London Bridge, London

The current London Bridge is one of many versions that have stood on this site.

There has been a bridge on this site since the founding of London in 52 AD, when it was built by the Roman army during Emperor Claudius' invasion. This became a permanent bridge in 80 AD when Londinium began to develop towards the north. When the Romans left, the bridge fell into ruin until it was rebuilt in the middle of the 9th century. In 1014, Saxon King Ethelred, supported by King Olaf of Norway, sailed up the Thames, tied boats to the bridge supports and sailed away, taking the bridge down the river with them. This gave rise to the song 'London Bridge is falling down'. During the time of King Henry II, the first stone bridge, masterminded by a churchman called Peter de Colechurch, took 33 years to complete. In 1205 King John decreed houses and shops should be built on the bridge to pay for its upkeep. This arrangement lasted for over 600 years. In 1212, a fire broke out at both ends of the bridge, trapping residents and sightseers. Over 3000 people died. The houses and shops were rebuilt and the bridge escaped the Great Fire of London, due to a gap in the buildings near the gatehouse.

By 1763 all houses had been removed from the bridge and in 1831 a new London Bridge was opened 55m west of the original, built by Sir John Rennie to the designs of his father. When the old bridge was being demolished, the bones of Peter de Colechurch were found and thrown into the river. By the 1960s, the bridge was no longer able to cope with the volume of traffic that it had to bear, so the British Government put it up for sale. Robert McCulloch paid US$ 2,460,000 for the bridge and it was shipped piece by piece to Arizona, where it now stands by Lake Havasu City on the Colorado river. It made the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest antique ever sold. The Queen opened its replacement, the only hollow bridge on the Thames, in 1973. The pavements are heated during cold weather to prevent icing. In 1984, the British warship HMS Jupiter collided with it, causing significant damage to both ship and bridge. A Fayre was held in 2009 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the completion of the original Colechurch Bridge.

London Bridge

London Bridge, London SE1 9SP

London Bridge, London
London Bridge, London
London Bridge, London
London Bridge, London

Opening Hours

Monday:
Open 24 Hours
Tuesday:
Open 24 Hours
Wednesday:
Open 24 Hours
Thursday:
Open 24 Hours
Friday:
Open 24 Hours
Saturday:
Open 24 Hours
Sunday:
Open 24 Hours
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