Discover the marvellous high-level Walkways of Tower Bridge.
Spanning the North and South Towers, the Walkways offer breath-taking panoramic views of London from 42 metres above the River Thames.
Top tip: Don't forget to visit both East and West Walkways to read all about the history and building of Tower Bridge.
Glass Floors
Glass Floors were installed in each Walkway in 2014, offering a unique view of the Bridge and River Thames below.
Views
The East Walkway offers stunning views of the Docklands, Canary Wharf and Greenwich while the West Walkway showcases sights of the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard and the City.
History of the Bridge
The Walkways are packed full of interesting information about the history and construction of the Bridge itself as well as the people who worked there.
Building work on the Bridge started in 1866 and by 1892 the Walkways were approaching completion.
The Walkways provided a platform for pedestrians to cross the Bridge during Bridge Lifts when the bascules were raised. They also house the suspension cable that supports the full length of Tower Bridge.
An exceptional piece of engineering, the cantilevered steel beams extend across the gap between the two towers. A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end – which you can see in this archive photo of the Bridge during construction, where the Walkways are being build out from either side to meet in the middle, without scaffolding.
The Walkways were used from when the Bridge opened to the public in 1894 to 1910, when they were closed due to lack of use. People arriving on the Bridge preferred to wait at street level for the Bridge to close rather than heading up the many stairs to cross the Bridge.
The Walkways opened again, however, in 1982 as part of the new visitor attraction, where visitors could once again enter the walkways to see the amazing panoramic views from the top.
I loved the detail about the history of Tower Bridge and the people that worked here. It was extremely interesting to see how the technology has changed over time. And you have stunning views from the Walkways.
Great visit especially for my husband who loves engineering. The Walkways were fascinating too and a mix of fear and interest watching people below on the Bridge.
Fantastic. Very interested in the personal stories and my family loved the Walkways and Glass Floors.
Did you know you can hire our the Walkways for proposals, dinner parties, events and filming?
Tower Bridge works with AccessAble to provide factual, detailed, accessibility information. Read our detailed access guide for the Walkways.
