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Born digital.
As the only bridge in London crossing the Thames until
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From the time the Romans built Londonʼs first wooden bridge in
Since London Bridge was the only way to cross the Thames without a boat and wooden bridges of the past were often unsafe,
the construction of the stone bridge was important to the city of London. Commissioned by 20 feet wide and 300 yards long and was
supported by 20 arches curving to a point in Gothic Style
(Peter De Colechurch Bridge).
Beginning in
Many structures were built upon London Bridge in an attempt to help repay the cost of its construction (Stow 1:23).
The first was a stone chapel, located on the east side of the bridge and south side of the river (Stow 1:24). In addition to this chapel, the bridge had gatehouses, a drawbridge and
(Peter De Colechurch Bridge). By
Despite its stone reconstruction, London Bridge was still subject to fire. On
every man
on foot, with merchandise, to pay one farthing; every horseman, one penny; every pack carried on horseback, one halfpenny
(Thornbury 1: 9).
These tolls, while a reasonable rate, were doubtless an important component in the recuperation of the money spent on the bridge’s construction.
In addition to fire, London Bridge saw other destructive forces. Since the bridge was the only way for infantry-based armies to cross the Thames,
London Bridge was the site of many battles. In
London Bridge was also the site of celebration and ceremony. Thornbury writes of the return of
InThornbury 1: 121392 , whenRichard II returned to London, reconciled to the citizens, who had resented his reckless extravagance, London Bridge was the centre of splendidpageants . At the bridge-gate the citizens presented the handsome young scapegrace with a milk-white charger, caparisoned in cloth of gold and hung with silver bells, and gave the queenI.e., a white palfrey, caparisoned in white and red; while from every window hung cloths of gold and silver. The citizens ended by redeeming their forfeited charter by the outrageous payment of £10,000.Anne of Bohemia .
Upon the Kingʼs arrival, the people adorned the bridge with extravagant decoration, a gesture which signifies London Bridge’s status as an important landmark of early modern London.
London Bridge had some deficiencies, the largest of which was that it obstructed the navigability of the Thames. Since
the Thames is a tidal river, the current changes direction with the tides. The arches across the river were not equidistant, causing the river to develop
spots that were dangerous to navigate when passing under the bridge. Because of this, bargemen who worked the river had their favourite spots to cross depending on the tidal level. They
called it
The dangers associated with barge of the
(Thornbury 1: 13). Fortunately, the duke and a few other gentlemen were able to leap on the piles and were saved by ropes cast down from the
parapet above. The rest, however, perished.
Upon close inspection of
Crossing London Bridge during the early modern period was unlike crossing any bridge that we have today. The majority of the twenty-foot-wide bridge was covered with
structures on either side. Because London Bridge was the only way to cross the Thames that did not involve a boat, it was the primary way carriages, wagons, and horses crossed the river, so traffic was both thick and dangerous. Since there were no sidewalks on the bridge, pedestrians had to be as aware of other traffic as they were
in the narrow, winding roads of London. The structures on either side were so large that they were buttressed from the river below and needed to be connected across the bridge
with wood for support; otherwise, they would either fall into the river or crash down upon the bridge. According to Cushman, the structures above the shops
(Cushman 128).
In mounted on stakes atop London Bridge
as punishment for their involvement in a Catholic
conspiracy against
During the Great Fire of London in
Over the years, citizen traffic increased on the bridge, and as traffic increased, the bridge became considerably more dangerous. In