Tower Bridge’s Bascule Chambers — one of London’s greatest hidden spaces!
A quick video exploration inside one of London’s greatest hidden spaces: Tower Bridge’s Bascule Chambers! The cavernous chambers support the Towers & swallow the Bridge’s huge 400-ton counterweights, which swing down during Bridge Lifts
- Published: 1 January 2024
Enjoy this quick look inside one of London’s greatest hidden spaces, Tower Bridge’s southern Bascule Chamber!
The Bridge’s cavernous, brick-lined Bascule Chambers support the Bridge’s two Towers and allow for the movement of the Bridge’s huge 400-ton counterweights, which swing down during Bridge Lifts.
In this atmospheric setting, Paul Monaghan, Assistant Director of Engineering at the City of London Corporation, explains how the Bascule Chambers work.
One of Tower Bridge’s cavernous, brick-lined Bascule Chambers
Tower Bridge is one of five Thames crossings owned and maintained by our 900-year-old charity – at no cost to the taxpayer. We spend around £10m every year on ensuring our five bridges are in tip-top condition for the tens of thousands of people who cross them every day.
As well as Tower Bridge, we own and look after London Bridge, Southwark Bridge, Millennium Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge.
City Bridge Foundation also supports London’s communities by awarding over £30 million a year to charities across the capital. We literally and metaphorically bridge London, connect its communities and invest in its future.
Learn more about the Bascule Chambers on the Tower Bridge website.
Our sole trustee is the City of London Corporation – the governing body for the Square Mile.
Filming by Javier Madinabeitia