Construction of the bridge started in 1886 and took 8 years， employing 5 major contractors and 432 construction workers. Two massive piers containing over 70，000 tons of concrete were sunk into the river bed to support the construction. Over 11，000 tons of steel provided the framework for the towers and walkways. This was then clad in Cornish granite and Portland Stone， both to protect the underlying steelworksteelwork 钢铁架 and to give the bridge a more pleasing appearance.
Jones died in 1887， and his chief engineer， Sir John WolfeBarry， took over the project. WolfeBarry replaced Jones， original mediaeval style of facade with the more ornate Victorian gothic style that makes the bridge such a distinctive landmark.
The bridge was opened in 1894. The official opening ceremony was conducted by the Prince of Wales， the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and his wife， Alexandra of Denmark.
Tower Bridge Today
The highlevel walkways between the towers gained an unpleasant reputation as a haunt for prostitutes and pickpockets and were closed in 1910. They have now been reopened as part of the Tower Bridge Experience， a museum/historical exhibition mostly housed in the bridge，s twin towers. The exhibition also includes photos， holograms and a film detailing the build， along with access to the original steam engines that once powered the Bridge basculesbascule n.活动结构， housed in a building close to the south end of the Bridge.
A “Behind the Scenes” tour can be booked in advance， on which it is possible to see the bridge，s command centre (where the raising of the bridge is controlled when a vessel passes underneath). The bascules of the bridge are raised around 500 times a year.
Although river traffic is now a fraction of what it used to be， it still takes prioritypriority n.先， 前， 优先， 优先权 over road traffic. This nearly caused a diplomatic incident in 1997， when the motorcade of United States President Bill Clinton got stuck on Tower Bridge while the bascules were unexpectedly opened.
The bridge sits almost directly above the Tower Subway， the world，s first underground tube railway (1870)， which， until the Bridge was opened， was the shortest way to cross the river from Tower Hill to Tooley Street.
A new computer system was installed in 2000 to control the raising and lowering of the bascules remotely. Unfortunately this has proved less reliable than desired， resulting in the bridge being stuck in the open or closed positions on a number of occasions (most recently 2 June 2005).
St. Paul，s Cathedral
圣保罗大教堂
圣保罗大教堂是伦敦的宗教中心，建筑为华丽的巴洛克风格。圣保罗大教堂是伦敦大主教的住所，也是伦敦的宗教中心。是世界第二大圆顶教堂，它仅次于罗马的圣彼得教堂。圣保罗大教堂最早在 604 年建立，不过教堂曾于 1666 年时毁于大火，后经多次毁坏、重建，由列恩在 1710 年时才又修建完成。它属古典主义建筑，有波特兰石材砌最具特色的中央的圆形穹顶，其直径达 34 公尺，圆屋顶上面有十字架顶，高达 113 公尺左右，整个建筑显得很对称且雄伟。教堂内及地下室中则有列恩、纳尔逊提督、威尔顿公爵等名人的墓碑和纪念碑。最令人印象深刻的就是 1981 年黛安娜与查尔斯的婚礼大典。
到达建筑中心，由下向上仰望穹顶，令人眼花缭乱。特别是内侧唱诗班席位及祭坛上方的天井，金碧辉煌，富丽绚烂，似为仙境之物。
教堂内安放有众多名人的墓碑，有三处可以卖票入内参观。其中有一个低语回廊（Whispering Callerg），进去可以听到对面人的低语声。由此到穹顶外部，可一览伦敦全景。过去是高塔林立，如今却是摩天大厦鳞次栉比，伦敦的变化可见一斑。由大教堂内右后侧的入口，可以到达地下灵堂。虽说是灵堂，却也如美术馆一般。这里有亨利八世、厄尔森提督及列恩的墓。列恩的墓碑上用拉丁文刻着这么几个字：“想要看他的纪念碑，那就看看周围吧。”是啊，这座大教堂就是对他的最好的纪念。
St. Paul，s Cathedral is one of the worlds great religiousreligious adj.信奉宗教的， 虔诚的， 宗教上的， 修道的， 严谨的 n.僧侣， 尼姑， 修道士 buildings， with its instantly recognisable dome. Four previous St. Paul，s have stood on this site since the first built in 604 by Bishop Mellitus. The Great Fire of London destroyed the Cathedral in 1666， and it wasn，t until 1675 that work on the present building began， under the personal supervisionsupervision n.监督， 管理 of Christopher Wren， to be completed in 1710.
Many famous people are buried at St. Paul，s Cathedral including Sir Christopher Wren， the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson.
St. Paul，s has hosted many major events including Queen Victoria，s Diamond Jubilee， the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill and the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
St. Paul，s Cathedral is Sir Christopher Wren，s masterpiece， built in glowing Portland stone， crowned by the magnificent dome； a famous landmark on the skyline of the City of London. The left tower houses the largest bell in England， “Great Paul” cast in 1882 weighing 17 tonnes.
