Tower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognisable bridges in the World. At the Tower Bridge Exhibition you can enjoy breath-taking views from the high-level Walkways and learn about the history of the Bridge and how it was built. You can then visit the Victorian Engine Rooms, home to the original steam engines that used to power the Bridge lifts. Tower Bridge Walkways have specially designed windows, giving visitors a unique opportunity to take photos of the views without them being obscured by glass.

Designed in 1884 it took 8 years to build and when it was built, Tower Bridge was the largest and most sophisticated bascule bridge ever built ("bascule" comes from the French for "see-saw"). It was a hydraulically operated bridge, using steam to power the enormous pumping engines. The energy created was then stored in six massive accumulators so that, as soon as power was required to lift the Bridge, it was readily available. The accumulators fed the driving engines, which drove the bascules up and down. Despite the complexity of the system, the bascules only took about a minute to raise to their maximum 86 degrees. Nowadays, the bascules are still operated by hydraulic power, but since 1976 they have been driven by oil and electricity rather than steam. The original pumping engines, accumulators and boilers are on show as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, and you can also see the current machinery and control cabins when you come on a "Behind The Scenes Tour". (Behind The Scenes Tours must be pre-booked).  Check out Tower Bridge at  http://www.towerbridge.org.uk