London Bridge

AD	43 50 52 60 80 90+	Romans invade and conquer Britain Romans found Londinium First Roman timber bridge is built. Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni, burns Londonium to the ground Romans rebuild Londinium and the timber bridge Earliest date for building of permanent bridge
100	100 102 196	Londinium with a bridge, becomes capital of Roman province of Britain. Forum/basilica built with a permanent bridge built or in place Some Roman legions withdrawn
200	208 259 287	Visit of Emperor Septimus Severus Temporary independent "Gallic Empire" set up, including Britain Carausius proclaims an independent Britain
300	306 367 369	Constantine proclaimed Roman Emperor in Britain Combined attack on Britain by Picts, Scots and Saxons Theodosius restores order in Britain
400	407 410 467	Romans abandon London. Last legions withdrawn Bridge likely to be no longer in use or already officially dismantled Sack of Rome. Emperor tells Britons to arrange for their own defence Last appeal to Rome for help from Britain - London largely abandoned
500	500+ 597	"Dark Ages", with much of Britain already taken over by the Saxons St Augustine lands in Kent to re-establish Christianity
600	600+ 604	London area and Southwark bank rely on ferry for connection Bishop of London appointed for a short period
700	730 793	London - "A mart of many peoples coming by land and sea" - Bede Viking attacks on Britain start
800	842 872 886	Inhabitants from the The Anglo-Saxon settlement known as "Lundenwic" move into old walled area for safety. Earliest date for the rebuilding of a London Bridge London occupied by the Vikings King Alfred recaptures London from the Danes and restores the town
900	979 984 994	Reference to a bridge at London in Billingsgate toll records Reference to a miscreant being thrown from London Bridge Viking battle recorded at the bridge with attacking Danish King, Svein
1000	1000 1009 1014 1016 1066 1087 1097	Tolls recorded as being collected at London Bridge London mentioned in Anglo-Saxon Chronicles on Norse raiding parties To regain his capital from King Canute, Aethelred is aided by King Olaf who pulls down London Bridge - London Bridge is Broken/Falling Down Canute digs a ditch round London Bridge to defeat Edmund upstream Battle of Hastings brings William the Conqueror to London William Rufus, son of William the Conqueror rebuilds London Bridge London Bridge carried away by floods. Local forced labour used to rebuild it
1100	1122 1135 1163 1176 1189+	London Bridge recorded as possessing revenue producing lands London and the bridge destroyed in major fire. All then rebuilt Last wooden bridge built under direction of Peter De Colechurch Peter de Colechurch starts to build the stone London Bridge Henry II imposes a tax on wool for its construction Richard the Lionheart's war costs delay the completion of the bridge King John gives land to the City to produce more revenues for the bridge
1200	1201 1205 1209 1212 1216 1243 1249 1252 1257 1258 1263 1265 1267 1269 1270 1281 1282	King John decrees that houses should be erected on the bridge for rent Peter de Colechurch dies and is buried in the new crypt of the bridge chapel London Bridge is completed with the gates, chapel and houses Major fire in Southwark destroys southern houses on the bridge Louis, Dauphin of France crosses the bridge as guests of the Barons First mention of Bridge House as the administrative centre for the bridge Henry III takes over the bridge's revenue to pay for his wars Henry gives grant of protection to the Brethren of the Bridge for funds First mention of the drawbridge City establishes its control over the whole length of the bridge Unpopular Queen Eleanor's barge pelted by citizens on the bridge Simon de Montfort occupies Southwark. Drawbridge raised against him Bridge funds administered by Brethren of the Chapel of St Thomas Earl of Gloucester occupies Southwark, and gains the City and its gates King Henry again grants Queen Eleanor custody of the bridge Bridge collapsing from lack of repair as Queen Eleanor misuses funds Edward I gives back control of the bridge to the City Five arches of the bridge collapse in winter. London Bridge is Falling Down Edward appoints Bridge Wardens and gives the bridge a charter and tolls
1300	1305 1309 1348 1357 1358 1381 1384+ 1388 1390	First head displayed on the bridge, that of William Wallace Bridge damaged by heavy ice on the Thames Black Death kills many in London Edward, the Black Prince crosses bridge with captive, Jean II of France Bridge Wardens accounts record 138 rent-paying shops on the bridge Wat Tyler leads Peasant's Revolt. Tyler slain and head placed on the bridge Structure of London Bridge rebuilt over 13 years including a new chapel New drawbridge constructed Joust on the bridge between Lord Welles and Sir David de Lindsay
1400	1415 1421 1425 1426+ 1437 1442 1445 1450 1460+ 1463 1485 1497	Henry V, victor of Agincourt crosses the bridge with captive Duke of Orleans Henry V received on bridge with his new Queen, Catherine of France One of the arches cracks. Iron-shod carts banned from bridge New Drawbridge Gate is built Great Stone Gate collapses with two arches. Extensive bridge repairs follow A new drawbridge is begun Reception on bridge for bride of Henry VI, Margaret of Anjou. Jack Cade rebels fight on the bridge and part of it is burned Rebels defeated and Jack Cade's head placed on the bridge Start of bridge being totally rebuilt arch-by-arch over 30 years Common Council orders drawbridge to be raised for all ships Kent uprising sets fire to new Great Stone Gate and 13 houses Uprising defeated and leader, Thomas Fauconberg's head placed on bridge Common Council allows decayed drawbridge to be raised only in defence Hydraulic water pumps first installed on bridge to provide drinking water
1500	1500 1501 1509 1530 1535 1538 1539 1549 1553 1554 1577 1580 1582 1588 1591 1594	First picture of London Bridge painted as part of Duke of Orleans manuscript Reception for Catherine of Aragon, bride of Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII Funeral procession along the bridge for Henry VII Statute of Bridges introduced for repair of all bridges throughout the kingdom Henry VIII has Thomas More's/Bishop Fisher's head placed on the bridge Henry VIII orders chapel to cease to be dedicated to Thomas a Becket Chapel images of Thomas a Becket painted over. Becomes Lady Chapel Chapel defaced inside and ordered to be changed into a "dwelling house" Chapel is turned into a shop and residence, then into a warehouse Sir Thomas Wyatt's rebellion over Queen Mary's betrothal to Philip of Spain Demolition of the Drawbridge Gate begins, making way for Nonesuch House "House of Many Windows" also built towards southern end City agrees to Peter Morris installing waterworks at northern end to pump water into the City Law passed limiting shop counters on the bridge to project only 4" (100mm) Spanish Armada defeated. Captured banners displayed on Great Stone Gate Corn mills erected at Southwark end of bridge Van den Wyngaerde's detailed view of London Bridge published
1600	1605 1616 1624 1633 1639 1641 1645+ 1647 1666 1672 1676 1678 1683 1684 1685	Guy Fawkes and fellow plotters' heads placed on the bridge after the Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament Visscher's view of London Bridge published John Norden's view of London Bridge published Fire at City end destroys a third of houses at that end of the bridge One house at the City end rebuilt Royal Barge of Queen Henrietta overturns while "shooting the bridge". Queen's Lady of Bedchamber drowns A complete new block built at the City end In Civil War, gates of London Bridge opened to Cromwell's New Model Army who march with General Fairfax into London. Great Fire of London consumes City end block and waterwheels but spares most of the bridge Fixed Drawbridge rebuilt Serious fire in Southwark William Stayley is last head to be displayed on the bridge Destroyed houses at City end of bridge rebuilt Famous "Frost Fair" held on the frozen Thames. Visited by Charles II Many houses taken down and rebuilt to widen street to 20ft, (6m), except those adjoining the old Nonesuch House where gateway height is increased
1700	1722 1725 1727+ 1745 1750 1751+ 1756 1757+ 1757 1758 1759 1761 1762 1763 1779 1782 1786+ 1799	Lord Mayor orders bridge traffic to kept to the left. Tolls introduced. Fixed drawbridge rebuilt again Fire destroys all the Southwark end houses over the first two arches including the Great Stone Gate. Great Stone Gate demolished. Roadway widened to 18ft (5.5m) Five waterwheels working. New block by George Dance, at the City end, the last houses to be built on the bridge Westminster bridge opens, the first of other new bridges over the Thames Stationers occupy the remains of the old chapel in the encasing building, called Chapel House, with paper stored in the old undercroft Act of Parliament authorises the removal of all the houses on the bridge Demolition of the houses starts Temporary wooden bridge erected alongside. Nonesuch House pulled down Temporary wooden bridge burnt down New "Great Arch" formed in bridge by complete removal of a central pier. Bridge renewed with widening to 46ft (14m), with new end arches and decorative piers, balustrades and alcoves for pedestrians Great Stone Gate demolished.The Royal Coat of Arms from it is rebuilt into the public house in Newcomen Street Last house tenacy on bridge expires and all houses fully cleared New footway at City end opened though tower of St Magnus-the-Martyr Rebuilt Waterworks at City end burnt Bridge Tolls abolished and traffic increases Waterwheels and pumps rebuilt London Bridge fully measured and accurately drawn for the first time by George Dance the Younger
1800	1800 1813 1817 1819 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1827 1831 1832 1839 1858 1873 1879 1894	First proposals for a new bridge put forward Heavy ice on Thames. Bridge damaged. Last Frost Fair John Rennie's Waterloo Bridge opens John Rennie's Southwark Bridge opens Committee for New Bridge set up and competition organised. Results overuled and a design by John Rennie selected Act passed to remove the old bridge's waterwheels Royal Assent for Act for the Rebuilding of London Bridge 15th March - First piles driven for coffer dam(s) for construction of Sir John Rennie's new London Bridge 15th June - Foundation Stone laid in presence of Duke of York 4th August - First arch on Southwark side completed 1st August - Bridge officially opened by William IV and Queen Adelaide During demolition of old bridge, Peter de Colechurch's bones found in old chapel undercroft . Presumably destroyed with the rest London Bridge Station first opens and railway use growth starts with the first "commuters" using the bridge to go over to the City Chelsea Bridge opens Albert Bridge opens Lambeth Bridge opens Tower Bridge opens
1900	1902 1940+ 1967 1967+ 1968+ 1971 1973 1996	Bridge is widened with corbels and new balustrade London Bridge goes through WWII without damage Corporation of London is empowered by London Bridge Act to build a new London Bridge Sir John Rennie's bridge dismantled and replaced section-by-section with a new concrete structure Old bridge sold to the McCulloch Oil Corporation and transported in parts to Arizona to be rebuilt at Lake Havasu City. Foundation stone laid of the re-constructed bridge Sir John Rennie's bridge completely re-assembled at Lake Havasu City and officially opened by Lord Mayor New London Bridge officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II Museum on the history of London Bridge first proposed
2000	2000 2001 2006 2009 2012	London Bridge Museum & Education Trust formed Trust educational website first goes out over the internet Initial educational material completed as brochures, posters, DVD-Rom, lecture CD Scheduled date for the opening of proto-London Bridge Museum, the 800th Anniversary of the Peter de Colechurch bridge in 1209 Intended opening of the full London Bridge Museum , the year of the Olympic Games in London

Location

The abutments of modern London Bridge rest several metres above natural embankments of gravel, sand and clay. From the late Neolithic era the southern embankment formed a natural causeway above the surrounding swamp and marsh of the river's estuary; the northern ascended to higher ground at the present site of Cornhill. Between the embankments, the River Thames could have been crossed by ford when the tide was low, or ferry when it was high. Both embankments, particularly the northern, would have offered stable beachheads for boat traffic up and downstream – the Thames and its estuary were a major inland and Continental trade route from at least the 9th century BC.^[4] There is archaeological evidence for scattered Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement nearby, but until a bridge was built there, London did not exist.^[5] Two ancient fords were in use a few miles upstream, beyond the river's upper tidal reach. They were aligned with the course of Watling Street and led into the heartlands of the Catuvellauni, who at the time of Caesar's invasion of 54 BC were Britain's most powerful tribe. Some time before Claudius' conquest of AD 43, power shifted to the Trinovantes, who held the region northeast of the Thames estuary from a capital at Camulodunum. The first London Bridge was built by the Roman military as part of a road-building programme to help consolidate their conquest.^[6]

Roman bridges

The first bridge was probably a Roman military pontoon type, giving a rapid overland shortcut to Camulodunum from the southern and Kentish ports, along the Roman roads of Stane Street and Watling Street (the A2). The Trinovantes submitted to Rome; a major colonia was imposed on Camulodunum, which became capital city of the new Roman province of Britannia. Around AD 55, this temporary bridge was replaced by a permanent timber piled bridge, maintained and guarded by a small garrison. On the relatively high, dry ground at the northern end of the bridge, a small, opportunistic trading and shipping settlement took root, and grew into the town of Londinium.^[7] A smaller settlement developed at the southern end of the bridge, in the area now known as Southwark. The bridge was probably destroyed along with the town in the Boudican revolt (60 AD), but both were rebuilt and Londinium became the administrative and mercantile capital of Roman Britain. The upstream fords and ferries remained in use but the bridge offered uninterrupted, mass movement of foot, horse, and wheeled traffic across the Thames, linking four major arterial road systems north of the Thames with four to the south. Just downstream of the bridge were substantial quays and depots, convenient to seagoing trade between Britain and the rest of the Roman Empire.^[8][9]

Early medieval bridges

With the end of Roman rule in Britain in the early 5th century, Londinium was gradually abandoned and the bridge fell into disrepair. In the Saxon period, the river became a boundary between the emergent, mutually hostile kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex. By the late 9th century, Danish invasions prompted at least a partial reoccupation of London by the Saxons; the bridge may have been rebuilt around 990 under the Saxon king Æthelred the Unready to hasten his troop movements against Sweyn Forkbeard, father of Cnut the Great. A skaldic tradition describes the bridge's destruction in 1014 by Æthelred's ally Olaf,^[10] to divide the Danish forces who held both the walled City of London and Southwark. The earliest contemporary written reference to a Saxon bridge is c.1016 when chroniclers mention how Cnut's ships by-passed the crossing, during his war to regain the throne from Edmund Ironside.
Following the Norman conquest of England in 1066, King William I rebuilt the bridge. The London tornado of 1091 destroyed it, also damaging St Mary-le-Bow.^[11] It was repaired or replaced by King William II, destroyed by fire in 1136, and rebuilt in the reign of Stephen. Henry II created a monastic guild, the "Brethren of the Bridge", to oversee all work on London Bridge, and in 1163 its Warden, Peter of Colechurch, supervised the bridge's last rebuilding in timber.

"Old" (medieval) London Bridge

An engraving by Claes Visscher showing Old London Bridge in 1616, with what is now Southwark Cathedral in the foreground. The spiked heads of executed criminals can be seen above the Southwark gatehouse.

After the murder of his erstwhile friend and later opponent Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, the penitent King Henry II commissioned a new stone bridge in place of the old, with a chapel at its centre dedicated to Becket as martyr. The archbishop had been a native Londoner, and a popular figure. His chapel became the official start of pilgrimage to his Canterbury shrine; it was grander than some town parish churches, and had an additional river-level entrance for fishermen and ferrymen. Building work began in 1176, supervised by Peter, a priest and chaplain of St Mary Colechurch, which until its destruction in the Great Fire of London in 1666, stood in Conyhoop Lane, on the north side of the Poultry.^[12] The costs would have been enormous, and Henry attempted to meet them with taxes on wool and sheepskins, but the project continued past his own lifetime. Hence it was that the traditional legend arose that London Bridge was built on wool packs,^[13] and a similar legend arose as to the foundations of Bideford Long Bridge in Devon,^[14] and perhaps many others. It was finished by 1209 during the reign of King John. It had taken 33 years to complete, and John licensed out building plots on the bridge to help recoup the costs; but it was never enough. In 1284, in exchange for loans to the royal purse, the City of London acquired the Charter for its maintenance, based on the duties and toll-rights of the former "Brethren of the Bridge".
The bridge was some 26 feet (8 m) wide, and about 800–900 feet (240–270 m) long, supported by 19 irregularly spaced arches, founded on "starlings" set into the river-bed. It had a drawbridge for the passage of tall ships up-river, and defensive gatehouses at both ends. By 1358, it was already crowded, with 138 shops. At least one two-entranced, multi-seated public latrine overhung the bridge parapets and discharged into the river below; so did an unknown number of private latrines reserved for Bridge householders or shopkeepers and bridge officials. In 1382-3 a new latrine was made (or an old one replaced) at considerable cost, at the northern end of the bridge.^[15]
The buildings on London Bridge were a major fire hazard and increased the load on its arches, several of which had to be rebuilt over the centuries. In 1212, perhaps the greatest of the early fires of London broke out on both ends of the bridge simultaneously, trapping many people in the middle. Houses on the bridge were burnt during Wat Tyler's Peasants' Revolt in 1381 and during Jack Cade's rebellion in 1450. A major fire of 1633 that destroyed the northern third of the bridge formed a firebreak that prevented further damage to the bridge during the Great Fire of London (1666).

Detail of Old London Bridge on the 1632 oil painting "View of London Bridge" by Claude de Jongh.

By the Tudor era there were some 200 buildings on the bridge. Some stood up to seven stories high, some overhung the river by seven feet, and some overhung the road, to form a dark tunnel through which all traffic must pass, including (from 1577) the palatial Nonsuch House. The roadway was just 12 feet (4 m) wide, divided into two lanes, so that in each direction, carts, wagons, coaches and pedestrians shared a passageway six feet wide. When the bridge was congested, crossing it could take up to an hour. Those who could afford the fare might prefer to cross by ferry but the bridge structure had several undesirable effects on river-traffic. The narrow arches and wide pier bases restricted the river's tidal ebb and flow, so that in hard winters, the water upstream of the bridge became more susceptible to freezing and impassable by boat. The flow was further obstructed in the 16th century by waterwheels (designed by Peter Morice) installed under the two north arches to drive water pumps, and under the two south arches to power grain mills; the difference in water levels on the two side of the bridge could be as much as six feet (two metres), producing ferocious rapids between the piers.^[16] Only the brave or foolhardy attempted to "shoot the bridge"—steer a boat between the starlings when in flood—and some were drowned in the attempt. The bridge was "for wise men to pass over, and for fools to pass under."^[17]

This pedestrian alcove, now in Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets is one of the surviving fragments of the old London Bridge that was demolished in 1831.

The southern gatehouse became the scene of one of London's most notorious sights: a display of the severed heads of traitors, impaled on pikes^[1] and dipped in tar and boiled to preserve them against the elements. The head of William Wallace was the first to appear on the gate, in 1305, starting a tradition that was to continue for another 355 years. Other famous heads on pikes included those of Jack Cade in 1450, Thomas More in 1535, Bishop John Fisher in the same year, and Thomas Cromwell in 1540. In 1598 a German visitor to London Paul Hentzner counted over 30 heads on the bridge:^[18]

“

On the south is a bridge of stone eight hundred feet in length, of wonderful work; it is supported upon twenty piers of square stone, sixty feet high and thirty broad, joined by arches of about twenty feet diameter. The whole is covered on each side with houses so disposed as to have the appearance of a continued street, not at all of a bridge. Upon this is built a tower, on whose top the heads of such as have been executed for high treason are placed on iron spikes: we counted above thirty.

”

Evelyn's Diary noted that the practice stopped in 1660, following the Restoration of King Charles II,^[19] but heads were reported at the site as late as 1772.^[20]
By 1722 congestion was becoming so serious that the Lord Mayor decreed that "all carts, coaches and other carriages coming out of Southwark into this City do keep all along the west side of the said bridge: and all carts and coaches going out of the City do keep along the east side of the said bridge." This has been suggested as one possible origin for the practice of traffic in Britain driving on the left.^[21]
In 1758–62, all houses and shops on the bridge were demolished through Act of Parliament. The two centre arches were replaced by a single wider span to improve navigation on the river.

Drawing of London Bridge from a 1682 map

"New" (19th-century) London Bridge

New London Bridge in the late 19th century

By the end of the 18th century, it was apparent that the old London Bridge — by then over 600 years old — needed to be replaced. It was narrow and decrepit, and blocked river traffic. In 1799, a competition for designs to replace the old bridge was held. Entrants included Thomas Telford, whose proposal of a single iron arch spanning 600 feet (180 m) was rejected as unfeasible and impractical. John Rennie won the competition with a more conventional design of five stone arches. It was built 100 feet (30 m) west (upstream) of the original site by Jolliffe and Banks of Merstham, Surrey,^[22] under the supervision of Rennie's son. Work began in 1824 and the foundation stone was laid, in the southern coffer dam, on 15 June 1825.^{[citation needed]}

Spare corbels for London bridge left behind at Swelltor Quarry on Dartmoor, Devon. They lie beside the former narrow gauge Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway.

The old bridge continued in use while the new bridge was being built, and was demolished after the latter opened in 1831. New approach roads had to be built, which cost three times as much as the bridge itself. The total costs, around £2.5 million (£198 million as of 2014),^[23] were shared by the British Government and the Corporation of London.
Rennie's bridge was 928 feet (283 m) long and 49 feet (15 m) wide, constructed from Haytor granite. The official opening took place on 1 August 1831; King William IV and Queen Adelaide attended a banquet in a pavilion erected on the bridge.
In 1896 the bridge was the busiest point in London, and one of its most congested; 8,000 pedestrians and 900 vehicles crossed every hour.^[1] It was widened by 13 feet, using granite corbels.^[24] Subsequent surveys showed that the bridge was sinking an inch (about 2.5 cm) every eight years, and by 1924 the east side had sunk some three to four inches (about 9 cm) lower than the west side. The bridge would have to be removed and replaced.

Sale of Rennie's London bridge to Robert McCulloch

Main article: London Bridge (Lake Havasu City)

Rennie's "New" London Bridge during its reconstruction at Lake Havasu City, Arizona March 1971

Rennie's "New" London Bridge rebuilt, Lake Havasu City, 2003

In 1967, the Common Council of the City of London placed the bridge on the market and began to look for potential buyers. Council member Ivan Luckin had put forward the idea of selling the bridge, and recalled: "They all thought I was completely crazy when I suggested we should sell London Bridge when it needed replacing." On 18 April 1968, Rennie's bridge was sold to an American. It was purchased by the Missourian entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch of McCulloch Oil for US$2,460,000. The claim that McCulloch believed mistakenly that he was buying the more impressive Tower Bridge was denied by Luckin in a newspaper interview.^[25] As the bridge was taken apart, each piece was meticulously numbered. The blocks were then shipped overseas through the Panama Canal to California and trucked from Long Beach to Arizona. The bridge was reconstructed by Sundt Construction at Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and re-dedicated on 10 October 1971. The reconstruction of Rennie's London Bridge spans the Bridgewater Channel canal that leads from the Uptown area of Lake Havasu City and follows McCulloch Boulevard onto an Island that has yet to be named.
The London Bridge that was rebuilt at Lake Havasu City consists of a frame with stones from Rennie's London Bridge used as cladding. The cladding stones used are 150 to 200 millimetres (6 to 8 inches) thick. Some of the stones from the bridge were left behind at Merrivale Quarry at Princetown in Devon.^[26] When Merrivale Quarry was abandoned and flooded in 2003, some of the remaining stones were sold in an online auction.^[27]

Modern London Bridge

The current London Bridge, pictured in January 1987. The skyscraper in the background is the National Westminster Tower, opened six years prior.

The current London Bridge was designed by architect Lord Holford and engineers Mott, Hay and Anderson.^[28] It was constructed by contractors John Mowlem and Co from 1967 to 1972,^[28] and opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 March 1973.^[29] It comprises three spans of prestressed-concrete box girders, a total of 928 feet (283 m) long. The cost of £4 million (£49.3 million as of 2014),^[23] was met entirely by the Bridge House Estates charity. The current bridge was built in the same location as Rennie's bridge, with the previous bridge remaining in use while the first two girders were constructed upstream and downstream. Traffic was then transferred onto the two new girders, and the previous bridge demolished to allow the final two central girders to be added.^[30]
In 1984, the British warship HMS Jupiter collided with London Bridge, causing significant damage to both ship and bridge. On Remembrance Day 2004, various London bridges were furnished with red lighting as part of a night-time flight along the river by wartime aircraft. London Bridge was the one bridge not subsequently stripped of the illuminations, which are switched on at night. The current London Bridge is often shown in films, news and documentaries showing the throng of commuters journeying to work into the City from London Bridge Station (south to north). A recent example of this is actor Hugh Grant crossing the bridge north to south during the morning rush hour, in the 2002 film About a Boy. On Saturday 11 July 2009, as part of the annual Lord Mayor's charity Appeal and to mark the 800th anniversary of Old London Bridge's completion in the reign of King John, the Lord Mayor and Freemen of the City drove a flock of sheep across the bridge, supposedly by ancient right.^[31] In vaults below the southern abutment of the bridge is 'The London Bridge Experience.'

Transport

The nearest London Underground stations are Monument and London Bridge. They are respectively at the northern and southern ends of the bridge. London Bridge station is also served by National Rail services.

London bridge in literature and popular culture

The nursery rhyme "London Bridge Is Falling Down" has been speculatively connected to several of the bridge's historic collapses. Rennie's Old London Bridge is also a prominent landmark in T.S. Eliot's masterpiece "The Waste Land", where he compares the shuffling commuters across London Bridge to the hell-bound souls of Dante's Limbo..

Modern London Bridge Gallery

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  The central arch of the current London Bridge.
  
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  Close up of arch and pier.
  
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  Panoramic photograph of the Thames at night, with London Bridge to right.
  
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  London Bridge viewed from Southwark on the South Bank.
  
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  The City of London viewed from the southern end of London Bridge.
  
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  The City beyond London Bridge.
  
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  Evening commuters crossing London Bridge towards Southwark.
  
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  The northern end of London bridge illuminated at night.
  

London did not exist in A.D. 43 when the invading Roman army marched inland - with only the river Thames to be crossed. The first bridge to be made was most probably erected near the site of the later Mediaeval bridge. Around AD80, the first London Bridge was built from the Southwark settlement and at its northern end a large town grew up. This was to become London.

After the Romans left Britain, the bridge, which was most likely built of timber, would have fallen into disrepair to be replaced by a ferry and intermittent timber bridges built during Saxon Times. The next record of a bridge being in place was in 984 when a report was recorded of the punishment by the Thames of a widow and her son who had driven pins into the image of a man. The woman was taken to London Bridge and drowned while her son escaped. The bridge at this time was built out of wood.