City of London Coat-of-Arms - Tower Bridge Approach, London, UK
N 51° 30.530 W 000° 04.447
30U E 703034 N 5710470
Tower Bridge spans the River Thames at the entrance to the Pool of London. On the northern approach to the bridge and across the bridge, the coat-of-arms of the City of London is set into the architectural features on the sides of the bridge.
Waymark Code: WMHHQ6
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/13/2013
Views: 17
The
Heraldry of the
World website tells us about the coat-of-arms of the City of London:
Official blazon
Arms: Argent a Cross Gules in the first quarter a Sword in pale point
upwards of the last.
Crest: On a Wreath of the Colours a Dragon's sinister Wing Argent charged on
the underside with a Cross throughout Gules.
Supporters: On either side a Dragon Argent charged on the undersides of the
wings with a Cross throughout Gules.
Motto: 'DOMINE DIRIGE NOS' - Lord, direct us.
Origin/meaning
The arms of London have never officially been granted, but have been
recorded at the College of Arms, albeit without supporters and crest. The
crest and helmet were granted on April 30, 1957.
The shield combines the cross of St. George with the emblem of the city's
patron, St. Paul. The first cathedral dedicated to St. Paul was built in 605
in the city. The patron saint itself already appears on a 13th century seal.
The arms appear for the first time on a seal from 1380.The sword has often
been described or attributed to the dagger with which Sir William Walworth,
Mayor of London, stabbed the rebel Wat Tyler on June 15th, 1381. The arms
with the sword, however, predate this event. Another story states that the
sword was granted by King Richard II as a reward for William Walworth's
services to the King. There are, however, no historical evidences for either
story. The dragons appear for the first time on an illustration in a book
from 1633. The same book, the Survey of London, by Stow, also first mentions
the motto 'Domine dirige nos' (Lord, direct us).
On a seal of the Mayoralty dating from the late 14th century the arms show
two lion supporters. These are not seen elsewhere.
The origin of the dragons is not clear, it may be that they are derived from
the story of St. George, the patron saint of England, in which the saint
kills a dragon. The sword and the dragons thus distinguished the arms of the
city from those of England.
The oldest known image of a crest dates from 1539 when they appear on the
reverse of the common seal of the city. The oldest image is not very clear
and looks like a fan-like object, charged with the cross of St. George. By
the end of the 17th century, the crest has developed into the dragon wing.
Sometimes the arms were shown with two wings, facing each other.
Besides the dragon wing, the arms are often seen in the 17th-19th century
with a Fur Cap. It appeared for the first time in 1677 on a large image of
the arms, which were surrounded by the cap, sword, mace, cornucopia, fasces,
anchor and key. None of these elements have ever been used officially by the
council.
The
Tower Bridge
Exhibition website tells us about the bridge:
London Bridge was originally the
only crossing for the Thames. As London grew, so more bridges were added,
although these were all built to the west of London Bridge, since the area
east of London Bridge had become a busy port. In the 19th century, the East
End of London became so densely populated that public need mounted for a new
bridge to the east of London Bridge, as journeys for pedestrians and
vehicles were being delayed by hours. Finally in 1876, the City of London
Corporation, responsible for that part of the Thames, decided the problem
could be delayed no longer.
The view today from the high level Walkways has changed dramatically,
although there are still signs of the area's amazing history. With the aid
of photographs and interactive kiosks, visitors to Tower Bridge Exhibition
can gain a greater understanding of how life would have been when the idea
of a new bridge was originally conceived.
How a Design was Chosen
A huge challenge faced the City of London Corporation - how to build a
bridge downstream from London Bridge without disrupting river traffic
activities. To generate ideas, the "Special Bridge or Subway Committee" was
formed in 1876, and opened the design for the new crossing to public
competition.
Over 50 designs were submitted for consideration, some of which are on
display at Tower Bridge Exhibition. It wasn't until October 1884 however,
that Horace Jones, the City Architect, in collaboration with John Wolfe
Barry, offered the chosen design for Tower Bridge as a solution.
The Building of the Bridge
It took 8 years, 5 major contractors and the relentless labour of 432
construction workers to build Tower Bridge.
Two massive piers were sunk into the river bed to support the construction
and over 11,000 tons of steel provided the framework for the Towers and
Walkways. This framework was clad in Cornish granite and Portland stone to
protect the underlying steelwork and to give the Bridge a more pleasing
appearance.
To learn more about the building of Tower Bridge, the people involved in its
construction and why it was needed, visit The Tower Bridge Exhibition where
video screenings explain the entire project, including the difficulties
faced.
How it Works - Then and Now
When it was built, Tower Bridge was the largest and most sophisticated
bascule bridge ever completed ("bascule" comes from the French for
"see-saw"). These bascules were operated by hydraulics, using steam to power
the enormous pumping engines. The energy created was stored in six massive
accumulators, as soon as power was required to lift the Bridge, it was
always readily available. The accumulators fed the driving engines, which
drove the bascules up and down. Despite the complexity of the system, the
bascules only took about a minute to raise to their maximum angle of 86
degrees.
Today, the bascules are still operated by hydraulic power, but since 1976
they have been driven by oil and electricity rather than steam. The original
pumping engines, accumulators and boilers are now exhibits within the Tower
Bridge Exhibition.
Tower Bridge Exhibition - A History
In 1910 the high level Walkways were closed to the public due to lack of
use. People arriving on the bridge preferred to wait at street level for it
to close rather then heading up the stairs carrying their heavy loads. In
1982, as part of the new Tower Bridge Exhibition, visitors to the bridge
could once again enter the walkways, now fully covered, and experience the
amazing panoramic views. Although Tower Bridge is now powered by oil and
electricity, the original steam engines maintained by a dedicated team of
technical officers remain in their original location for all to see. This
area is known as the Victorian Engine Rooms, the second section of Tower
Bridge Exhibition. Over the past 28 years, the exhibition has been developed
to keep pace with modern day needs without losing its Victorian essence.
Through interactive kiosks and video walls along with knowledgeable Guides,
visitors can learn about key events in the Bridge's history, ranging from
Royal visits to dare devil stunts.
Interesting Facts
Tower Bridge has a fascinating history, which is explored in full in The
Tower Bridge Exhibition. Here are a few interesting facts you may not have
known:
1910 - the high-level walkways, which were designed so that the public could
still cross the bridge when it was raised, were closed down due to lack of
use.
1912 - during an emergency, Frank McClean had to fly between the bascules
and the high-level walkways in his Short biplane, to avoid an accident.
1952 - a London bus driven by Albert Gunton had to leap from one bascule to
the other when the bridge began to rise with the number 78 bus still on it.
1977 - Tower Bridge was painted red, white and blue to celebrate the Queen's
Silver Jubilee. (Before that, it was painted a chocolate brown colour).
1982 - Tower Bridge opened to the public for the first time since 1910, with
a permanent exhibition inside called The Tower Bridge Experience.
The City of
London website tells us about their role:
The City Corporation has a special
role and wide remit that goes beyond that of an ordinary local authority. We
look after the City of London on behalf of all who live, work and visit here
and have three primary functions.
We support and promote the City as the world leader in international finance
and business services.
We provide modern, efficient and high quality local services and policing
within the Square Mile for residents, workers and visitors.
We provide valued services to London and the nation as a whole, including
our role as one of the most significant arts sponsors in the UK and our
support for economic regeneration in the surrounding boroughs.
Many of these services are funded from our own resources at no cost to the
public and benefit London and the nation.
It supports and promotes the City as the world leader in international
finance and business services and provides local services and policing for
those working in, living in and visiting the Square Mile.
It also provides valued services to London and the nation. These include
the Barbican Centre and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama
the Guildhall Library and Art Gallery and London Metropolitan Archives
a range of education provision (including three City Academies)
five Thames bridges (including Tower Bridge and the Millennium Bridge)
the Central Criminal Court at Old Bailey
almost 11,000 acres of open spaces (including Hampstead Heath and Epping
Forest)
and three wholesale food markets (Billingsgate, Smithfield and New
Spitalfields)
It is also London's Port Health Authority and runs the Animal Reception
Centre at Heathrow.
It works in partnership with neighbouring boroughs on the regeneration of
surrounding areas and its charity, the City Bridge Trust, donates more than
£15m to charity annually.
Bearer of Coat of Arms: Town
Full name of the bearer: City of London
Where is Coat of Arms installed (short description) ?: This one is on the approach to Tower Bridge and is close to the north east corner of the Tower of London.
Material / Design: Cast metal
Blazon (heraldic description): See the detailed description.
Address: Tower Bridge Approach
London
United Kingdom
Web page about the structure where is Coat of Arms installed (if exists): [Web Link]
Web page about the bearer of Coat of Arms (if exists): [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions: Logging requirements: Please upload your own personal photo of the coat of arms. You or your GPS can be in the picture, but it’s not a requirement.
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