Tower Bridge and Tower of London

This review of the wheelchair accessibility of Tower Bridge and Tower of London is from Summer 2023, with notes from Spring 2019.

I took the public bus from Lost Property to the Tower of London stop, which is across the street from the Tower of London. It was a quick and easy bus ride, and the stop is very close to the Tower of London.

The whole walk/roll is about a mile from the bus stop, around Tower of London, and to the center of Tower Bridge.

Tower of London

The Tower of London is a castle of incredible historical value.  It is where Ann Boleyn was beheaded. Where Thomas Aquinas was imprisoned.  As such, it is of incredible historic significance. It also poses challenges for wheelchair users. But it is doable, and worth doing…but may require very slow going and many breaks due to the cobblestones. People with disabilities also pay a reduced price, and personal care attendants are free–very nice!

The grounds outside the Tower are more modern and generally accessible. This area has many overlooks of the Tower grounds and the Welcome Center area is fun to explore.

Wheelchair Accessibility of the Grounds

The grounds themselves are flat, and so a wheelchair can traverse the grounds within the walls.  However, the grounds are all cobblestone, and make for a pretty wicked ride.  The Tower and other buildings are largely not accessible as they require traversing stairs. Still very amazing to see the White Tower, Beefeaters, and to experience almost a millennia of history in one place.

Wheelchair Accessibility of Visiting the Crown Jewels

The crown jewels are housed in a building that Is wheelchair accessible.  Since photography was not permitted, I will try to explain how awesome this was. The initial displays of jewels are along a walkway. The actual crowns, rings, and scepters are in glass cases between two, parallel moving sidewalks that can carry wheelchairs as well as people.  The moving sidewalk gets you close to the jewel cases, but ensures everyone keeps moving so everyone can see.  There are stairs that take a person back so they can ride the moving sidewalk to view the crown jewels again.  As that won’t work for people with wheelchairs, the staff offered to reverse the direction on one of the moving sidewalks so I could go back, and then let me go forward on it again.  This permitted me to see the jewels from both moving sidewalks…and to have 3 views.  Nice!

After the jewels was a collection of display cases with other ornate plates, trophies, gifts, etc.  These gathered quite a crowd, but the staff helped shepherd me to the front so I could see as well.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is a gorgeous bridge over the River Thames. It can be viewed from many places, but the best views are from the outside of the Tower London or onboard the HMS Belfast.  The walkway around the outside of the Tower of London’s walls is largely cobblestone, but there is a 3’ strip of larger stones that makes for a much easier path for wheelchair users. This pathway leads by the moat and along the river, with several overlooks. 

Once past the Tower of London, I went through the underpass (that goes under the Tower Bridge), and then took a left to go up the street that eventually led to the street that goes over Tower Bridge. That road has a sidewalk that goes the entire length of the bridge, and so I could scoot/roll under the ornate structural supports and walkways. 

The tour of Tower Bridge is not wheelchair accessible as it is up flights of stairs, but all of the overlooks are accessible.  Tower Bridge offers amazing views of the London skyline, including the Shard, the Walkie Talkie building, and the Tower of London. 

I was able to cross the bridge, and then take the elevator down to the park that is at the level of the River Thames and the walkway to the HMS Belfast. 

Concluding Thoughts

Overall, the wheelchair accessibility of Tower Bridge and Tower of London is good and worth a visit. Tower Bridge is always a must-see—you can roll across the bridge, and it’s amazing to see the structure up close and personal. On the other hand, Tower of London depends on values—is the ability to roll through history and see the crown jewels worth the constant rocking from cobblestone? I answered that question yes for my first visit, and no for the second visit.