Tower Millennium Pier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tower Millennium Pier

Type	River bus and tourist/leisure services
Locale	River Thames, London, UK
Owner	London River Services
Operator	London River Services
Coordinates	51°30′27″N 0°04′45″W / 51.507367°N 0.079182°W / 51.507367; -0.079182
Tower Millennium Pier Location in Central London

The Tower Millennium Pier is a special dock, called a pier, located on the famous River Thames in London, UK. It's right next to the amazing Tower Bridge and the historic Tower of London. This pier is managed by London River Services and is a busy spot for many river boats and tour cruises.

What Boats Use the Pier?

This pier is a hub for different types of boats.

• You can catch a river bus here. These buses travel along the Thames, like the RB1 route.
• Tourist boats also use the pier. These boats take visitors on fun trips between places like Westminster and Greenwich.
• Sometimes, private boats for parties or events also stop here.

How the Pier Was Built

Tower Millennium Pier, with the City of London's financial buildings behind, as seen from City Hall.

The Tower Millennium Pier officially opened on July 14, 2000. The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, was there for the opening. Money for building the pier came from the Millennium Commission. This project was part of a bigger plan called "Thames 2000."

The Millennium Commission helped build five new piers on the River Thames. These new piers were:

• Blackfriars Millennium Pier
• London Eye Pier
• Westminster Millennium Pier
• Millbank Millennium Pier
• Tower Millennium Pier

The pier has a small area for cruise ship passengers. This area helps people and their luggage move from smaller boats to bigger cruise ships. The Tower Pier project was part of a plan to improve transport and the area around the Thames.

Getting to the Pier

The Tower Millennium Pier is easy to reach from many places in London.

• You can get there by London Underground at Tower Hill station.
• The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) also stops nearby at Tower Gateway DLR station.
• Fenchurch Street railway station is also close by for train services.
• You can also walk across Tower Bridge to St. Katharine's Pier for other boat trips.
• Many London Buses routes stop near the pier, including routes 15, 15H, and N15.

Lifeboat Station Move

The RNLI is a charity that saves lives at sea. In 2002, they started a lifeboat service on the River Thames. The Tower Pier was first used as a base for their lifeboats. But in 2006, the RNLI station moved. It moved to a new base further up the river, near Waterloo Bridge. This new base is now called Tower Lifeboat Station.

Boat Routes from Tower Pier

Images for kids

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  Tower Millennium Pier with Tower Bridge

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  A catamaran arriving at Tower Pier

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  The pier entrance

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  The pier with the Tower of London on the right

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  The pier and Tower Bridge seen from the air

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  A catamaran berthed at the pier