Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen, dear children. Welcome to the guided sightseeing tour on the river Thames!

One million years ago, the Thames was a sideriver of the Rhine. These days, the river Thames is threehundredfortyfive kilometers long. It starts in Kemble and ends into the Northern sea.

Cities along the Thames are Oxford, Reading, Slough, London and Southend.

Overall there are hundredtwentyeight bridges over the river Thames. Here are some of the most famous bridges of London.

Do you know the Thames Flood Barrier?

Foto: Davide Simonetti unter cc

Flood desasters were a serious danger for the British capital London.

In nineteenfiftythree, threehundred people died from the water masses. This is why the Thames Flood Barrier was built in 1984.

This is the Tower Bridge.

Foto: Alvaro unter creative commons

It is the most famous bridge and has got its name from the Tower of London, another city sight. It is twohundredfortyfour meters long and has been opened for public transport eighteenhundredeightyfour.

Waterloo Bridge

Foto: zimpenfish unter creative commons

Waterloo Bridge, which has got its name from the famous battle near Waterloo, was opened for the first time in Eighteenhundredseventeen and is the longest bridge in London whith threehundredeightyone meters.

Texte und Bilder zusammengestellt von Lada (4. Schuljahr)

Der „White Tower of London“ ist im Mittelalter errichtet worden. Seine Grundfläche ist 1600 qm. Tower heißt eigentlich Turm, doch es sind mehrere Zinnentürme, Kasernen und Tore eines quadratischen Gebäudes. Er wurde etwa 1078 von Wilhelm dem Eroberer an der Themse außerhalb der Stadt London gebaut.

Wilhelm wollte damit sowohl die Angelsachsen, die Bewohner der Stadt London beobachten, als auch mögliche Angriffe der Franzosen (Normannen) vor der Stadt rechtzeitig sehen.

Foto: Rudolf Schuba unter cc

Over hundreds of years, the closed, water surrounded position was used for different purposes. Therefore around the „White Tower“ were built several buildings like: refugees and dwelling houses for kings and princesses, lockable cabinets for money, jewelleries and prisoners.

The hole complex of buildings is surrounded from the water of Thames and is only reachable by crossing bridges.

(Texte und Bilder zusammengestellt von Sittich (4. Schuljahr)

The Tower Bridge was built in 1886. It had to be built, because the eastern part of London became extremely crouded. It took eight years to complete the construction. There were five constructors and nearly 450 workers involved. If open the bridge measures 40m. In both Towers there are 300 steps to the top and it takes 10-15 minutes to climb up. Till 1976 the bridge was powered by a steam engine.

Foto: Alvaro unter creative commons

(Texte und Bilder zusammengestellt von: Dienchen, 4.Schuljahr)