Old London Bridge: Gone but Not Forgotten

Old London Bridge was once described as a wonder of the world. First, let’s be clear, I’m not talking about Tower Bridge. The drawbridge with 2 square gothic towers that crosses the Thames next to the Tower of London was opened in 1902. I’m talking about the medieval bridge that no longer exists.

Old London Bridge must have been a sight to see. With 19 stone arches, a fortified gateway at each end, its own church, plus shops on each side of the roadway and houses above them, Old London Bridge was a city in itself.

I would have loved to have seen it, but because it was always ‘falling down’ as recorded in the children’s nursery rhyme, it was replaced and dismantled in the 1830s.

As a history nerd, my heart breaks at the loss of what was once the longest inhabited bridge in Europe.

Ancient bridge

There has been a bridge across the river Thames between the City of London and Southwark since the Romans arrived. The bridge was the only crossing point (other than by boat) for centuries.

For a thousand years, several wooden bridges had to be replaced following destruction by invading forces, storms and fires.

By the 1100s, the city needed a more permanent structure.

Medieval bridge – Old London Bridge

In 1176, construction of a stone bridge began. 30 years later, the completed bridge spanned 926 feet (282 metres), and featured 19 pointed arches and a wooden drawbridge to allow ships to pass through.

The bridge was a moneymaking enterprise that charged tolls for passage over and through the bridge, plus rents on the shops and buildings.

For the next 600 years, the bridge served as a gateway to the city and a place of religious pilgrimage, worship and royal pageantry. Oh, and they liked to display the decapitated heads of treasonous criminals on the gatehouses as a warning to others. What a welcome!

Among manie Famous monuments w[i]t[h]in this realm none Deserveth more to be sett before the Worlds view than this londen bridge … as by reporte the fame of it is spred through manie nations.
John Norden, 1597

Early modern bridge

When trade grew and ships increased in size during Tudor times, the bridge’s narrow-pier design made it impractical.

The 19 piers created a weir effect. While this acted as a barrier against the tides, it also created a fall of water up to 5 feet high. During cold winters, the flow of the water slowed so much the Thames froze and became impassable. (It also allowed frost fairs to be held on the ice, but that’s for another post.)

The weir was dangerous to navigate. Vessels were regularly bashed against the sides of the piers, destroying boats and drowning the crews. Merchants became increasingly frustrated with the limitations the bridge enforced upon their businesses.

Navigating the weirs became known as ‘shooting the bridge’. Boatmen took their life into their own hands when passing beneath. Some brave, or perhaps idiotic, individuals saw it as a personal challenge and gambled on their ability to make it through unscathed. Unfortunately, many drowned.

To the dismay of some, the bridge survived the Great Fire of London in 1666. In a previous fire on the bridge, several buildings on the north side had been destroyed, creating a firebreak.

Georgian bridge

By the 18^th century, the medieval bridge had become dilapidated and old-fashioned. It was, as we now like to say, no longer fit for purpose.

The construction of a modern bridge across the Thames at Westminster in 1750 highlighted the ancient structure’s limitations. As well as the narrow piers preventing the passage of boats, congestion along the tunnel-like roadway had become unbearable.

In 1760, attempts to modify the bridge resulted in the demolition of all the buildings. The roadway was widened, and a pedestrian route was sectioned off on the east side. A pedestrian entrance was created through the tower of St Magnus-the-Martyr church on the north bank, and the archway is still there. Along the bridge, a balustrade and half-domed alcoves were added.

While the medieval foundations remained, 2 of the medieval arches were replaced by a wider gothic-style arch to allow the passage of larger boats. However, the modifications did little to improve congestion, and the piers required constant repair.

In 1812, coal boat owners petitioned for a new bridge to improve passage up the river and to prevent the continuing deaths caused by the perilous weir.

New London Bridge

John Rennie, who had also designed Westminster Bridge, proposed a new bridge featuring 5 wide semi-elliptical stone arches with a balustrade.

However, the authorities dallied over their decisions, and Rennie died in 1821 before work had even begun. His two sons took over, and the first stone was laid in 1824, several yards upstream from the Old London Bridge to allow it to be used until construction was complete.

The new bridge was built using granite from Devon and Scotland and was very ‘dull and practical’ (in my opinion) when compared to the vibrant hodgepodge of buildings that made the original stone bridge so unique.

In August 1831, William IV and Queen Adelaide travelled down the Thames by barge to much pomp, ceremony and cheers of the thousands gathered on the riverbanks. The royal couple declared the new bridge open and walked across.

Within 2 years, the old bridge had been dismantled. Much of the stone was sold as souvenirs or reused in new buildings. Some remnants can be found along the riverbank, like the archway at Magnus-the-Martyr. Four of the pedestrian alcoves added in 1762 have been placed around the city. One sits in the grounds Guy’s Hospital and features a statue of Romantic poet, John Keats.

Modern bridge

The bridge now known as London Bridge was constructed in the 1970s. It’s just another dull, concrete and steel route across the river (again, only my opinion). John Rennie’s bridge was dismantled after being purchased by an American entrepreneur who had the bridge rebuilt in Arizona and is now a tourist attraction at Lake Havasu.

When I went on an open-top bus tour of London in the 90s, the tour guide joked that the American entrepreneur got his bridge names confused and thought he was actually purchasing Tower Bridge. Much guffawing then ensued about how disappointed he was to realise he had purchased the less grandiose London Bridge.

I’m still not sure how much truth is in that tale, but my original point remains. Do not confuse Tower Bridge with London Bridge.

Lamenting the loss of Old London Bridge

Old London Bridge would have dominated the skyline of the city. It must have been a noticeable and sad loss to the metropolis. By the Regency, the buildings had already gone and the effects of the industrial revolution on trade and shipping in Great Britain were well on the way. The eventual destruction of the medieval bridge was probably inevitable, but it would have been nice for history nerds like me if they had rebuilt it somewhere else so we could have at least seen it. 🥺