For hundreds of years, London Bridge was the one strategy to get throughout the Thames (besides by boat, or except you needed to journey to Kingston) – so that you is perhaps shocked to be informed that visiting this historic spot is certainly one of my high issues to not do in London.
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Sure, it’d nonetheless be a serious bridge to cross the Thames, it’s even impressed a nursery rhyme (‘London Bridge is falling down’) however on an inventory of what to not do in London as a vacationer, visiting London Bridge comes up excessive.
So in the event you’re questioning why you shouldn’t go to London Bridge, learn on (plus I’ve received just a few causes you may nonetheless wish to hold it in your London itinerary).
London Bridge shouldn’t be Tower Bridge
The massive mistake that lots of people make is assuming that the long-lasting Tower Bridge, with its eye-catching blue and white paint, is definitely known as London Bridge.
Regardless of being London’s most well-known bridge, it’s very positively not London Bridge although.
Unsurprisingly Tower Bridge options on a number of customer wishlists – it seems nice, there’s an opportunity you may see the bridge raise, and you’ll even go inside.
Get a reduction on tickets for Tower Bridge Expertise in the event you e book by means of by means of my hyperlink, utilizing the code MUMMYTRAVELS6
Wander alongside the glass ground whilst you’re in there, benefit from the view alongside the river from the excessive stage, go to the engine rooms and study extra concerning the bridge’s historical past – do you know, it hasn’t at all times been painted this color…?
There’s additionally numerous household actions to get pleasure from, with further enjoyable throughout most faculty holidays, plus Tower Bridge even has its personal set of books for teenagers, concerning the Tower Bridge Cat.
Sale
The Tower Bridge Cat
- Tee Dobinson (Writer)
- English (Publication Language)
- 38 Pages – 05/18/2018 (Publication Date) – Baizdon (Writer)
London Bridge is de facto boring
Amongst London’s string of bridges, the town has some engaging and crowd pleasing ones, fairly aside from Tower Bridge.
However London Bridge isn’t even very ornamental by London bridge requirements, only a fairly boring outdated, gray, concrete bridge.
Head alongside the river and also you’ve received the crimson and white paint of Blackfriars Bridge with its sleek arches, the glossy traces of the Millennium Bridge, Westminster Bridge’s pale inexperienced paint to call only a few…
Albert Bridge even lights up at night time, with 4 thousand lightbulbs illuminating at nightfall every day, and a few historic tollbooths on the finish.
London Bridge shouldn’t be very outdated
The present London Bridge opened in 1973, which makes the present one London’s latest bridge (excluding the pedestrianised Millennium Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridge).
The earlier model, which dated again to the 1830s, was offered to an American entrepreneur and now stands in Lake Havasu (or, the outside blocks do, no less than) because it was not sturdy sufficient to assist London’s elevated site visitors.
The city legend that the client thought he was getting Tower Bridge and ended up with London Bridge is barely a fantasy although – ‘New London Bridge’ because it was identified, was particularly bought to attempt to entice guests to the realm and to encourage them to purchase property.
Why it is best to go to London Bridge
Purchase this level, you’re in all probability satisfied which you could completely bypass London Bridge altogether – however maybe that’s not completely truthful.
Whereas there are many causes that you simply shouldn’t go to London Bridge, it’s not completely with out its deserves.
The views
London Bridge itself is perhaps boring, however you may get some nice views as you cross it – not least of the much more iconic Tower Bridge.
There’s additionally a very good view of the Shard, and you’ll see a good method alongside the river on a transparent day.
The dragon
Look out for the dragon statue as you attain the southern financial institution, certainly one of 14 dragons in London marking the boundary of the Metropolis of London.
The silver boundary markers, typically mistaken for griffins, maintain a defend with the Metropolis of London’s coat of arms. Traditionally, this explicit level on Bankside was the place the ‘Liberty of Southwark’ started, with out the Metropolis’s restrictions – and because of this, much more lawless and vibrant than the town itself.
It hyperlinks some nice historic areas
When you won’t get too excited by the bridge itself, it’s a great way to get between a few of London’s landmarks.
Close by on the north financial institution, you possibly can see the Monument to the Nice Hearth of London, whereas in the event you stroll throughout to the southern facet, it results in Southwark Cathedral, Borough Market, HMS Belfast and the Golden Hinde, and Bankside itself, which regularly has public artwork trails.
It’s solely minutes till you attain the South Financial institution with all its vacationer points of interest as nicely.
In the event you’re in search of a stroll to take you previous extra of London’s landmarks, try this route by means of the town to identify extra London points of interest
To benefit from the historical past
Whereas the bridge itself isn’t significantly outdated, there’s no query that you simply’re standing someplace marked by centuries of historical past.
In any case, there was a bridge on this level since round 50CE, when the Romans created their first wood crossing level over the Thames, linking their metropolis of Londinium to the roads main south and west.
The primary stone bridge was created within the late twelfth century, with homes and retailers later added alongside its size – and repeated fires which meant it was recurrently ‘falling down’ and being rebuilt. The heads of traitors had been additionally displayed right here as a warning to others.
Head to the close by church of St Magnus the Martyr, which stands on the head of the outdated London Bridge, and you’ll see a 4 metre mannequin of the outdated bridge.
Constructed round 900 years in the past, presumably longer, the churchyard can also be house to a number of historic sections of earlier London Bridges, together with medieval stones, in addition to a timber thought up to now again to 75AD, tucked away inside an 18th century archway.
By the nineteenth century, when New London Bridge was constructed, it was constructed round 100ft west of the older bridge – and the present model stands on the identical web site.
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Pictures: View from the bridge/boundary dragon copyright MummyTravels, all different photographs courtesy of Depositphotos
