Thames Crossings in 1900: London Bridge

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Arthur H. Beavan continued his survey of bridges across the Thames in Imperial London, first published in 1901, with this look at London Bridge:

The last London Bridge was opened with great state in 1831, by King William IV and Queen Adelaide.

It was the second stone structure that spanned the Thames at that location since the year 1209, when the first one was completed, superseding the timber erections - always at the mercy of fire and flood - that connected the City with Southwark in Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman times.

London Bridge stands 100 feet west of its predecessor, and for beauty of proportion and simplicity of style, is said to be the masterpiece of its designer, the famous John Rennie.

Blue and white granite from Scotland and Devonshire were extensively used in its construction.

It had five extremely flat arches over the river, the centre one of 153 feet span being considered a great architectural achievement in 1831.

Its length was 904 feet, its roadway 53 feet wide, leaving sufficient room for the pedestrians in early Victorian days, but utterly inadequate for the immense number of people who used it by the turn of the 20th century, in spite of the opening of the Tower Bridge.

This was helped by the enlargement of the bridge, from 1902 - 1904, from 53 to 65 feet wide, at a cost of £100,000.

Granite corbels or cantilevers with open balustrades were erected by the side of the present footways, each of them being increased in width from 9 feet 6 inches to about 14 feet.

Unfortunately, this improvement proved too much for the bridge's foundations, which started sinking slowly into the river.

From London Bridge the general view around 1900 was the same as from Tower Bridge, though not so extensive; and to watch the steamers discharging their cargoes at the wharves at the Middlesex end was always a fascinating amusement; while throughout the day, the bridge was a fine field for the study of humanity in all its complex forms.

At its northern approach, i.e. from the shelter opposite the Stockwell Electric Railway Office, and facing King William's statue, a good example of ugly London could be seen in the shape of houses permanently disfigured by hideous advertisement-boards, etc; and, at the southern approach of the bridge, any lover of the beautiful, standing on the west side near the Bridge House Tavern, and looking towards Mackie Todd's office, would sorrowfully realize how hopelessly unaesthetic an object was the great railway-bridge that faced him.

(Editor's Note: The current London Bridge was constructed from 1967 to 1972, and opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 March 1973. It is a dull edifice, 928 feet (283 m) long, comprising three spans of pre-stressed concrete cantilevers. The new London Bridge cost £4 million, which was paid by the City of London's Bridge House Estates.)

Next: Southwark Bridge