Perhaps you’ve noticed this unassuming bridge as we’ve traveled. This is Halfway Bridge and it has a story to tell.
London Bridge’s history stretches back over two thousand years. Its story began with the Romans around 43 AD. They built a wooden pontoon bridge. Planks lay across anchored boats.
The Romans built quays and warehouses. Londinium became a trading hub. Goods flowed freely from Kent ports to Camulodunum. That city is now Colchester.
Roman rule ended around 409. The bridge fell into disrepair. But by 600 AD, London was a major trading center again in Saxon hands. A settlement called Lundenwic grew.
Wooden bridges rose and fell because of Danish invasions. Around 990 AD, King Ethelred the Unready built a bridge. Vikings led by King Olaf Haraldsson destroyed it in 1014.
The last wooden bridge was built in 1163. Peter of Colechurch built it. Then, King Henry II commissioned a stone bridge. Peter Colechurch began work in 1176. The bridge was finished in 1209. It was 16 feet wide and 926 feet long. A wooden drawbridge helped river traffic and stopped invaders.
Residents built stores and dwellings on the bridge. These cramped conditions caused disaster. In 1212, fire broke out. It trapped many people. Another fire in 1623 burned many houses and stores. Merchants left due to dilapidation and fire damage.
By 1657, all houses and stores were torn down. The old London Bridge was widened. It was partly rebuilt. The bridge survived for 600 years despite needed repairs.
In 1821, a committee decided to build a new bridge. John Rennie’s plans were accepted in 1824. The new bridge was built 100 feet west of the old bridge. It measured 928 feet long and 49 feet wide. The first stone was laid in 1825. It opened to the public in 1831.
The new London Bridge lasted for 140 years. But in 1962, engineers found it was sinking due to increased traffic. The current London Bridge was built between 1968 and 1972. It was built over the old bridge’s foundations. Construction was arranged to not disturb traffic.
London Bridge may not be as grand as Tower Bridge. However, its history makes it important. Between 1305 and 1660, severed heads of traitors were displayed on the bridge’s southern gateway. Heads were impaled on spikes. They were dipped in tar to survive the weather. William Wallace and Sir Thomas More were among those displayed. This practice ended in 1660.
And what became of the 1831 bridge? In 1968, Robert Paxton McCulloch bought London Bridge for over a million pounds. Between 1968 and 1971, the bridge was dismantled. It was shipped to Lake Havasu City in Arizona. There, it was rebuilt as a tourist attraction.
So, as we stand here at Halfway Bridge, remember the long and complex history of London’s bridges. From Roman pontoons to modern structures, these crossings have shaped London’s story.