Raph's History Tips - Things I never knew about the Tower Bridge

The mystery of the Tower Bridge:

The Tower Bridge is the final crossing of the walk; this structure has been an icon for London for more than a century. Questions that will be answered here is why there is any confusion between the Tower and London Bridge and many more. Here are some interesting facts that have been learnt while researching the Six Bridges Walk.

The mystery:

The confusion between the two bridges is not just a local problem but a mistake made worldwide. The two structures are a five-minute walk from each other; however, one has two large towers, while the other has the design of a generic bridge. Why do people (including those living locally) get confused with the names?

A simple answer to that is due to the famous nursery rhyme - London Bridge is falling down. The song is known globally, but people do not know what the crossing looks like; as the Tower Bridge is a popular icon, people confuse the song's name with the icon. Mystery Solved.

The Second World War:

During the Second World War, the structure was an important transport link to the port; this made the crossing a target, where there have been multiple bombs exploding near it. A third engine was installed just in case the existing ones were destroyed.

A plane stunt

In August 1912, a stunt pilot Francis McClean became a celebrity by flying in between the bascules of the structure. He then flew below the next three crossings, the London, Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridge.