The Bascule Chambers

A behind-the-scenes exclusive

Tower Bridge's Bascule Chambers are one of London’s greatest hidden spaces.

These cavernous brick-lined, subterranean spaces were built as an operational area to allow for the movement of the Bridge's huge counterweights used during Bridge Lifts.

Top Tip: the Bascule Chambers are normally out of bounds for everyday visitors. But, on rare occasions, they are opened up for our Behind-the-Scenes Tours. Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear when tickets are on sale.

Behind-the-Scenes Tours

See inside the Bascule Chambers

Fancy taking a rare and extended look around Tower Bridge led by our accredited guides?

Our Behind-the-Scenes Tours are a wonderful way to get a closer look at the Towers, Engine Rooms and Bascule Chambers.

Find out more

Tower Bridge's Bascule Chamber, a huge stone-lined area with metal work on the ceiling. It is dark and gloomy.

Bascule Chambers facts

The Bascule Chambers are like two enormous halls, 27 metres high, inside the piers. Their width x length x height measurements are: 21 x 59 x 27 metres.
The piers for the Bascule Chambers were built using 12 caissons, steel cages lowered into the Thames.
A team of divers lead by a Quaker, Friend Samuel Penney, then worked inside the caissons excavating the foundations.
Each of our mighty bascules weight over 1,200 tons. A 400-ton counterweight help them to descend into the Bascules Chambers.
The bascules were were built vertically to ensure river traffic could still pass. They were the final part of Tower Bridge’s construction.
The walls in the piers are a minimum of 304.8 cm (10 foot) thick made of Staffordshire Brindle and Gault bricks, faced with Granite
An engineer once fitted a fire alarm inside the Bascule Chambers. The next Bridge Lift caused the alarm to be ripped off the wall!

What our visitors say

'Excellent tour. Seeing underneath the Bridge was so interesting. The tour guides were both great!'

'Very interesting and informative. The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Good size group for the tour. Would highly recommend.'

'Highly recommended if you really want to know what makes this Bridge the unique icon that it is, and more importantly, go up and down!'

Sneak peek

Scroll through the gallery below for a sneak peek inside the Bascule Chambers.

Concerts & Screenings

In the past, Tower Bridge have worked closely with partners to create and host unique artistic events such as concerts and film screenings within the cathedral-like space of the Bascule Chambers. Each event has enthralled visitors and captured their imaginations.

For a taste of these previous events, watch a sample of a concert curated by composer Iain Chambers.