London Bridge

The Romans built the very first London Bridge back in the first century AD. It is believed to have been a simple, wooden bridge built on the solid gravel banks at the tidal limit of the River Thames. Since this time, there have been several more constructions, including one built by architect and priest Peter of Colechurch between 1176 - 1209. This London Bridge became the famed stone bridge, that was the inspiration to the well known children’s nursery thyme 'London Bridge is falling down.' During the Middle Ages, houses and shops were built upon the bridge, and at one time there was even a drawbridge and chapel. This chapel was named the Chapel of St Thomas on the Bridge, and it became the official starting point of popular pilgrimages to Canterbury. London Bridge has always been a busy area, central to trade and life in the city, and a bustling gateway in to London. It was an area that attracted prestigious shopkeepers such as haberdashers, glovers, cutlers, needle makers, book sellers and stationers. One of the more gruesome periods in London’s turbulent history, was between the fourteenth and seventeenth century. During this time, it was customary to display the severed, boiled and tarred heads of traitors and criminals on spikes at the southern gateway. This foreboding sight, acted as a warning to all those who entered the city, that crime would not be tolerated and English law must be upheld. By the end of the 18th century, the six hundred year ‘old’ London Bridge needed to be replaced, and a ‘new’ London Bridge was designed and constructed by Scottish Engineer John Rennie. This bridge had five granite arches, and was opened in 1831 by King William IV and Queen Adelaide. It was this ‘London Bridge’ that was sold in 1971 to American oil baron Robert P. McCulloch. McCulloch deconstructed the bridge stone by stone, shipped each piece to Arizona, and rebuilt the bridge at Lake Havasu City. The London Bridge we see today is a more practical concrete and steel construction. It was built in 1971 and designed to cater for modern city traffic and transport. However, the fascinating history of London Bridge’s colourful past still lives on.