Tower Bridge inviting mutts before Knight School dogs of war duel it out
It's a dog's dinner... towering over the Thames on the high walkway. - Credit: Tower Bridge
A towering iconic bridge and a world-heritage royal castle which have both drawn crowds to east London throughout history are getting ready to reopen after five months of lockdown.
The iconic Tower Bridge has invited “pooches on leads” and their owners to look around the Victorian engineering marvel from May 17.
Longbow archer at Tower of London - Credit: SWNS
That is followed by duelling medieval knights appearing to hack at each other in front of spectators a week later on May 29 in the moat at the Tower of London next door.
Hugs and facemasks as one couple tred the high walkway at Tower Bridge with a selfie. - Credit: Cecelina
The five-month lockdown has been the longest closure for Tower Bridge since the defining London landmark was completed in 1894.
It is "London's only major dog-friendly attraction”, and there's even a special "canine day" planned with goody bags for the first 50 dogs that turn up.
Nervously looking down on the Thames below... a kid out with his mum on Tower Bridge - Credit: Cecelina
The glass observation floor looking down on the river 140ft below is a good vantage point to see the two giant bascules, each weighing 1,000 tonnes, to let shipping through.
The first two raising events are scheduled for 4.45pm and 5.30pm on May 20, with 10 more over the following three days including Saturday and Sunday.
Guided tours of the two towers and the Victorian steam engine rooms, which used to raise the bascules before the switch to electric power in the 1970s, are resuming.
The tours are being limited to six people at a time in order to allow for Covid safety and will take place on Saturdays at 3pm and Sundays at 11am. They can be pre-booked on the Tower Bridge website.
Dogs of war ready for combat in the Tower of London moat - Credit: James Mason
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Children can also witness duels being fought out at the Unesco World Heritage 1,000-year-old Tower of London just a stone's throw away when its Knight School takes the stage in the legendary moat at half term, May 29 to June 6.
The 30-minute Knight School show goes back in time to the Wars of the Roses when Henry VI was imprisoned in the fearsome castle in 1471.
It is tailored for youngsters aged five to 12 and is arranged with social distancing on the moat lawn. Ticket-holders can also see the Crown Jewels and the famous ravens synonymous with the Tower of London.
