The most beautiful bridges in Great Britain. The most beautiful bridges across the Thames The most famous bridge in London
There are cities in this world that immediately amaze with their beauty, and, moreover, are known throughout the world for their attractions. London- just such a place. "London Bridge is Falling"- There is probably no country where children do not know this saying. Today we will talk about the equally popular bridges of the capital of Foggy Albion.
Millennium Bridge / London Millennium Footbridge
Millennium Bridge It is considered the youngest bridge in central London. I must say that this is the first new bridge in the last millennium. It was built to commemorate the new millennium and was one of those large-scale structures erected in connection with the celebration of the so-called Millennium.
On June 10, 2000, the bridge was opened in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II. On this day, about 100 thousand people walked across the bridge. There were up to 2 thousand people on the bridge at the same time. It turned out that the bridge was swaying too much from side to side due to resonance phenomena. Initially, an attempt was made to slightly limit the number of people walking across the bridge at the same time, but this led to huge queues. After some time, the bridge was closed for reconstruction.
The re-opening of the bridge for pedestrians was scheduled for February 22, 2002. Since then, significant vibrations of the bridge have not occurred.
The bridge offers a beautiful panorama of central London, namely the Tate Modern gallery, the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, as well as the reconstruction of the world famous Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
Westminster bridge
In our time Westminster Bridge can be called the oldest bridge in central London. He turned one and a half centuries old. In appearance it is an ordinary arch bridge, which is very similar to Lambeth Bridge, Southwark Bridge, and Blackfriars Bridges. Its difference lies in the fact that it has the largest number of arches among the current London bridges, namely 7.
Londoners built Westminster Bridge in 1862 on the site of the old Westminster Bridge. The reason for the construction of this bridge was the poor condition of the old bridge, built of stone and constantly sagging, as a result of which it took too much money and time to repair it.
Westminster Bridge was designed by Thomas Page. This bridge became the second bridge over the Thames in London. Before the construction of the first Westminster Bridge in London, the Thames was crossed exclusively through the Old London Bridge, built one and a half thousand years before the construction of Westminster Bridge. And it was after the construction of Westminster Bridge that the influential expansion of the British capital to the north-west began: at the end of the 18th century, the rapid development of London's West End took place.
In its architecture, Westminster Bridge fits perfectly into the neo-Gothic style of the surrounding buildings, and specifically with the Palace of Westminster, located on the west bank of the Thames. In addition, the so-called London Eye is clearly visible from Westminster Bridge, which provides panoramic views of London itself and its surroundings.
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a drawbridge in central London over the River Thames. It is famous for being one of the symbols of the city. Tower Bridge got its name due to its proximity to the Tower of London.
The decision to build Tower Bridge was made due to the fact that in the second half of the 19th century it was necessary to expand the eastern district of London, the East End. Because of this, it became inconvenient for its residents to move to the other side of the river along the London Bridge closest to them. The Tower Subway tunnel under the Thames, built in 1870, was intended only for pedestrians (though it was originally intended and used as a subway tunnel) and did not actually solve the problem.
In 1876, a committee was specially created that decided to build a new bridge east of London. The bridge was supposed to be a drawbridge to allow large ships to pass into London Pool. A competition of projects was immediately announced, of which Horace Jones's project won out of fifty. This happened, however, only in 1884.
Construction of the bridge began on June 21, 1886, and it was completed 8 years later. The grand opening of the new bridge was celebrated on June 30, 1894 by Prince Edward of Wales and his wife Princess Alexandra.
The design features of this bridge are drawable spans and high-rise pedestrian galleries. This bridge was not raised according to a schedule, but whenever a ship needed to pass under it. Currently, they have come up with a schedule, but it is not regular - it is compiled several months in advance at the request of especially large ships.
Inside the bridge, namely in the pedestrian galleries, there is a museum where you can learn about the history of this place. In it you can see the true, but currently non-functioning mechanisms that control the movement of the span.
There are quite a lot of bridges in London, more than 30 in total. There are bridges known throughout the world, legendary bridges, and there are modest hard-working bridges, the names of which not every Englishman remembers. It is easy to determine the bridge with which the story should end - this is Tower Bridge. After it, the Thames goes around the Isle of Dogs and further to the North Sea, only the Queen Elizabeth II cable-stayed bridge spans the famous river. But it is already in the London suburb of Dartford. And it’s better to start the story about London bridges with the Chiswick Bridge. Why exactly from him? The reason is simple - in Mortlake, not far from this bridge, the famous race along the Thames between the teams of Oxford and Cambridge finishes. The regatta starts from Putney Bridge.
|
|
The bridge was built in the second half of the century before last, and the city authorities decided to demolish it after the end of World War II. But the public rose to its defense and now it is a monument. There is vehicular traffic on it, but with a weight limit of 2 tons.
The oldest and most beautiful arched bridge in London. It was built with such high quality that it hardly needs any repairs. Very popular, from this bridge tourists take photographs of two other capital attractions - and. Interestingly, the bridge is painted the same color as the seats in the House of Commons.
It received its name in honor of the ancient monastery. From the bridge there is a beautiful view of and.
Pedestrian bridge named after the new millennium. This is the newest bridge in London. It is not a typical suspension bridge design. This design led to the Queen opening the bridge, and then it was immediately closed for repairs. This defect has now been fixed. So we are not the only ones who build “dancing” bridges.
This bridge was opened in 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II. And they built it approximately on the same spot where bridges across the Thames have been traditionally built for 2 thousand years. This tradition was apparently started by the Romans in the 1st century AD. Until the middle of the 18th century there were no other bridges in London, which is why this one has such a discreet name. Then many other bridges with big names were built, but the London Bridge retained its name. Traditions are held in high esteem here. It is vaguely similar to the Waterloo Bridge, only that bridge has twice as many supports - 4.
Tower Bridge
Much younger than its “namesake” Tower. Besides this, there are no other drawbridges in London. The design of the bridge is unusual - two medieval-looking towers are installed on massive foundations, connected at the top by pedestrian crossings, and at the bottom by huge movable parts. According to foreigners, one of the most popular attractions in London. Taking a selfie here is the dream of most tourists.
Seeing the Tower Bridge open these days is a great success. They do this 4, at most 5 times in a week. And in the old days they were bred 50 times.
These are the bridges of London. Some of them even turned into symbols of the capital of Britain.
|
| | | |
We all know from school that the most famous bridge in London is Tower Bridge. Its unusual appearance makes it easily recognizable: two Gothic-style towers stand on imposing river piers, connected by drawbridges and pedestrian galleries.
Its main difference from other bridges is that it is a drawbridge and the lowest located above the Thames. It got its name due to its proximity to the Tower, which is located on the north side.
Short story
For a long time, the Thames was crossed by one bridge, the London Bridge. However, the sharp economic recovery and population growth that began in the 19th century showed the need for the construction of additional bridges, which were supposed to help solve the capital’s transport problem.
Over the course of several years, more than one bridge was built, but problems with traffic flow did not decrease. Soon a committee was created that studied dozens of projects, and only in 1884 the project of John Wolf Bury and Horace Johnsan was approved.
More than 400 workers worked on the construction of the bridge for 8 years. The opening took place on June 30, 1894, and was attended by Prince Edward of Wales and his wife Princess Alexandra.
The bridge was made in the Gothic style, but using a number of innovative developments. Thanks to the presence of a hydraulic system, just a couple of minutes are enough to ensure free passage for a sailing vessel. Until 1974, the bridge was raised by the operation of steam engines, in the furnaces of which coal was burned, which drove the pumps. They pumped water into reservoirs, storing energy. But progress did not stand still, and the entire mechanism was replaced with an electro-hydraulic system, which significantly saved time and costs. Now the bridge was raised not according to schedule, but out of necessity.
Over the years, Tower Bridge along with Big Ben have become real symbols and one of the main attractions of London.
Today, Tower Bridge is one of the most visited attractions in England. Many tourists coming here consider it an honor to take a walk through the legendary building, especially since many London hotels offer very informative and comprehensive excursions around the city.
Information for visitors
Address: Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 2UP, United Kingdom
You can take a walk along Tower Bridge:
- during the summer season (from April 1 to September 30) - from 10:00 to 18:30 (last entry at 17:30);
- during the winter season (from October 1 to March 31) - from 09:30 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:00).
Ticket prices:
You can buy tickets at
Tower bridge
In the second half of the 19th century, increased commercial development in London's East End led to the need for a new river crossing just downstream of London Bridge. A traditional fixed bridge could not be built because it would block access to the port facilities in the London basin, between London Bridge and the Tower of London.
The Special Bridge and Subway Committee was formed in 1876, under the chairmanship of A. J. Altman, whose task was to find a solution for crossing the river at this location. The committee opened a tender for a project to build a river crossing. Over 50 designs were submitted, including one from civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette. The judging of the designs was surrounded by controversy, and it was not until 1884 that a design submitted by Horace Jones was approved by the City Architect (who was also one of the judges).
Jones's engineer, Sir John Wolfe Barry, developed the idea of an 800 ft moving truss bridge (244 m long) with two towers, each 213 ft (65 m) high, which would be located on a pier. The central 200 ft (61 m) span between the towers was split into two equal movable trusses or sheets, which could be raised to an angle of 83 degrees to allow river navigation to operate as before. The moving trusses, weighing more than 1,000 tonnes each, have been balanced to minimize the force required and allow them to be lifted in five minutes.
The two spans are suspension bridges, each 270 feet (82 m) long, with stopping rods anchored both within the bridge's boundaries, and across rods contained within the bridge's upper aisles. The walkways are located 143 feet (44 m) above the river at high tide.
Construction of the bridge began in 1886 and took eight years, during which five main contractors were involved in the construction - Sir John Jackson (bridge foundation), Armstrong Baron (hydraulics), William Webster, Sir H.H. Bartlett, and Sir William Errol - as well as 432 construction workers were involved in the construction. I. W. Crutwell was the resident engineer throughout the construction.
Two massive piers containing more than 70,000 tons of concrete were sunk into the riverbed to support construction of the bridge. More than 11,000 tons of steel formed the basis for the towers and walkways. The bridge was then 'clad' in Cornish granite and Portland stone to protect the underlying steelwork and give the bridge a pleasing appearance.
In 1887, Jones died and George D. Stevenson took over the project. Stevenson replaced Jones's original brick façade with the more decorative Victorian Gothic style that had established the bridge as a London landmark, and was intended to blend in with the nearby Tower of London.
The bridge was officially opened on June 30, 1894 by the Prince of Wales, future King Edward VII, and his wife, Alexandra of Denmark.
The bridge connected the Iron Gate, on the north bank of the river, with Horseleydown Lane, on the south – now known as the Tower Bridge Approach and Tower Highway, respectively. The total cost of construction was £1,184,000.
London Bridge
London Bridge has a rather simple and, one might say, somewhat ascetic appearance. Its entire appearance stands in stark contrast to the interesting and rather eventful history of this bridge. The modern London Bridge (there used to be another London Bridge) has not been in operation for a very long time. Just a little more than thirty years. It (modern London Bridge) is the last of a whole series of bridges that have been built and operated in approximately the same place since very ancient times. The history of London Bridge stretches back to the Roman period. It is noteworthy that all the bridges built here at different times bore the same name “London Bridge”. For a long historical period, London Bridge was not only the first (until the 18th century), but the only bridge located in the city of London itself. This is precisely what led to its simple name. If you climb onto the bridge and face its northern end, you can see some of London's landmarks on the right. Among them: Tower Bridge, cruiser Belfast, Tower. Ahead of you you can see another London landmark - the Great Fire Monument.
Waterloo Bridge is one of the many magnificent bridges built to cross the River Thames. Pedestrian and vehicular, it is located between Blackfriar and Hungerford Bridges in London.
The history of the building is replete with very interesting facts.
Its first version was created according to the design of John Rennie, and was not very successful. Completed in 1817, by 1878 it required significant repairs. By government decision, the bridge was nationalized and handed over to MBW for reconstruction and maintenance. MBW carried out the necessary work and opened it for free use.
However, their efforts to maintain the structure were undermined by a poor architectural design.
Therefore, in the 1920s, the London government decided to demolish the existing bridge and replace it with a design by the architect Sir Gil Gilbert Scott (who won the competition for the best design of the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool in 1903).
This time the bridge turned out to be not only beautiful, but also very functional. Beginning in 1942, construction was completed in 1945 - in just three years - despite serious wartime difficulties.
Millennium Bridge
If we do not take into account the Hungerford pedestrian bridges, which at one time were built to replace the pedestrian galleries that previously existed around the Hungerford railway bridge, then we can say that the Millennium Bridge is the youngest bridge in central London. This bridge was the first bridge built in central London for a century. The previous bridge was Tower Bridge.
This bridge has a unique design. It is a suspension bridge. The Millennium Bridge has an easily recognizable and memorable appearance. This refers to 2 Y-shaped river supports. Between the tops of these supports and at the same time between them and both banks, there are stretched steel ropes. There are four such ropes on each side. Transverse beams are suspended from them, which serve as support for the bridge deck.
Translated from English, Millennium Bridge means “Millennium Bridge”. It was erected to commemorate the new millennium. It became a truly large-scale structure that was built in honor of the Millennium celebrations. Officially, the Millennium Bridge is called the London Millennium Footbridge, which stands for the London Millennium Footbridge.
Cannon Street Railroad Bridge
Construction of the Cannon Street Railroad Bridge began in 1863. In 1866, construction work was completed. The new bridge had five iron spans, which were mounted on cast iron Doric columns. The bridge included ten rail tracks and pedestrian galleries. Moreover, there were separate pedestrian galleries for the public, and their own for station employees.
This bridge is included in the list "Bridges of London". This bridge stands out from among other bridges in central London in that its supports are a row of six round columns, which are spaced at some distance from each other.
The bridge received this name from the name of the railway station from which they opened in one year. This railway station is located on the north bank of the River Thames. The bridge also helps connect the station with the southern bank of the river.
The bridge was originally called Alexandra Bridge (in honor of the wife of Prince Edward of Wales). It was in the year when the construction of the bridge began that the son of the then reigning Queen Victoria, the crown prince of the British throne, the future King Edward VII, married Alexandra of Denmark.
Since 1886 to 1893 the bridge was slightly widened. The bridge underwent renovation already in the twentieth century, since 1979. to 1982 after that, it lost the bulk of its ornaments.
Westminster Bridge
Currently, Westminster Bridge is the oldest bridge in central London. He is one and a half centuries old. In appearance it is an ordinary arch bridge, similar to Southwark Bridge, Lambeth Bridge and Blackfriars Bridges. Its difference from them is that it has the largest number of arches among modern London bridges - 7 (the listed bridges have only 5). Westminster Bridge was built in 1862 on the site of the old Westminster Bridge. The reason for the construction of the new bridge was the poor condition of the old one, which was built of stone and was constantly sagging, as a result of which it took too much money and time to repair it. Westminster Bridge was designed by Thomas Page. Westminster Bridge became the second bridge over the Thames in London. Before the construction of the first Westminster Bridge in London, the Thames could only be crossed through Old London Bridge, which was built one and a half thousand years before the construction of Westminster Bridge. And it was after the construction of the Westminster Bridge that a significant expansion of the capital of Great Britain to the north-west began, and it was at the end of the 18th century that the strongest development of the London West End occurred. In its architecture, Westminster Bridge fits harmoniously into the neo-Gothic style of the surrounding buildings, namely the Palace of Westminster, which is located on the west bank of the Thames. In addition, from Westminster Bridge you can clearly see the London Eye, from which you can see London and its surroundings.
Old aristocratic England... How many world-famous historical and cultural objects are there in it, connected with the sovereign past of this small but strong state. It was in London that such a colossus of bridge construction as the Tower Swing Suspension Bridge across the Thames was erected.
A nice bonus only for our readers - a discount coupon when paying for tours on the website until October 31:
- AF500guruturizma - promotional code for 500 rubles for tours from 40,000 rubles
- AFTA2000Guru - promotional code for 2,000 rubles. for tours to Thailand from 100,000 rubles.
- AF2000TGuruturizma - promotional code for 2,000 rubles. for tours to Tunisia from 100,000 rubles.
Over the course of eight long years, many construction plans were considered, and finally, in 1880, Horace Jones's Gothic-style design was approved.
Description of the architectural project
The grandiose project provided for the simultaneous movement of pedestrians along it and the passage of ships on the river, so the bridge had to be built with counterweights. For this purpose, two sixty-five-meter towers were built on powerful steel supports, at a height of 42 meters above the water, connected by galleries, placing them at a height of 34 meters above the roadway of the bridge.
The construction of these facilities took 11,000 tons of metal: the project was among the most expensive in England in the 19th century. An innovation in construction was the combination of brickwork and steel structures.
Elevators are installed inside the towers, thanks to which pedestrians have the opportunity to find themselves in the galleries and move freely along them in both directions when the lower part of the bridge is in an open state, and river vessels with a carrying capacity limited to 10,000 tons pass under it.
This is possible thanks to two huge lifting structures, each weighing 1.2 tons; The wing spread angle of the lift is 83 degrees, which ensures free movement of vessels. The length of the bridge is 244 meters, and the length of the longest span is 61 meters.
Jones himself did not wait for the opening of his brainchild: he died before the completion of construction. The construction of the unique bridge continued under the leadership of the talented architect Wolfe-Berry and was completed in 1894.
On June 30 of the same year, an important historical event took place - the opening of the Tower Bridge, which was a colossal creation of bridge construction and a work of architectural art. All the important people of England were present at this event, including the family of Prince Edward of Wales.
Technical details of raising a bridge
During the first decades of operation of the unusual design, breeding was carried out using eight hydraulic motors, which were powered by water steam and additionally lifted elevators with people into the galleries. Enormous steam pressure was required for the hydraulics to successfully perform the lifting function within one minute (during which time the wings of the bridge spread).
Previously, there was no schedule for the passage of ships, so when a steamship or barge approached the bridge, a pre-arranged signal was sounded, signaling the start of the draw and warning that motorists, cyclists and pedestrians needed to leave the draw part of the bridge. After this, the barriers were lowered, the wings of the bridge were raised, the ship sailed, and again there was a signal indicating that the wiring was completed.
For a long time, lift motors have been operating on electric current, and schedules for the passage of ships are drawn up in advance long before their passage. Anyone can familiarize themselves with the schedule posted on the notice board before going up to the galleries, which now mainly serve as platforms for exploring the surrounding area and are a kind of museum of the famous object.
Towers of Tower Bridge
The skyward Gothic spiers of the towers give them a solemnly ceremonial appearance, numerous windows with tracery of stucco frames add an element of grace, and round massive columns along the edges create the impression of the monolithic power of the buildings. Steel chains stretching from one tower to another reinforce this impression. The walls of the towers are decorated with granite, which makes them even more similar to the majestic Tower Castle.
Bridge as a tourist site
Each tourist who visits London considers it his duty to visit Tower Bridge in order to see with his own eyes this truly unique structure - the fruit of human mental and physical labor. Some of the visitors watch the routing, amazed at how the huge colossal wings instantly swing open, giving way to the ship.
Others admire the panorama of London, which opens to the admiring gaze of thousands of medieval buildings, avenues and avenues, squares and parks and makes one think about the greatness and power of the English capital, created over the centuries by generations of hardworking British people.
You can visit galleries, see the history of the bridge’s creation in photographs and stands, and visit an exhibition where an electronic display shows the stages of construction of the facility. Now the floor in the galleries on a stretch of eleven meters, made of steel plates, has become transparent: the steel plates have been replaced by durable glass panels 6 cm thick and weighing 530 kilograms.
Through them you can see a luxury motor ship or a luxury yacht sailing below - a very interesting and beautiful sight that attracts the attention of many, so the part of the gallery with a glass floor is never empty.
The unforgettable impressions of the bridge are enhanced by a visit to Tower Castle, one of the oldest architectural monuments, the short and quick way to which is the Tower Drawbridge - a unique masterpiece among its brothers.
