Right here before us stands Putney Bridge. It is more than just a way to cross the Thames. It is a landmark steeped in history.
Putney Bridge links Putney on the south with Fulham on the north. Before 1729, a ferry was the only way across. Imagine waiting for that ferry.
Sir Robert Walpole, considered the first Prime Minister, experienced this frustration. In 1720, he was in a hurry to see George I. He and his servant arrived at Putney. The ferrymen were enjoying themselves at The Swan Inn. Walpole was forced to take a longer route to Parliament. This spurred him to push for a bridge.
The first Putney Bridge was approved by an Act of Parliament in 1726. Local master carpenter Thomas Phillips built it. Sir Jacob Ackworth, a Royal Navy Surveyor, designed it. It opened on November 29, 1729. The bridge was slightly downriver to the north of where we are standing now. It was known as Fulham Bridge in many records. It was the only bridge between London Bridge and Kingston Bridge then. Tollbooths stood at each end of the timber structure.
Pause for a moment and think about the people who crossed this first bridge. They paid a toll to do so. Stage coaches brought increased traffic and income to the company. But the wooden structure needed constant maintenance. Barges and ice often damaged it.
The feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft allegedly tried to commit suicide by jumping off the bridge in 1795. Two watermen saved her.
From 1845, Putney Bridge was the starting point for The Boat Race. This continued until 1856. Then the iron aqueduct became the new starting point.
In 1870, a river barge badly damaged the bridge. Part of it was replaced. But the entire bridge was later demolished. This made way for the bridge we see today. The iron aqueduct was also removed. The new bridge carried water in pipes under the road.
The Metropolitan Board of Works bought Putney Bridge in 1879. They stopped the tolls in 1880. They began to plan its replacement.
Construction of the current stone bridge finished in 1886. It was built on a new alignment. A new road, Putney Bridge Approach, connected the bridge to Fulham High Street. Sir Joseph Bazalgette, a civil engineer, designed it. He also designed London’s sewerage system. The bridge integrates two of his outfall sewers. John Waddell of Edinburgh constructed the bridge.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, opened the bridge on May 29, 1886. In 1933, the bridge was widened to its present width. Putney Bridge Approach was also widened. This encroached further on All Saints Church’s churchyard.
The stone marking the Championship Course is used for boat races. These races include the Wingfield Sculls and the Head of the River Races. The races start just west of the bridge.
In 2007, a developer damaged the bridge’s southern approach. They cut several holes into the Cornish granite.
In 2014, Putney Bridge closed for three months for repairs. The council aimed to better protect it from water damage.
In 2017, a jogger pushed a woman on the bridge. An approaching bus narrowly missed her. This incident inspired Sonya Kelly’s play, “Once Upon a Bridge”.
Putney Bridge stands as a testament to London’s history and resilience. It has evolved over centuries. It has adapted to the needs of a growing city. As we cross or admire it, let us remember its stories and its significance.