London Tower Bridge open for ship passage

Fascinating view of Tower Bridge with its bascules raised to allow a vessel to pass on the Thames. The two neo-Gothic towers in stone and steel, built between 1886 and 1894, frame the passage while barges and boats navigate the river waters. This drawbridge, often mistakenly called London Bridge, represents one of London's most iconic monuments and a masterpiece of Victorian engineering. The bascule lifting mechanism, originally steam-powered, is still operated about a thousand times a year to allow taller ships to pass.

Tower Bridge open, raised bascule, Thames London, drawbridge, Victorian engineering