Facts For Kids

Tag: London

  • Tower Bridge Facts for Kids | Hallmark of London

    Tower Bridge Facts for Kids | Hallmark of London

    Tower Bridge is a suspension bridge of London. It has been an iconic symbol of this city as it passes over River Thames. It is a bascule bridge, which means it is moveable and gives way to boat traffic when required thanks to the upward swing of the bridge. Its maintenance and ownership is under a trust called Bridge House Estates. With the help of two horizontal walkways, the two bridge towers are attached on the upper side. At the bottom of both towers lay machinery that operates it.

    History

    • In 1977 on the eve of silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the bridge was painted with blue, red and white colors.
    • Architects submitted more than 50 designs for the design of this bridge.
    • The design given by Sir Horace Jones was approved in 1885. He was an architect but the idea of a bascule bridge was put forward by his engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry.

    Construction

    • The construction of this bridge began in 1887 and it was completed in eight years. It took 432 workers and five major contractors to complete it.
    • About 70,000 tons of concrete was used in two huge piers that gave massive support to the bridge.
    • The two towers and horizontal walkways were made up of 11,000 tons of steel.
    • The bridge was completed at a cost of £1,184,000 (£122 million – 2015).
    • The Prince of Wales along with his princess officially launched this bridge on 30 June, 1894.
    • The Horselydown Lane at the southern bank of the river is attached with its northern bank, Iron Gate. Today, Iron Gate is called Tower Bridge Approach and Horselydown Lane is known as Tower Bridge Road.
    • In 1974, the operating machinery of this bridge was modernized and modern electro-hydraulic drive system was put in place.
    • In order to move the bascules from a distant location, computer system was put in place in the year 2000. However in 2005, this system did not work very well and new sensors were installed instead.
    • The facelift of this bridge was started in April 2008 in order to strengthen it. It was completed in about four years at a cost of £4 million. It is estimated that due to this facelift, the bridge can now sustain for up to another 25 years. The bridge now illuminates at night in case exhibitions are held thanks to the installation of wonderful lighting system.

    Interesting Facts about Tower Bridge

    • The tower bridge has a length of 240 metres (800 feet).
    • The height of each tower is 65 metres (213 feet).
    • The length of central span is 61 metres (200 feet) and it is divided into two leaves (bascules) of equal length. Each of these two bascules can swing upward at an angle of 86 degrees so that boat sails easily under the bridge.
    • Each bascule weighs 1,000 tons and both of them are perfectly counterbalanced.
    • It takes about five minutes to raise bascules.
    • The side-spans on either side of the two towers are suspension bridges. The length of each side-span is 82 metres (270 feet).
    • The two horizontal walkways on top of the bridge are 44 metres (143 feet) high above the river.
    • Each day about 40,000 people go through this bridge.
    • There is a speed limit of 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) on this bridge.
    • The maximum weight allowed for the vehicles to cross over this bridge is 18 tons.
    • Every year the leaves are moved up for 1,000 times.

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    More Facts

    • The leaves of this bridge were raised under certain rules to allow the flow of river traffic. There were two red and two green lights installed on both piers. During night, red lights signaled the closure of the bridge while green light showed that bridge was open. In case when weather was foggy, a sound of ‘gong’ was produced. Likewise, the vessels beneath this bridge also had to give specific signals and sounds.
    • The two horizontal walkways became notorious for pickpockets and thus in 1910 these were closed for the public. There were stairs to climb up these walkways which were occasionally used by the pedestrians.
    • Before this bridge, in order to cross the river from Tower Hill to Tooley Street, Tower Subway was the only route that would take minimum time. It is located 400 metres on the western side.
    • Tower Subway was one of the oldest tube railways of the world. It was launched in 1870 but shut down only after three months. However, this tunnel was opened again for the pedestrians.
    • In 1898, Tower Subway had to be shut down because pedestrians started going through the Tower Bridge (after its opening) which left this underground tunnel with no income at all.

    Tower bridge at night

     

  • River Thames Facts – The Longest River in England

    River Thames Facts – The Longest River in England

    River Thames is the longest river in England and the second longest river in the United Kingdom with a length of about 215 miles. It flows through southern England, starting from Gloucestershire Cotswolds to North Sea. It passes through eight English counties and flow alongside some of the major towns and cities such as Oxford, Richmond, Kingston upon Thames, Henley-on-Thames, Reading, Windsor and finally through the center of London before falling into the North Sea. River Thames is a very important river in England, it is favourite spot for peaceful weekend evening, fishing, boating, trail hikers and water sports. We have gathered complete set of River Thames Facts to help you learn all about it.

    River Thames Facts

    How long is the river Thames?

    • The length of River Thames from its source (Gloucestershire Cotswolds) to North Sea is 215 miles (346 km)
    • The non-tidal part of Thames is 147 miles while the tidal part of Thames is 55 miles.

    Facts and Figures

    • There are total 45 locks at River Thames. Locks help in boat navigation where the level of the water is not the same.
    • The floodplain area of the river is about 896 km square.
    • There are 29 bridges over the tidal Thames and 75 bridges over the non-tidal Thames.
    • It flows through 16 main cities and key towns.
    • About 20 tunnels exists that cross the River Thames including the  the world’s first ever underwater tunnel built in 1843.
    • The non-tidal part of Thames is from the source to Teddington. It is about 147 miles (237 km). The river falls for about 342 feet when it travels from the source to Teddington.
    • The part of the river from Teddington to the North Sea is called the tidal part of Thames which is 55 miles in length.
    • About 60 active shipping terminals exists on the tidal part of the Thames.
    • Every year about 300,000 tonnes of sediment is carried by the River Thames from its source to the sea.
    • About 8 meters change occurs in the water level of the river.
    • The tidal part of Thames receives high tides up to 24 feet.
    • The world’s second largest floating barrier, Thames Barrier, is situated at river Thames. It was constructed in 1974 at Woolwich to control floods and storm surges.

    How wide is the river Thames?

    The river widens as it flows downstream from its source to the sea.

    • At Lechlade it is 18 meters
    • 76 meters at Oxford
    • 100 meters at Teddington,
    • 265 meters at London Bridge
    • 448 meters at Woolwich
    • 732 meters at Gravesend
    • about 10 kilometers at Nore Light.
    • At the Estuary(where the river falls into the sea) the river width stretches to 29 kilometers.

    Flow of River Thames:

    The water flow speeds up down the stream (towards the sea) of the river Thames. It is due to the addition of more water from the different tributaries that join the river on its way.

    • The flow speed at Buscot is about 176 million gallons/day.
    • 790 million gallons/day at Reading
    • About 1,253 million gallons/day at Kingston.

    The Name Thames

    • The name Thames has been derived from the word Temese which is a Celtic word for river.
    • The river is known as River Isis at Oxford.

    Where does the river Thames start – Source of River Thames

    • There are two sources: Thames Head and Seven Springs
    • The  first source of the river is called is called the Thames Head which is situated at southern Gloucestershire, in the Cotswolds near a town called Cirencester.
    • The second source is Seven Springs, where river Chum falls into Thames. It is situated near Cheltenham.
    • The water flow is seasonal at the springs of Thames Head while at Seven Springs it flows all year around.
    • River Thames get water from 18 major river catchments.

    Islands in River Thames

    • From Kent to Oxfordshire there are total of more than 190 islands in the River Thames.
    • 45 of these islands have people living in them in small settlements.
    • These islands are called Aits or Eyots.

    Wildlife at River Thames

    • The tidal Thames has more than 100 species of fish while the non-tidal Thames hosts more than 25 species of coarse fish.  Among the Freshwater fish the most prominent are flounder, barbel, bleak, pike, perch, roach, chub, dace and brown trout.
    • The estuary of the Thames is home to aquatic mammals such as the gray and harbour seals where they breed and nurse their young ones.
    • About 350 species of invertebrates that live at the bottom of the river exists at the river Thames.
    • During summer and autumn Bottlenose Dolphins and Harbour porpoises also visits the estuary of the Thames.
    • Otter and water vole are also found in the river.
    • Thames is home to various bird species which include herring gull, cormorant,black-headed gull, great crested grebe, , moorhen, kingfisher, coot, heron, Mallard duck, Mandarin duck, Wood duck, Egyptian geese, bar-headed geese, Canadian geese mute swan and black swan. The mute swan are very common and black swan is rarely seen now.
    • A ceremony of Swan Upping is held every year in which the swans at river Thames are counted and tagged.
    • About 46 different areas has been internationally designated as Special Protection Areas and Areas of Conservation at the Thames River Basin.

    Main Attractions

    • It has a national trail called Thames Path which is about 184 miles (296 km) and follows the river from its source. It is the longest riverside walk in the whole Europe.
    • The river is favourite place for sporting and leisure activities such as fishing, rowing, canoeing and boat trips.
    • The areas of the North Wessex Downs, The Kent Downs and The Cotswolds where the river crosses are well known for their amazing natural beauty.

    River Thames in Literature

      • The river Thames is such an important part of the life of the people of England that it has been featured in the their literature.
      • River Thames has always been a dank, stinking sludge and crime scene in the novels of Charles Dickens.
    • Three Men in a Boat, Alice in Wonderland and The Wind in the Willows all featured river Thames in them.

    Learn more: England Facts For Kids

  • Big Ben Facts for Kids | Exciting 8 Facts about Clock Tower

    Big Ben Facts for Kids | Exciting 8 Facts about Clock Tower

    London has many landmarks, but none is more popular than the Big Ben. This clock tower is probably the most prominent and well known attraction in not only London, but England as well. Its history and Victorian structure attracts millions of tourists every year. It is located on the side of the House of Parliament in Westminster, London. But, what makes this tower so special? The tower is home to the largest four-faced chiming bell in the world. Additionally, Big Ben is 315 foot high—making it the third tallest free standing clock tower. Do I not tell you all these exciting big ben facts for kids?

    Now, if you think that’s interesting, read ahead and find out more about this fascinating tower. So many interesting things you can learn and read with more free time and desire. If you are a student and you don’t have time for anything other than studying law, you can law homework help and spend your free time on something you would really like to read.

    Now, if you think that’s interesting, read ahead and find out more about this fascinating tower.

    Big Ben Facts For Kids

    When was the tower built?

    The clock took nearly 13 years to build and finally began ticking in the summer of 1858; but it wasn’t until July 1859 when the bell was first chimed. It now rings every 15 minutes without delay.

    Amazingly, this clock still rang after the House of Parliament was bombed in during the Second World War. The house was completely destroyed, but the clock was unharmed.

    Why was the Tower built?

    Originally, the land where the Big Ben Tower now stands, used to be occupied by the Old Palace of Westminster. However, when the Palace was tragically destroyed in a fire in the winter of 1834, the Tower was built along with the construction of the House of Parliament.

    Why was a clock tower named “Big Ben”?

    Well, it wasn’t. Big Ben was actually the name of the four faced bell inside the tower, not the tower itself. However, due to popular misconception, the tower came to be known as Big Ben. Furthermore, the tower has been renamed as the Elizabeth Tower. The name was changed as to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on her Diamond Jubilee.

    But, why Big Ben?

    Big Ben is actually a nickname. The original name of the bell being the Great Bell. However, it didn’t quite catch on. The conception of the name is rather debatable. Nobody knows the exact origin; however, two prominent theories are: The bell was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner of Works. His name is actually inscribed on the bell itself. The second theory suggests the bell was named after Ben Caunt, a well-known and respected heavyweight boxing champion.

    Want to hear another interesting fact?

    If you have ever seen the clock face, you’ll notice some writing imprinted on it. It reads:

    DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM RIMAM

    Translation: O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First.

    Is Big Ben tilted?!

    Yes, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. The clock tower is actually tilted. Due to some tunnel excavation nearby, the tower became a little slanted. It leans slightly towards the northwest by 8.66 inches.

    So, we have Big Ben, is there a Little Ben?

    Surprisingly yes. If you look at the top of the clock tower, you’ll see a weather vane. That’s Little Ben.

    Has the clock ever been wrong?

    Even though the clock is maintained and it’s time is kept accurate, there have been some incidents where the clock was inaccurate. In 1949, a flock of birds’ constant pecking on the minute hand made it slow down by 4.5 minutes.

    Now that you know everything about London’s most famous landmark, show off your new found knowledge with friends and family.

    Read more:

    • Big Ben Facts
    • England Facts
  • London Facts For Kids – Facts About London

    London Facts For Kids – Facts About London

    London being the capital city of England, stands on the River Thames and it has long been admired for the exquisite lavishness of Londoners and the long history that enriches city in the field of art, commerce, fashion, research, culture, tourism, and entertainment. Let’s discover some of the least known London facts for kids.

    London Facts For Kids

    According to a 2012-survey, there are 8,308,369 residents in London.

    London is also the world’s leading financial sector and is the most-visited city as it is also accompanied by the world’s largest airport system assessed by the passenger traffic.

    The Heathrow airport is the world’s busiest airport in the world.

    Unlike any other city in the world, London is the only city which hosts modern Summer Olympic Games three times.

    The Mayor of London and the London Assembly governs the city.

    It is the most populous city in the European Union with the population estimating at 21 million.

    London was honored to have the world’s renowned poet and dramatist of all-time, William Shakespeare, who, along with his contemporaries, had lived in London in the early 16th century.

    London was deemed to be the world’s largest city in the world from 1831 to 1925.

    It is one of the most expensive cities in the world.

    The double-decker is an iconic symbol of this city.

    The annual rainfall in London is measured around 23 inches.

    Some of the prominent newspapers are The Daily Telegraph, The Times, and the Guardian.

    London Underground Railway System

    The london underground is unquestionably the oldest railway system in the world, with the Metropolitan Railway being the oldest while Jubilee Lines (emerged in 1979) the youngest. The busiest railway system is the Northern Line, with 207 million passengers being carried by it each year. Another busiest station which serves over 77 million passengers annually is the Kings Cross St Pancras. The London underground is accredited to Charles Yerkes, an American entrepreneur, who did most of to bring about this system; but he was also involved in fraudulent acts and was died in debt.

    Metropolitan Railway Facts

    The Metropolitan Railway was emerged on 9th January 1863.

    Before the introduction of Metropolitan Railway, there was no concept of underground railway system.

    It serves Londoners from Bishop’s Road, Farringdon to Paddington Street, in the heart of the city.

    It brings about more than 50 million passengers each year.

    The railway ran 42 miles of track and serves 34 stations on its way.

    The longest distance between stations runs from Chesham to Chalfont & Latimer, estimating 3.9 miles.

    Sir John Fowler was the Chief Engineer of the Metropolitan Railway system.

    Cultural Facts | London Facts For Kids

    London hosts top ten galleries and museums in the world with more than 850 art galleries all throughout the city.

    You may also find four UNESCO world heritage sites;

    • Westminster Palace
    • Royal Botanic Gardens
    • Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich
    • Saint Margaret’s Church

    London also embraces diverse cultural languages and it is believed to have vast number of languages than any other city in the world.

    The city also holds more than 17,000 top-notch music performances in just 300 venues.

    In the UK visual arts sector, the performance of London stands prominent making it worth-noting as it covers 30% of the global art market.

    Surely, there is no denying fact that London has always been the hub of major Hollywood films, ranging from famous Harry Potter to the Notting Hill; currently hosting the world’s third busiest film production center embracing more than 14,000 shooting days in 2011.

    While London dominates the other parts of the city by hosting almost 800 cinema screens which is a great achievement, it also insists on presenting one-fifth of the whole UK’s cinema’s screen.