culturaluniverse's video: Tower Bridge in London - a famous landmark and an engineering marvel

Tower Bridge in London - a famous landmark and an engineering marvel A late afternoon stroll along and around the bridge on a partly lifted coronavirus lockdown day, Saturday, 20 June 2020 Tower Bridge is a very famous landmark in London. It was built during the latter part of the nineteenth century to connect by road the two sides of the Thames River next to the Tower of London. To allow taller ships to pass through that point to western locations along the river, the bridge design included an ingenious element based on creating a two-sections bridge, which could be opened up by sliding upwards the two parts from the middle to create space for taller ships to pass through beyond the bridge to the west. Details, dates and times of raising the bridge can be found in their website - https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/about-us It took eight years to complete the structure 1886-1894, and since then, in addition to providing access to commercial and human traffic between two sides of the Thames River at that point, it also became a major London landmark and tourist attraction. The Tower of London, on the northern side of the river, has its own incredible history and centre of power struggles for English monarchs. It is also the home of the most famous diamond in the world - Kohi Noor - which the British brought back from India during the heyday of their empire. More about Kohi Noor in another later video. Today, the Tower Bridge and surrounding areas are a very pleasant area to visit; with beautiful architecture all around; economically and culturally vibrant; full of people and energy; moving river traffic; the City Hall, the seat of London government. ‘Under the Corporation of London (Tower Bridge) Act 1885, the City of London Corporation is required to raise the Bridge to provide access to and egress from the Upper Pool of London for registered vessels with a mast or superstructure of 30 feet or more. The service is provided free of charge subject to 24 hours’ notice and is available any time, day or night, 365 days per year. The Bridge is raised around 850 times each year’ - https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/about-us ‘Since 1982, visitors have been able to see inside Tower Bridge and discover the history of the Bridge and why it came into existence through fascinating exhibition content. Visitors can also experience the exciting new glass floor and spectacular panoramic views from the high-level Walkways as well as the Victorian Engine Rooms, which house the beautiful steam engines that once powered the bridge lifts’ - https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/about-us