Supported by grand castle-like towers clad in Cornish granite and Portland stone, Tower Bridge is as much a part of London as black taxis and beefeaters. It might seem as though it’s been a part of the capital for centuries, but this much-loved landmark is a relatively recent addition to the London skyline.
By the middle of Queen Victoria’s reign there were plenty of river crossings west of London Bridge. There were none, however, to the east. The Thames, one of the busiest rivers in the world, played host to hundreds of tall-masted ships passing into the City that needed to sail unimpeded. Yet people, horses and carts needed to cross, too. In 1876, the City held a competition to design a bridge that would allow everyone to use the river.
Sir Horace Jones and Sir John Wolfe-Barry’s novel design included ‘bascules’ (French for ‘see-saw’) to open the roadway when ships needed tothat complemented its next-door neighbour, the Tower of London (a request by Queen Victoria). With steam-powered hydraulics lifting two great ‘arms’ into the air, by any stretch of the imagination, the project was big.
