Tower Bridge This bridge was built in 1894 and it is still in daily use even though the traffic in and out of the London wharves has increased to an extraordinary extent during the course of the 20th century. Even today Tower Bridge regulates a large part of the impressive traffic of the Port of London. Due to a special mechanism, the main traffic-way consisting of two parts fixed to two hinges at the ends can be lifted up. In this way, the entrance and departure of extremely large vessels is possible, and it allows them to reach the Pool of London. Nowadays the pedestrian path is closed. This footpath crossing which used to be allowed was by the upper bridge which connected the top of each tower, situated at a height of 142 feet above the waters of the famous Thames. Tower Bridge commands wide and magnificent views of both the city and the river. After Tower Bridge, the wharves of London extend until Tilbury. The gigantic port of this city, which has one of the heaviest movements of ocean-going traffic in the entire world, occupies practically the whole bank of the Thames from Teddington. It is virtually impossible to get a complete idea of its colossal extent. In fact it is one wharf after another, apparently continuing endlessly. There is one way to form a closer idea of the grandiosity of this port: to view it from Tower Bridge on a clear day. Tower Bridge This bridge was built in 1894 and is still in use today, although traffic in and out of London Wharf has increased enormously as the twentieth century has progressed. Even today, Tower Bridge handles much of the impressive traffic to the Port of London. Thanks to a special mechanism, the main road transport tracks, consisting of two parts, are attached to 2 loops at the ends and can be lifted up. In this way, the entry and exit of very large ships is possible, and allows them to reach Pull in London. The pedestrian path is currently closed. This pedestrian crossing, which was previously permitted, connected the tops of each tower, and was located 142 meters above the waters of the famous Thames. Tower Bridge offers wide and magnificent views of both the city and the river. After Tower Bridge, London's shipyards extend all the way to Tilbury. This city's gigantic port, which has one of the busiest ocean-going traffic in the entire world, occupies almost the entire Thames from Teddington. It is almost impossible to get a full picture of its colossal expansion. In fact, it is one pier after another that continues ad infinitum. There is one way to get an idea of the grandeur of this port: to see it from Tower Bridge on a clear day.
The Tower of London
The Tower of London is one of the most imposing and popular of London's historical sites. It comprises not one, but 20 towers. The oldest of which, the White Tower, dates back to the llth century and the time of William the Conqueror . Nowadays a lot of tourists visit the Tower of London, because of the Tower's evil reputation as a prison. The Tower is famous as home of the Crown Jewels. Today they can be viewed in their new jewel house. They include the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother which contains the celebrated Indian diamond.
Many stories associated with British history come from the Tower. In 1483 King Edward IV "s two sons were murdered in the so-called Bloody Tower. Over two centuries later the skeletons of two little boys were found buried beneath steps in the White Tower.
Traitor's Gate has steps leading down to the River Thames. Countless prisoners, including the future Queen Elizabeth I of England, were brought to the Tower by barge and ascended the steps before being imprisoned. For many it was their last moment of freedom before their death. But Elizabeth was released from the Tower and became Queen. The King's second wife, Anne Boleyn, was brought to trial there in 1536 and beheaded. Six years later her cousin, Catherine, Henry VIII "s fifth wife, suffered the same fate. Sir Thomas More was beheaded there in 1535.
Of course, no visit to the Tower would be complete without seeing the ravens; huge black birds who are an official part of the Tower community. Legend states that if the ravens were to leave the Tower the Crown will fall, and Britain with it. Under the special care of the Raven Master, the ravens are fed a daily diet of raw meat. And there is no danger of them flying away, because their wings are clipped.
Tower of London
The Tower of London is one of London's most prominent and popular historical landmarks. It includes not one, but 20 towers. The oldest of them is the White Tower, which dates back to the 11th century and the time of William the Conqueror. Today, many tourists visit the Tower of London, attracted by its evil reputation as a prison. The Tower is known as the repository of the royal jewels. Today they can be seen in the new jewelry house. Among them is the crown of Queen Elizabeth's mother, which contains the famous Indian diamond.
Many stories related to British history come from the Tower. In 1483, two sons of King Edward IV were killed in the so-called Tower of Blood. Two centuries later, the skeletons of two boys were buried under the steps of the White Tower.
Traitor's Gate has steps leading down into the River Thames. Large numbers of prisoners, including the future Queen Elizabeth I of England, were brought to the Tower by barge and walked up the steps before becoming prisoners. For many, this was the last moment of freedom before death. But Elizabeth was released from the Tower and became queen. The king's second wife, Anne Boleyn, was put on trial in 1536 and beheaded. Six years later, her cousin Catherine, Henry VIII's fifth wife, suffered the same fate. Thomas More was beheaded here in 1535.
Of course, a visit to the Tower is not complete unless you see the crows, the huge black birds that are the legal inhabitants of the Tower. Legend has it that if the ravens leave the Tower, the crown will fall and Britain will fall with it. Under the special supervision of the crow's owner, they are given a daily portion of raw meat. And there is no fear that they will fly away because their wings are clipped.
London's Tower Bridge is one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge over the River Thames in London and takes its name from the nearby Tower of London. It has become an iconic symbol of the city and a very popular tourist attraction.
In 1876 the City of London Corporation had an idea to build a new bridge but it was clear that the new bridge would not disrupt river traffic. There were more than 50 designs and it wasn’t easy to choose the best. Finely design of Sir Horace Jones and Sir John Wolfe Barry was chosen. In 1886 the Bridge’s construction began. Tower Bridge was officially opened on 30th June 1894.
The bridge is 244m (800 ft) long between two 65m (213 ft) tall towers constructed on piers. The central span of 61m (200 ft) between the towers is split equally into two bascules or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 83 degrees to allow river traffic to pass through. The bascules weigh over 1,100 tons each and are counterbalanced to minimize the force required to raise them, an operation which takes just five minutes. They are raised by huge hydraulic pumps which were first powered by coal burning steam engines which were replaced by electricity and oil in 1976. The two side-spans are suspension bridges, each being 82m (270 ft) in length.
There are two high level walkways between the towers which allow to cross the river even when the bridge deck is raised. These walkways were closed to the public in 1910 due to lack of use but were reopened as fully covered passages in 1982 as part of the then newly launched Tower Bridge Exhibition.
London Tower Bridge is one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. Tower Bridge is a combined bridge and suspension bridge over the River Thames in London and takes its name from the nearby Tower of London. It has become an iconic symbol of the city and a very popular attraction.
In 1876, the Corporation of London came up with the idea of building a new bridge, but it was clear that the new bridge would not disrupt the flow of the river. There were over 50 designs and it was not easy to choose the best one. The finest designs by Sir Horace Jones and Sir John Wolfe Barry were chosen. In 1886, construction of the bridge began. Tower Bridge was officially opened on June 30, 1894.
A 244 m (800 ft) long bridge between two 65 m (213 ft) high towers built on piers. The central 61 m (200 ft) span between the towers is divided equally into two shells or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 83 degrees to accommodate river traffic. The baccula weigh more than 1,100 tons each and are balanced to minimize the force required to lift them, an operation that takes just five minutes. They are lifted by huge hydraulic pumps, which were initially powered by coal-burning steam engines, which were replaced by electricity and oil in 1976. The two side spans are 82 m (270 ft) long suspension bridges.
Between the towers there are two high level walkways that allow you to cross the river even when the bridge is raised. These passages were closed to the public in 1910 due to lack of use, but were reopened as fully enclosed passages in 1982 as part of the newly released Tower Bridge exhibition.
The Tower of London
The Tower of London is one of the most imposing and popular of London's historical sites. It comprises not one, but 20 towers. The oldest of which, the White Tower, dates back to the llth century and the time of William the Conqueror . Nowadays a lot of tourists visit the Tower of London, because of the Tower's evil reputation as a prison. The Tower is famous as home of the Crown Jewels. Today they can be viewed in their new jewel house. They include the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother which contains the celebrated Indian diamond.
Many stories associated with British history come from the Tower. In 1483 King Edward IV "s two sons were murdered in the so-called Bloody Tower. Over two centuries later the skeletons of two little boys were found buried beneath steps in the White Tower.
Traitor's Gate has steps leading down to the River Thames. Countless prisoners, including the future Queen Elizabeth I of England, were brought to the Tower by barge and ascended the steps before being imprisoned. For many it was their last moment of freedom before their death. But Elizabeth was released from the Tower and became Queen. The King's second wife, Anne Boleyn, was brought to trial there in 1536 and beheaded. Six years later her cousin, Catherine, Henry VIII "s fifth wife, suffered the same fate. Sir Thomas More was beheaded there in 1535.
Of course, no visit to the Tower would be complete without seeing the ravens; huge black birds who are an official part of the Tower community. Legend states that if the ravens were to leave the Tower the Crown will fall, and Britain with it. Under the special care of the Raven Master, the ravens are fed a daily diet of raw meat. And there is no danger of them flying away, because their wings are clipped.
Tower of London
The Tower of London is one of London's most prominent and popular historical landmarks. It includes not one, but 20 towers. The oldest of them is the White Tower, which dates back to the 11th century and the time of William the Conqueror. Today, many tourists visit the Tower of London, attracted by its evil reputation as a prison. The Tower is known as the repository of the royal jewels. Today they can be seen in the new jewelry house. Among them is the crown of Queen Elizabeth's mother, which contains the famous Indian diamond.
Many stories related to British history come from the Tower. In 1483, two sons of King Edward IV were killed in the so-called Tower of Blood. Two centuries later, the skeletons of two boys were buried under the steps of the White Tower.
Traitor's Gate has steps leading down into the River Thames. Large numbers of prisoners, including the future Queen Elizabeth I of England, were brought to the Tower by barge and walked up the steps before becoming prisoners. For many, this was the last moment of freedom before death. But Elizabeth was released from the Tower and became queen. The king's second wife, Anne Boleyn, was put on trial in 1536 and beheaded. Six years later, her cousin Catherine, Henry VIII's fifth wife, suffered the same fate. Thomas More was beheaded here in 1535.
Of course, a visit to the Tower is not complete unless you see the crows, the huge black birds that are the legal inhabitants of the Tower. Legend has it that if the ravens leave the Tower, the crown will fall and Britain will fall with it. Under the special supervision of the crow's owner, they are given a daily portion of raw meat. And there is no fear that they will fly away because their wings are clipped.
Questions:
1. What is the most impressive and popular site in London?
2. How many towers does it contain?
2. What is the Tower of London famous for?
4. Tell something about Traitor's Gate.
5. Who is an official part of London's community?
Vocabulary:
imposing - noticeable
to comprise - include
jewel - jewel
to ascend - to descend
to be beheaded - to be beheaded
raven - crow
Tower with a bird's eye view / Tower from a bird's eye view
The Tower of London is London's famous historical fortress and one of its most important attractions.
In this article we will tell you about a group of ravens, which are one of the most important symbols of the Tower. Yes, you read that right! A group of ravens is specially kept on the towers of the Tower of London. According to legend, if the ravens ever leave the Tower, the British crown and the British kingdom will fall.
We don't know where the legend of the crows really began, but the official story is as follows.
The history of the Tower's ravens dates back to the 17th century, when they were the most common bird in London. In 1667, the Great Fire of London occurred, during which most of the city burned down. The crows left London, and when they returned, it turned out that their former nests were preserved mainly only in the Tower.
Black crows literally besieged the castle, attacked people and fought fiercely with each other. These endless crow fights led to the fact that the Tower authorities decided to destroy them.
At the time, King Charles II of the Stuart dynasty had only recently been restored to the throne. One of the courtiers reminded him of the legend. Either Charles II was a superstitious man, or his position seemed unstable to him - after all, his father was executed by Cromwell, but he ordered six ravens to be kept in the Tower forever for the safety of the monarchy.
So the six ravens living in the Tower became a kind of mascots of the British crown.
Today, by order of Queen Elizabeth II, a special yeoman guardian is assigned to the ravens. And in total, following the decree of King Charles II, there should always be six ravens. They even have names: Hugin, Munin, Thor, Branwen, Gwillum and Baldrick. Three boys and three girls. They are named after Scandinavian and Celtic mythical characters.
Considerable funds are spent from the state treasury on their maintenance. They are fed raw meat, special biscuits, eggs and rabbit carcasses. It is probably thanks to this diet that some crows live up to 200 years. Well, to prevent crows from flying away, their right wing is cut off.
