Secrets of Tower Bridge

Everyone recognises Tower Bridge. But did you know about its atmospheric bascule chambers, the Victorian workers who threw and caught white hot rivets while building the structure, or the derring-do/reckless pilots who flew through the middle of it?
In this video, we take a special tour behind the scenes of one of London's great icons.
See Londonist: Time Machine for bonus facts and some of the stuff that didn't make the video londonist.substack.com/p/towe...

[@tonydotnottingham]

Thanks for showing this - I had tickets to go on the tower tour in early 2020… so never managed to make it - thanks for showing some of the behind the scenes, hopefully one day I can see it in person!

[@799ramon]

I was there in October 2023. It is an impressive bridge that continues to exist. It is worth the effort, time, and visit.

[@janicew9]

Always love the londonist!

[@johncamp2567]

Remarkable access; very interesting!! 👍

[@Londonistvids]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@luisstransport]

Great video

[@AndrewG1989]

Miss Matt Brown. Nice to see him back on Londonist. I’ve walked on Tower Bridge lots of times.

[@SaturnCanuck]

Brilliant

[@EvilJason85]

At every London trip, the bridge was the first and last place to go to. I loved to go to the engine rooms

[@williamrobinson7435]

Really great! A new subscriber writes. Look forward to checking out your stuff. ⭐👍

[@Nick-13]

Very interesting Matt, even though I visited a few years ago Were you by any chance at Baker St yesterday - wasn't sure if it was you (or not !) filming

[@kueller917]

I've never actually been to the bridge. Maybe on my next visit I can finally check it out.

[@Londonistvids]

We'd recommend :) If you're keen to take the behind-the-scenes tour just make sure to book in advance!

[@derricklewis5397]

nice one ripping off Geoff Marshall u melon @@Londonistvids

[@CricketEngland]

It’s £75 for a 2 hour tour of the bridge btw

[@kueller917]

@@derricklewis5397 Marshall is so influential "Secrets of..." videos have practically become a genre in themselves. There is one for the Paris metro lines here.

[@Xalira]

@@kueller917I would understand if people were copying Geoff's style too, but he hardly ever had the copyright on any “Secrets of…” videos, come on!

[@Anonymoususer_2023]

I’ve walked on Tower Bridge and been to the Tower of London.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

Blimey I think that I'd better pause the video for a mo and add a ahem counterweight to the to me incomprehensible comments so far. Chac'un à son goût natch and at least they're one half of an argument which encouragingly shows that that much publicised cancel culture has yet to gain the upper hand. Enough guff, Thank you for another concise entertaining and as always annoyingly informative video about a subject that everyone in London likes to think they know all there is to know about! Almost worth the slightly too long wait to jump on to another exemplar of your mischievous art. No other YT vid leaves me feeling both uplifted because I've enjoyed gaining new knowledge at the very same time as deflated because yet again you've proved that I am not top banana and I don't know all there is to know about an iconic landmark. Bravo!

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

Now that I've watched it all, what no mention that the power used nowadays is about the same as that needed to boil a kettle? What no mention of the special case when the monarch passes through whereby the road decks are raised to their fullest extent and end up practically vertical?

[@chrimbo90]

What on earth are you on about…?

[@magicknight8412]

what are you talking about?

[@TheInselaffen]

TIL Londonist are making videos again.

[@GaryJohnWalker1]

How come the Londonist are so infrequent with the youtube videos?

[@castlegate2015]

I'm an auto generated comment, like the others. 😅

[@CricketEngland]

Seen all this before on other videos

[@hairyairey]

The Bridge belongs to the Port of London and river traffic always has priority. Although that law definitely needs amending.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

Whyso exactly? Don't you just see it as one of a rare set of english eccentricities? The clue's in the terminology. When the decks are raised, the bridge is open as they state. To change the law would in fact mean rewriting the whole world's maritime law and where would you start? Or stop for that matter?

[@hairyairey]

@@JP_TaVeryMuch Because there is one day a year when it absolutely should not be raised. Amending laws is what Parliament does.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

@@hairyairey Go on, enlighten me, I'm hooked.

[@hairyairey]

@@JP_TaVeryMuch One day a year, usually in April. It's not that hard to figure out.

[@my__socrates__note]

The website of the City Bridge Foundation (formerly Bridge House Estates) says they own Tower Bridge?

[@seanbonella]

First

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

Aha! Fun isn't it, doing things differently? Keeps us fresh and on our toes.

[@magicknight8412]

WOW WOW WOW !!! How amazing ! Thank you SO MUCH for telling us.

[@duncandisorderly6562]

Not really secrets chap 😄👍

[@seanbonella]

Not Geoff, I'm gone

[@hairyairey]

Geoff went solo a good few years ago. Then duo and back to solo.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

Blimey that could be taken as a bit dismissive of everybody else involved. And I can't believe it but is that also an example of the lesser spotted actual comment from your good self? One could be tempted to say that it's probably a first... Go on! You can still edit it. I'm not tellin!

[@Londonistvids]

lolll our Secrets of London Bridges series have been presented by Matt Brown for a very long time... dw, you can still find Geoff doing his excellent thing over on @geofftech2

[@telhudson863]

Overall, it was worth an up-tick with interesting views but the explanation was annoying. It was the most confusing and convoluted explanation of a hydraulic engine I ever heard. And it left out all the useful information such as the power needed to raise the bridge. Why use hydraulic instead of the steam engine? And of course, no mention was made of the price of a ticket to take the full tour. I can't help comparing it unfavourably to Tim Traveller or Jago Hazzard.

[@neatodd]

Unnecessary and distracting background music? Have a downvote