By Jason Chavis
About the London Bridge
The London Bridge is one of the most famous in the world, however, it is oftentimes mistaken for the Tower Bridge. It has gone through a variety of changes over the years as London passed through different authorities, both foreign and domestic.
Geography
London Bridge is located over the River Thames between two other bridges, the Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge. Southwark Cathedral and London Bridge Station are situated on the southern side, while the north is populated by the Monument to the Great Fire of London and its tube station.
History
The bridge was built sometime during the first century A.D. by Romans during their occupation of London. Over the years, the bridge has been rebuilt and destroyed repeatedly, until the modern incarnation came into existence on March 17, 1973.
Features
Ownership and maintenance of the London Bridge is handled by the Bridge House Estates, also known as the City Bridge Trust. The Greater London Authority also maintains the road itself, while the entire process is overseen by the City of London Corporation.
Fun Fact
The old London Bridge was sold to an American entrepreneur named Robert P. McCulloch in 1968 for $2.46 million USD. The bridge was disassembled and shipped to Arizona where it was reconstructed near Lake Havasu City. The old bridge now spans the Bridgewater Channel.
Considerations
The nursery rhyme "London Bridge is Falling Down" is believed to be written for an incident in which Norwegian forces pulled down the bridge in an effort to split defending Dane forces in 1014. At the time, London was a strong fortress and walled city.
Resources
About the Author:
Jason lives and works out of Minneapolis. After 11 years of professional writing, he is the author of four books, two movies and a play as well as numerous articles for Scientific American, The History Channel, City Pages and The Onion. Jason is a graduate of the film school at USC.
Photo Credits:
burge5000, Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:London_Bridge_Illuminated.jpg
