Remnants Of Old London Bridge in Victoria Park

Picture the scenario. It’s the weekend and you are wandering through Victoria Park. Perhaps you’ve picked up a pain au chocolat or croissant from a local bakery. You take a seat to rest your legs, watch the world go by and consume your flaky, buttery, baked goods.

If you are near the Cadogan Terrace entrance to the park, your seat of choice may well be, not only 250 years old, but also part of the old London Bridge.

The Old London Bridge

There have been many ‘London bridges’ that have crossed the Thames at roughly the spot it is today. The current bridge was built in 1967, replacing one that had been there since 1831.

The most famous and longest standing of the London Bridges, spanned the Thames from 1209-1831.

As you can see it was packed with houses, shops and even had a chapel and a palace along its 19 arches. It is considered one of the wonders of the medieval world.

The Bridge Remodelled

In the 1750s and 60s the buildings were removed to widen the road and improve traffic. The bridge was remodelled by Sir Robert Taylor and George Dance, including the addition of a balustrade and 14 domed, portland stone alcoves on top of the piers.

The architect of the alcoves, Charles Labelye, said their purpose was not only for travellers to rest and for the relief they offered the eye inbreaking so long a line, but also to strengthen the bridge between the arches.

After they were installed some were worried the alcoves would be used by robbers and cut-throats to ambush passers by. A guard of 12 watch-men was subsequently appointed on the bridge at night.

Over 600 years old and increasingly dilapidated, the bridge was completed demolished between 1824 and 1831 and construction on a new London bridge started 100 feet westwards.

The Alcoves

A few of the alcoves were salvaged when the bridge was being demolished and two can be found in Victoria Park.

They were donated to the park by a Mr Benjamin Dixon in 1860. Victoria Park was opened in 1845 as the first purpose built park for the people of London.

Look out for the mark of the Bridge House Estates on the inside of the roof. They were a charitable trust established to maintain the medieval London Bridge in 1287.

The trust made a lot of money through rents and tolls and went on to build Blackfriars Bridge and Tower Bridge, and purchase Southwark Bridge.

The alcoves also apparently produce the effect of carrying sound from one side to another, similar to the Whispering Gallery in St Paul’s Cathedral. This meant that you could have a conversation, without being drowned out by the noise of passing carriages.

Where else can you see remnants of London Bridge?

An alcove can be found in the grounds of Guy’s hospital and another in the garden of a block of flats in East Sheen.

You can find a coat of arms over the entrance to the Kings Arms pub in Southwark. It had once adorned one of the gatehouses to the bridge from 1728-1760.

Finally there are some old stones from the bridge in the churchyard of St Magnus the Martyr. All fodder for future blog posts no doubt.

Thank you for reading, more of London’s quirky hidden history below!