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London Bridge

Type Object Region England Time 1209–1831

Medieval London Bridge was the first stone arch bridge across the Thames, built 1176–1209, with houses, shops, and gatehouses on its deck, serving tr…

Timeline

  1. 1176–1209London Bridge · LondonUnder the direction of Peter de Colechurch and others, a nineteen-arch stone bridge across the Thames was completed over more than thirty years, replacing an earlier wooden bridge and becoming one of the most ambitious engineering projects in Europe at the time.
  2. 1210–1300London Bridge · LondonHouses and shops were gradually built along the bridge deck, forming a unique 'community on the bridge'; gatehouses at either end collected tolls, and the chapel of St Thomas Becket stood at the bridge's midpoint, making the bridge a core node of London's commercial and religious life.
  3. 1301–1310London Bridge · LondonFrom the late reign of Edward I into the early years of Edward II, London Bridge remained the main route in and out of the City; the Bridge House managed its upkeep, and the gatehouses handled security and toll collection. During the Scottish wars, the bridge area bustled with the transfer of supplies, reflecting its status as a vital artery of the national economy.
  4. 1700–1831London Bridge · LondonIn the 18th–19th centuries, the increasingly dense buildings on the bridge deck caused traffic congestion and fire hazards; the old bridge was demolished in 1831, with some of its stone moved to Surrey for reconstruction, ending the medieval London Bridge's era as a city landmark.

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