Tidal movement meant that bodies tended to wash up at certain spots on the river, and one of these was Dead Man's Hole alongside Tower Bridge. It was logical, then, for the bridge to contain an unusual facility: a mortuary, in the north pier. With the tide lapping at the steps, and the bulk of the bridge looming overhead, it must have been a fairly sinister location for those identifying the dead.
Although it is no longer in use, the entrance to the mortuary is still visible. It is now used as a storage space; bodies are taken to Wapping Police Station a little way down the river.