open after a technical failure.[90] The bridge had opened to let the Jubilee Trust Tall Ship through from 2 p.m. before getting stuck.[91][92] The bridge was closed and reopened to traffic approximately 12 hours later.[93]
GalleryEdit
See alsoEdit
- List of bridges in London
- Crossings of the River Thames
- Moveable bridges
- Pool of London
Historic places adjacent to Tower BridgeEdit
- HMS Belfast
- London Bridge
- Shad Thames
- St Katharine Docks
- Tower of London
ReferencesEdit
CitationsEdit
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- ^ Welch, Barry & Benham 1894, p. 159.
- ^ Welch, Barry & Benham 1894, pp. 158, 160.
- ^ a b c d e Weinreb et al. 2008, p. 922.
- ^ Roberts 2005, p. 148.
- ^ «Bridge House Estates». Tower Bridge. City of London Corporation. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ «Thames – Bridges – Tower Bridge». Victorian London. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
Further communication across the Thames at this point had been urgently needed for many years. The necessary Act was passed in 1885, the foundation-stone laid by the Prince of Wales on June 21, 1886, and the work completed, at a cost of about a million sterling, in 1894.
- ^ a b c «The Opening Of The Towerbridge». The Times. 2 July 1894. p. 11. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
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- ^ Welch, Barry & Benham 1894, p. 219.
- ^ «Sir William Arrol». Tower Bridge. City of London Corporation. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Tower Bridge 1994, p. 47.
- ^ Jepson & Porges 2014.
- ^ Jones 2005, p. 285.
- ^ a b Roberts 2005, p. 150.
- ^ a b UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). «The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)». MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
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- ^ a b Smith, Oliver (8 January 2018). «Tower Bridge: fascinating facts and figures». The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
- ^ Rough Guides 1998, p. 152.
- ^ Hickman, Matt (12 November 2014). «Vertigo calling: Walkways at London’s Tower Bridge outfitted with glass floors». Mother Nature Network. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- ^ Milne 2020, p. 153.
- ^ «The Tower Bridge Engine». Forncett Industrial Steam Museum. Archived from the original on 25 February 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2007.
- ^ Historic England. «Tower Bridge (that part that lies within the Borough of Southwark) (1385980)». National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- ^ Historic England. «Tower Bridge (that part that lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (1357515)». National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- ^ Weinreb et al. 2008, p. 923.
- ^ «London’s Tower Bridge». Phoenix Hydraulics. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ^ «The Firm: BHA Cromwell House». G. M. Beresford Hartwell. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
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- ^ a b «About Us». Tower Bridge. City of London Corporation. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
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«Tower Bridge restored to true colours». Tower Bridge Restoration. Harris Digital Productions. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
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- ^ «Tower Bridge closure». Transport for London. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016.
- ^ «Tower Bridge closes until December for maintenance work». BBC News. 1 October 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- ^ Cohen 2014, p. 50.
- ^ Langmead & Garnaut 2001, p. 345.
- ^ a b «London’s Tower Bridge». Phoenix Hydraulics. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- ^ «11 Secret Features of Famous London Landmarks». Londonist. 20 October 2015.
- ^ «Bridge History». Tower Bridge. City of London Corporation. 1 February 2003. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
- ^ «Obituary – Hamilton Owen Rendel». The Times. 19 September 1902. p. 8. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Spencer-Silver & Stephens 2005, p. 85.
- ^ a b Peacock 2011, p. 24.
- ^ «History William Sugg & Co Westminster gas lighting cooking heating appliance manufacturer».
- ^ Peacock 2011, p. 25.
- ^ «Engine Rooms». Tower Bridge. City of London Corporation. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ «Fleet». Sail Royal Greenwich. Nautisch Evenementen Bureau. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012.
- ^ «Transport for London cracks down on damage to Tower Bridge». Transport for London. 6 February 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- ^ a b Speed Check Services. «Bridge Protection Scheme» (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ^ London’s Greatest Bridges 2021.
- ^ «Bridge Lifts». Tower Bridge. City of London Corporation. Archived from the original on 12 September 2007. Retrieved 25 September 2007.
- ^ «Bridge Lift Times». Tower Bridge Exhibition. City of London. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
- ^ «How often does Tower Bridge open?». Tower Bridge. City of London Corporation. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ «Tower Bridge Exhibition». Tower Bridge. City of London Corporation. Archived from the original on 12 November 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ^ «Getting Here». Tower Bridge. City of London Corporation. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
- ^ «Have your say on Cycle Superhighway Route 4 from Tower Bridge to Greenwich». Transport for London. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ «Step Inside». Tower Bridge. City of London Corporation. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- ^ Smith 1953, p. 153.
- ^ Wade 2016, p. 129.
- ^ Crisler, B. R. (12 June 1938). «Hitchcock: Master Melodramatist». The New York Times.
- ^ Cruickshank, Dan (1 November 2002). «Choosing Britain’s Best Buildings». BBC History. Archived from the original on 13 May 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
- ^ Britain’s Best Buildings 2002.
- ^ «Rugby League World Cup 2022 🏉 Trailer 🏟 BBC Trailers». YouTube.com. BBC. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ Frommer & Cochran 2007, p. 184.
- ^ «How London Bridge was sold to the States». Watford Observer. 27 March 2002. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
- ^ Silk, Michael; Manley, Andrew (3 June 2014). «From Tower Bridge to Sydney Harbour, welcome to China’s city of clones». The Guardian. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- ^ «Renovations of Tower Bridge in Suzhou nears completion». China Plus. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ Stewart 1964, p. 40.
- ^ Butt, Gerald (25 February 2013). «Frank McClean: Forgotten pioneer of the sky». BBC News. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ «Man And Boy Drowned At Tower Bridge». The Times. 4 August 1922. p. 5. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- ^ «The Jumping Bus». Time. 12 January 1953. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008.
- ^ Leafe, David (19 April 2011). «Tower Bridge: a towering boy’s toy». Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- ^ Shaw 1985, p. 157.
- ^ «RAF fighter ‘buzzes’ Thames bridges». The Times. 6 April 1968. p. 2. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- ^ «Beagle Pup G-AXIC – Keswick». www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk.
- ^ «Gives Suicide Plan To Crash Plane into Tower of London, Dies in Crash 240 Miles Away». Lundington Daily News. 1 August 1973. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ^ Shore, John (July 1997). «Gladys takes the rise out of Bill». Regatta Online (100). Retrieved 25 September 2007.
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BooksEdit
- Bamber, Judith, ed. (1998). Europe. Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-858-28348-7.
- Bracken, G. Byrne (2011). Walking Tour London: Sketches of the city’s architectural treasures… Journey Through London’s Urban Landscapes. Marshall Cavendish. ISBN 978-9-814-43536-9.
- Cohen, Robert D. (2014). The History and Science of Elevation. Troubador Publishing. ISBN 978-1-783-06325-3.
- Frommer, Pauline; Cochran, Jason (2007). Pauline Frommer’s London. Frommer’s. ISBN 978-0-470-05228-0.
- Jepson, Tim; Porges, Larry (2014). London Book of Lists. The City’s Best, Worst, Oldest, Greatest, and Quirkiest. National Geographic Society. ISBN 9781426213823.
- Jones, Nigel R. (2005). Architecture of England, Scotland, and Wales. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-31850-4.
- Langmead, Donald; Garnaut, Christine (2001). Encyclopedia of Architectural and Engineering Feats. ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-576-07112-0.
- Milne, Gustav (2020). The Thames at War: Saving London From the Blitz. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-526-7-6805-6.
- Peacock, Chris (2011). «Tower Bridge, London». 10 Amazing Bridges. Andrews UK Limited. pp. 24–26. ISBN 978-1-849-89386-2.
- Roberts, Christ (2005). Cross River Traffic: A History of London’s Bridges. Granta Books. ISBN 978-1-862-07800-0.
- Robins, Chris (2017). The Ships That Came to the Pool of London: From the Roman Galley to HMS Belfast. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1-445-66462-0.
- Shaw, Michael (1986). No.1 Squadron. Ian Allan. p. 157.
- Smith, Denis (2001). Civil Engineering Heritage: London and the Thames Valley. Thomas Telford. ISBN 0-7277-2876-8.
- Smith, Hubert Shirley (1953). The World’s Great Bridges. Phoenix House. p. 153.
- Spencer-Silver, Patricia; Stephens, John Hall (2005). Tower Bridge to Babylon: The Life and Work of Sir John Jackson, Civil Engineer. Six Martlets Publishing for the Newcomen Society. ISBN 978-0-954-48561-0.
- Stewart, Oliver (1964). Of Flight and Flyers – An Aerospace Anthology. Newnes. p. 40.
- Wade, John (2016). The Ingenious Victorians: Weird and Wonderful Ideas from the Age of Innovation. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-473-84902-0.
- Weinreb, Ben; Hibbert, Christopher; Keay, John; Keay, Julia (2008). The London Encyclopaedia (3rd ed.). Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-405-04924-5.
- Welch, Charles; Barry, John Wolfe; Benham, William (1894). History of the Tower Bridge and of Other Bridges Over the Thames Built by the Corporation of London: Including an Account of the Bridge House Trust from the Twelfth Century. Smith, Elder and Company.
JournalsEdit
- «Tower Bridge». Archive – the Quarterly Journal for British Industrial and Transport History. Lightmoor Press (3). 1994. ISSN 1352-7991.
- Winchester, Clarence, ed. (13 July 1937). «Building the Tower Bridge». Wonders of World Engineering. London: Amalgamated Press. 1 (20): 575–580.
TelevisionEdit
- Cruickshank, Dan (2 November 2002). «Tower Bridge». Britain’s Best Buildings. Season 1. Episode 1. BBC.
- Bell, Rob (13 January 2021). «Tower Bridge: Gateway to London». London’s Greatest Bridges. Season 1. Episode 2. Channel 5.
External linksEdit
- Official Tower Bridge Exhibition website
- Bridge Lift Times
- Video showing the interior of a bascule chamber as the bridge lifts
► More London Famous Landmarks
The Tower Bridge is located in above the River Thames, London. On June 30th, 1894, the Tower bridge was opened by King Edward VII. The design of the Tower Bridge was done by Horace Jones and Wolfe Barry, the bridge was constructed in the year 1894. The Tower Bridge contains two massive towers which are linked together. The bridge stands at a height of 60 meters and the height of each tower is about 43 meters. The middle part of the bridge can be lifted up when huge ships pass through that way. In the past, the bridge was lifted nearly 50 times per day.
Initially, the Tower Bridge was constructed as a level crossing over the River Thames, as the population of London grew, new bridges were constructed. But among all the bridges in London, Tower Bridge is the only one of its kinds. During the construction of the bridge, almost 50 designs were taken into consideration, these 50 designs can be viewed at Tower Bridge Exhibition. Finally, John Wolfe Barry and Horace Jones (architects) designs were chosen.
Eight years were involved in the construction of the bridge, about 430 laborers and five contractors took part in the construction. Two enormous pillars were downcast deep into the Thames River and 11,000 tons of steel are used in building the walkways and towers. The towers are then built with Portland stone and granite. The construction of the bridge pictures can be viewed in the Tower Bridge Exhibition.
Tower Bridge connects Borough to the heart of London City’s Financial District with The Gherkin at 30 St Mary Axe at night
Photo from: DAVID ILIFF Creative Commons
The Tower Bridge is operated by hydraulic methods. Over six massive accumulators are used in the operation of the bridge. These machines use steam to generate power and the power is fed to the accumulators. Using this energy, the bridge bascules are lifted up to a height of about 86 degrees. But from the year 1976, electricity and oil were used in place of steam. In addition, the bridge also uses navigation system for the signaling of ships and to control the traffic.
History & Facts
• In the year 1910, the walkways for the public have been designed.
• In the year 1912, Frank MacLean, a pilot has flied in the center of the bascules.
• In the year 1952, a bus jumped over the other bascule during the rising of the bridge.
• In the year 1977, the bridge was painted in several colors.
• In the year 1982, Tower Bridge Exhibition was opened.
• In the year 1993, the Centenary exhibition was opened at the Tower Bridge.
• In the year 1994, the bridge was available for events and parties.
• In the year 2002, the Tower Bridge Exhibition was reopened.
• In the year 2007, the Tower Bridge Exhibition celebrated its Silver Jubilee.
The Tower Bridge exhibition is a special attraction, where the designs, construction and the operating of the bridge can be viewed. The Tower Bridge is a great tourist destination and one of the mostly visited spots in the world. In the present days, the Tower Bridge is closed for some repairs, but it is open on certain days.
Traveling to Tower Bridge
There are numbers of flight services from all over the world to the London Heathrow Airport. Frequent train services are available from the underground London Bridge stations. In addition a number of private bus services are available frequently.