BT Tower Visit

Friends' Visit to the BT Tower

 

The Friends have arranged a special visit to the iconic BT Tower on Friday 11 September.

 

The Post Office Tower, as it was then known, was opened for telecommunications operations in October 1965 by Prime Minister Harold Wilson. On 19 May the following year, the restaurant and viewing galleries were opened to the public by Postmaster General Tony Benn.

The widest part of the tower is the 34th floor, 158 metres above ground level. The outer section of the floor is a three-metre-wide revolving segment that takes approximately 22 minutes to complete one revolution (a speed of 0.17 km/h).

Despite the BT Tower being one of the most recognisable and conspicuous buildings in London, it was classed as an “official secret” until the mid-1990s. Taking or possessing photographs of the BT Tower was technically an offence under the Official Secrets Act and, in line with its “secret” status, this 189-metre London landmark was also omitted from all Ordnance Survey maps until the mid-1990s.

 

The visit will begin at midday on Friday 11 September when Friends will have the opportunity to learn about the history of the Tower and how and why it came to be built. They will be able to watch historical film footage showing the construction of the tower and visit a small exhibition.

Friends will then be taken to the 34^th floor to enjoy a light lunch comprising sandwiches, crisps, fruit, cake, tea or coffee, while taking in the views across London.

The visit will finish at approximately 15:00.

 

As we expect this to be a popular visit, we will be running a ballot to give everyone a fair chance of attending.

To enter the ballot, please Click Here

Please remember to specify any dietary requirements when completing the ballot form.

 

• The ballot will close at midnight on Sunday 2 August.
• All entries received by the closing date will be entered into the draw.
• Only one entry per member.
• Successful applicants will be notified by 9 August.
• The cost of this visit is £25.00 payable by each attendee.
• All visitors must bring photo ID and will be required to pass through airport-style security to enter the building.

 

The BT Tower has step-free access to all areas included in this visit.

Any queries, please contact: visits@ltmuseumfriends.co.uk