London's River & Bridges Part 7 - Tower Bridge to Queen Elizabeth II Bridge

Having passed under London Bridge the River thenturbulent middle ages and Elizabethan times, to the
flows towards Tower Bridge passing on the southfounding of the dock we can see today, St Katharine's
bank the battle cruiser HMS Belfast on the north bankhas played an important part in the life of London.
the Tower of London. HMS Belfast is nowFrom being a busy port with extensive warehousing
permanently moored near to Tower Bridge as afacilities the dock in now a pleasant mix of marina,
museum and was opened to the public on 21 Octoberrestaurants, residential and commercial in a water
1971, which was Trafalgar Day (commemorating thesetting.
victory og Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar inFurther downstream the River takes a long sweep to
1805). The ship saw active service in the second worldcreate an isthmus called the Isle of Dogs. This was
war and was decommissioned from the navy in 1963.once the centre of the enormous London docks
The Tower of London is amongst the most significantcomplex, but has now been redeveloped into what is
buildings not just in London or Britain, but in the world. Itknown as Canary Wharf, with some of London's
is a World Heritage Site. From its earliest structuraltallest commercial developments.
beginnings by its founder William I of England betterOpposite the Isle of dogs on the south bank of the
known as William the Conqueror 1066-87, the GreatRiver is Greenwich. Greenwich is best known for it
Tower or White Tower as it later came to be calledmaritime history and as giving its name to the
was fast becoming the most talked-about building inGreenwich Meridian (0° longitude) and Greenwich
England. The White Tower was also the most aweMean Time. It is now a World Heritage Site. The
inspiring, and frightening structure to the Anglo-Saxonmaritime connections of Greenwich were celebrated in
people who were trying to get used to the rule of theirthe 20th century, with the sitting of the Cutty Sark (an
new Norman king, the destroyer of their own ruler,tea clipper form the 19th century) and Gipsy Moth IV
Harold II, at the in 1066. Within three months of his(the yacht that was used by Sir Francis Chichester -
victory William the Conqueror had begun to build athe first man to sail solo around the world in 1967) next
castle on the north bank of the river Thames into the river front, and the National Maritime Museum in
London. However, the tower as a whole is a complexthe former buildings of the Royal Hospital School. The
of several buildings set within two concentric rings ofNational Maritime Museum includes the Royal
defensive walls and a moat. The tower's primaryObservatory and the Queens House and the Old
function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison. ItRoyal Naval College the full splendour of which can be
has also served as a place of execution and torture,seen from the River.
an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a publicJust beyond the Isle of Dogs, the River flows past a
records office, an observatory, and since 1303, thelarge promontory on which sits one of the most
home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.controversial buildings in Britain - the Millennium Dome. A
Tower Bridge is the last bridge in London, although thelarge fibre glass structure that was erected to
only other bridge before the sea is the Queencommemorate the arrival of the second millennium.
Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford, which is just outsideThe structure caused lots of problems both on
London. In the mid 19th century because of increasedconstruction and the facilities provided. After the
traffic into the docks in London (now gone), the needmillennium celebrations the structure fell into disrepair
arose for a further bridge downstream of Londonand was subsequently sold at a knock down price and
Bridge. However A traditional fixed bridge could not bere-emerged as one of Country's leading events
built because it would cut off access to the portvenues and is now known as the O2.
facilities between London Bridge and the Tower ofAs the River flows further towards the sea, just north
London. A competition was held and of 50 designsof Woolwich there is the Thames Barrier. This is a
submitted, the competition was won by Horace Jones.flood control structure on the River which was
The bridge is a bascule and suspension bridge, whichconstructed between 1974 and 1982 at Woolwich
means that the roadway is split in the middle to allowReach. It is the world's second largest movable flood
the two halves (bascules) to rise and allow tall ships tobarrier. Its purpose is to prevent London from being
pass by. The two bascules were raised by two steamflooded by an exceptionally high tide moving up from
engines at the base of the bridge, one for eachthe sea, often exacerbated by a storm surge. It only
bascule. These have now been replaced by electricneeds to be raised for the duration of the high tide, at
motors although the original steam system is stillebb tide it can be lowered to release upstream water
retained and on show as part of the visitor exhibition.that backs up behind it.
There is a high level walkway between the twoBeyond the Thames Barrier the River continues its
towers which give wonderful views of London and theprogress passing a number of the outskirts of East
River.London boroughs until it arrives a Dartmouth which is
Just downstream from the bridge on the north bank ofjust outside the boundary limits of London, where
the River is St Catherine Dock. For over a thousandunder the river is a dual tunnel - the Dartmouth Tunnel
years the site of St Katharine Docks has been aand over the river is the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. This
focus of commerce and human endeavour. From Kingis a 137 metre high cable-stayed bridge.
Edgar's bequest in the 10th century throughout the