London Bridge

London Bridge is a structure that spans the River Thames and connects the City of London and the Southwark district of central London in England. The modern London Bridge is the latest in a long line of historic bridges built in roughly the same location that were referred to by that name. The first of these bridges was built by the Roman army around 80 CE and predated London itself. Over the centuries that followed, a number of different London Bridges were constructed as their predecessors decayed or simply collapsed. Such collapses eventually gave rise to the late medieval nursery rhyme "London Bridge Is Falling Down," which accounts for London Bridge's most notable appearance in popular culture. Since the completion of the Old London Bridge in 1209, only two additional bridges have been built. Civil engineer John Rennie's New London Bridge opened in 1831 and remained in use until 1967. It was subsequently replaced by the modern London Bridge, which opened in 1973.

Background

The history of London Bridge is closely tied to the history of London itself and the role the River Thames played in the city's emergence. Although there is some scattered evidence of previous minor settlements, the city was not officially founded until after Roman invaders arrived in the region in 43 CE. It is likely that the Romans chose to build the settlement they called Londinium on the site they did because of the advantages offered by the River Thames. In addition to providing a natural defensive barrier, the river could serve as a major trade route that passed right through the city. For the fledgling settlement to thrive, however, it was also necessary for people to have an easy way of crossing the remarkably wide Thames. This need led to the construction of the first London Bridge sometime around 80 CE. Probably located near the site of the Old London Bridge that would be built centuries later, the original wooden bridge connected what would eventually become London on the northern bank to the Southwark settlement on the southern bank.

Throughout the 12th century, a series of new wooden London Bridges were built over time as the old ones fell into disrepair. The most notable of these was the London Bridge that stood in the early 11th century when London was controlled by the Danes. When the Saxons and Vikings launched an attack on the city in 1014, they targeted London Bridge as part of a strategy for dividing the Danes and making the city easier to conquer. Although the Danes attempted to defend the bridge, the Saxons and Vikings were relentless. Ultimately, the invaders approached London Bridge from below, threw cables around its support piles, and pulled down the entire structure.

In the years that followed, at least three more wooden bridges were built. One of these was completely destroyed by a severe storm in 1091. The final wooden London Bridge was built in 1163 by priest and architect Peter de Colechurch. Sometime after its completion, de Colechurch announced his intention to construct a stone bridge that would later become the first permanent London Bridge.

Overview

In 1176, after receiving a commission from Henry II, de Colechurch began work on what is now known as Old London Bridge. Construction on the new stone bridge continued for thirty-three years until its completion in 1209. When finished, the bridge featured twenty Gothic arches that provided support. Old London Bridge was much more than just a normal bridge, however. It also featured its own chapel, a row of houses and shops, a mill, gatehouses, a drawbridge, and more. These facilities helped to provide the necessary funding for the bridge's construction and maintenance. A significant amount of this funding was also provided by Bridge House Estates, an organization founded in 1097 that still maintains the city's bridges today. Over the course of the more than six hundred years it was in use, Old London Bridge survived a number of potential catastrophes. In 1212, sparks from a fire that broke out at the Southwark end of the bridge ignited a second fire at the north end and led to an inferno that claimed an estimated three thousand lives. The bridge also endured a string of partial collapses. The most notable of these occurred when expanding ice crushed five of the arches in the winter of 1281. In spite of these setbacks, continuous renovations allowed Old London Bridge to remain in use into the 19th century.

By the 1820s, Old London Bridge was in need of replacement. In 1825, work began on the construction of the New London Bridge designed by civil engineer John Rennie and ultimately built by his sons. When the new bridge was completed in 1831, the old bridge was demolished. Many of the stones and decorative features salvaged from the old bridge were repurposed for use in various building projects across London and elsewhere. Like its predecessor, New London Bridge featured a series of support arches, including a 52-foot (15-meter) central arch that was thought to be the largest such structure in the world. For the next 140 years, New London Bridge served as one of the city's key arteries. By the 1960s, however, the bridge was sinking into the river and struggling to meet modern traffic demands. As a result, an effort began to build yet another London Bridge. As work began on the new bridge in 1967, the old bridge was sold to American property developer Robert McCulloch, deconstructed, shipped across the Atlantic, and reassembled in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Built by John Mowlem & Co. and opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973, the modern London Bridge is a concrete structure with large hallow caissons, or watertight chambers. The bridge also features polished granite panels, a wide stainless steel handrail, and heated pavement. In 1984 the bridge survived the collision of the British warship HMS Jupiter. The ship was leaving the Pool of London when it collided with the bridge, causing significant damage to both the bridge and the ship. On June 3, 2017, London Bridge was the scene of an attack during which three terrorists traveling in a van drove into a throng of pedestrians before embarking on a stabbing spree in nearby Borough Market. Eight people were killed in the attack and more than forty others were injured. The attackers themselves were killed by police.

Bibliography

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Brown, Matt. "Whatever Happened to Old London Bridge?" Londonist, 11 Jan. 2017, londonist.com/2016/08/whatever-happened-to-old-london-bridge. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

Byrnes, Mark. "How the London Bridge Ended Up in Arizona." CityLab, 10 Oct. 2013, www.citylab.com/design/2013/10/how-original-london-bridge-ended-arizona/7200/. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

"John Rennie's London Bridge." The History of London, www.thehistoryoflondon.co.uk/john-rennies-london-bridge/. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

"London Bridge." History.co.uk, www.history.co.uk/history-of-london/london-bridge. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

"The Medieval London Bridge." The History of London, www.thehistoryoflondon.co.uk/the-medieval-london-bridge/. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.