London’s top attractions - Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is one of the most recognizable London landmarks but a lot people get the name wrong, calling it London Bridge. London Bridge is the next bridge west along the River Thames. Legend has it that American entrepreneur Robert McCulloch bought the old London Bridge by mistake and rebuilt it over Lake Havasu, Arizona, he denied it.

Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas has a single out at the moment called London Bridge where she sings about going down like London Bridge, great image, wrong bridge.

Tower Bridge opened in 1894 after taking eight years to build. The two towers are 213ft(65m) high. When the bridge is raised it 135ft high and 200ft wide.
It’s the last bridge over the Thames as the river heads towards the sea for around 20 miles until it reaches the huge QE11 bridge at the Dartford crossing.

There are 300 steps to the top of the towers and they’re open to the public all year round. It may surprise a lot of people including Londoners that Tower Bridge handles many functions inside throughout the year including corporate and private events even weddings and receptions.

The bridge links the eastern part of the City of London on the north side with Bermondsey, Peckham and large parts of southeast London on the south. The areas immediately on both sides of the bridge are booming . On the southern bank next to it you’ll find City Hall and Butlers Wharf , an old warehouse complex modernised with smart restaurants, shops and apartments. Go north over the bridge and on your left is the Tower of London which has been there for over 900 years and on the right is St Katherines Dock with its modern hotels, apartments, restaurants and yacht harbour.

One of the best ways to see the bridge is from the river. If you take a boat from Westminster Bridge or the London Eye to Tower Hill the boat will draw parallel with the bridge as it slowly waits to moor and is a good chance to get a photo. There are a number of different cruise companies on the river, all fairly similar in price but the actual vessels vary, so pick the one you like the look of.

The nearest tube station is Tower Hill. The Tower Bridge Exhibition is open Apr-Sep 10am-6.30pm (daily), Oct-Mar 9.30am-6pm (daily). Tickets are £5.50 adults, £3 children. Map