London Bridge Today
“London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down; London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady.” So goes the old nursery rhyme that is sung around the world. Alluding to London’s famous bridge that has seen centuries of use, the rhyme brings out a well-known truism: London Bridge began to crumble and eventually had to be replaced. The London Bridge links the City of London with suburban Southwark to the south. For nearly 2,000 years there has been a bridge at this location, beginning with the Roman’s wooden version in
A: D. 46. After their departure, however, it fell into disuse until the bridge was later restored. But in 1014 King Ethelred burned the bridge to repel invading Danes, and this event inspired the writing of the nursery rhyme still sung today. Time and again the bridge was rebuilt following storm and fire. In 1209 a permanent stone bridge replaced the tottering wooden one under the reign of King John. Soon structures several stories high were built, including shops and a chapel, and eventually the bridge became its own district that was in a sense separate from the City of London. Nineteen arches supported the bridge, but they also served to back up 80% of the River Thames’ flow, creating turbulent ripples and waves that made it impossible to pass under the bridge by boat. In the 14th and 15th centuries, rebellions led to burning of some of the houses on the bridge. The south end of the bridge featured a gatehouse on which was displayed the severed heads of traitors, dipped in tar to preserve them against the elements. William Wallace’s head was the first to be posted, in 1305. Charles II (1660-1685) finally stopped the practice. Between 1758 and 1762, houses on the bridge were removed since they could no longer be supported