Tower Bridge Chimney
the lamp post that's really a chimney
A lone cast-iron lamp post near Tower Bridge that is secretly a chimney, once venting a fireplace in a guardroom below.
Free to visit · Tower Hill · Tower Hill · EC3N 4AB
Opening: Viewable any time
Standing near the north end of Tower Bridge is what looks like an ordinary green cast-iron lamp post, but it has a secret. It is actually a disguised chimney, built to carry away smoke from a small fireplace in a guardroom that once stood below, where soldiers from the nearby Tower of London kept warm on duty.
The flue runs up through the column, venting where you would expect a lamp. Thousands of tourists pose by Tower Bridge without a clue to its real job. It is free to find, a delightful little piece of Victorian ingenuity hiding among the crowds.
Getting there: On the north side approach to Tower Bridge, near the Tower of London.
Best time to go: Daytime, on a walk by Tower Bridge.
Insider tip: Look for the lone post set slightly apart from the others near the bridge approach, and note it carries no proper lamp fitting. It is a classic City of London oddity to seek out while everyone else photographs the bridge.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide