2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06
The capital of Great Britain is famous for its amazing sights, which can be conditionally divided into groups: palaces, churches, parks, museums, galleries, bridges. It is impossible to cover all the interesting places in London in one article, so we will dwell on the history of only one unusual building.
London Bridge is the name of a particular structure that connects the right bank of the Thames and the City, the business district of the city. There have always been bridges on this spot since the founding of London. They successively replaced each other as they were destroyed. The fact that the London Bridge often had to be rebuilt was reflected in the well-known children's song London bridge is fallen, where it is proposed to rebuild it from brick, iron, and in the last verse - from gold. This building was really ready to be restored, using any, even the most expensive materials, because it was the only crossing in the city across the Thames until 1750.
The very first bridge was built by the Romans in the middle of the first century AD. It was wooden, so it was often destroyed during wars, storms and fires. So, in 1014 it was completely destroyed by the Danish conquerors, in 1091 it was demolished by a strong storm, and in 1281 it was destroyed by ice. In fires, he "died" in 1136, 1212 and 1633. Then the Londoners took increased fire-fighting measures, so in the ill-fated 1666, the fire was able to destroy only a third of the bridge.
Because the London Bridge was heavily built up with houses, besides being the only way to cross from one bank to the other, the traffic on it was extremely intense and difficult. Even traffic jams began to appear. And this is in the 18th century! Therefore, in 1722, a law was passed allowing only left-hand traffic on the bridge. Actually, it was this decree that marked the beginning of the widespread left-hand traffic on the roads of Britain. And the houses that so much interfered with the free movement of the bridge were completely demolished in 1760.
London Bridge, in addition to its functional purpose, played an important political and symbolic role in the life of the capital. From the 14th to the 17th century the heads of executed criminals and traitors were exhibited at its South Gate. In particular, this fate befell Thomas More, Oliver Cromwell, William Wallace, John Fisher.
Fateful historical events unfolded here, for example, Charles II went this way when he arrived in London to return the throne of his father in 1660, during the restoration of the Stuart dynasty.
Old London Bridge also influencedon the general character of the development of the city: the largest number of houses were built in the immediate vicinity of the bridge, on the north bank of the Thames. And the south bank was less densely built up, with structures fanning out along the river and down to Southwark.
The penultimate structure of the bridge was built around 1830. It was stone, five-arched and served for more than a hundred years, but eventually began to subside. In 1967, they decided to build a new bridge, and not to demolish the old London Bridge, but to sell it. Those who wanted to buy it were found very quickly. This "world's largest antique" was bought by American oil tycoon Robert McCulloch for $2.5 million. For three years, it was carefully dismantled, numbered and each stone was packed to be sent to the States. There, the building was carefully assembled, and now it has become the main attraction of Lake Havasu City in Arizona, attracting many tourists.
New London Bridge built in just a few years. It was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973. On the first day, about 90 thousand people passed through it. The bridge is made of steel and concrete and in its design looks the most unpretentious of all similar structures in the capital. There are no decorations on it, but it is reliable and has the highest capacity thanks to three lanes in each direction. The sidewalks on it are wide and comfortable for walking, and in winter they are additionally heated so that the cold does not become an obstacle for excursions around this amazinghistorical site.
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