Seven Symbols And Secrets To Spot On Westminster Bridge

Westminster Bridge is used by tens of thousands of people everyday. It is bookended by the sight-seeing hotspots of Big Ben and the London Eye, however, stop for a moment and there is plenty of history, secrets and symbols to see on Westminster Bridge itself.

Here are seven (one for each arch) of the Bridge’s most intriguing sights…

1. The Westminster Bridge Lamps

Designed by Sir Charles Barry, architect responsible for the Houses of Parliament, the beautiful octagonal lamps on the bridge are known as Gothic revival triple lamp standards. He acted as a consultant on the new Westminster Bridge, to help tie in neo-gothic elements to match and complement the Palace of Westminster.

They are some of London’s last surviving gas lamps and are maintained by a special team of lamp-lighters. The golden symbol in the centre of lamps is an entwined V and A: the initials of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The bridge connects the Victoria and Albert embankments and opened to vehicle traffic on Queen Victoria’s 43rd birthday on the 24th March 1862.

The lamps were restored from 2005-2007 by TfL, including being treated with verdigris; a chemical with a blue-green pigment.

2. This Strange Hut…

Ever wondered what this little green tent shaped thing is next to the entrance to the bridge on the North bank? This one took me a while to work out before I stumbled upon the answer in a history of London published in the 1930’s.

The answer: it is a tide monitoring station. If you climb up the 2/3 rungs on the side you can actually peek inside the black slots. Look down to your right and you will see a screen with a reading on it. The usual range here is apparently pretty much always between -2.33m and 4.12m. It can go into minus figures as the level is relative to the sea level, not the riverbed. It was 1.11m when I checked.

You can see a live reading and bit more information on that here.

3. The Colour

You may well have noticed that Westminster Bridge is green. This wasn’t always the case. The first Westminster Bridge opened in 1750 and was only the second crossing over the river in Central London after London Bridge. In 1862 the original bridge was replaced with the bridge we have now, designed by Thomas Page.

In 1970 it was painted green. This was to match the colour of the seats in the House of Commons which sits at the Northern end of the Palace of Westminster i.e. that closest to Westminster Bridge. Lambeth Bridge was painted red to match the seats in the House of Lords.

4. The Coats of Arms

Linking in with the symbolism on the lamps above, you will also see the coat of arms of Victoria and Albert adorning the side of the bridge.

The other coat of arms you will see is that of Henry John Temple- 3rd Viscount Palmerston. Palmerston was Prime Minister at the time of the current bridge’s opening. Above these note the small gold decorations adorning the ironwork. Look closely and you will see a portcullis, a thistle, the cross of St George, a shield and a rose. These are symbols of the UK and Parliament.

The coat of arms in the centre on the walkway side are again those of Victoria and Albert. The latin quote on the left states ‘Anno Victoria 25’, i.e. in the 25th year of Victoria’s reign. The one on the right says ‘Anno Domini 1862’ i.e. 1862 AD. In the centre: ‘Gloria deo in excelsis’ i.e. Glory to God in the highest’.

5. The South Bank Lion

This majestic beast, standing proudly at the Southern end of Westminster bridge, has a fascinating history.

The South Bank lion weighs 13 tons and is made from Coade stone, a popular artificial stone produced in Lambeth in the early 19th century. He once stood with two others, painted red, on the roof of the Lion Brewery. This was located where royal festival hall is now, from 1837 to 1949 and when the brewery was demolished, King George VI apparently stepped in to save this lion. The South Bank lion stood for a time outside Waterloo station, during the Festival of Britain, before being moved to his current spot in 1966.

A time capsule was discovered in a hidden hole in his back in 1949. It was a bottle containing 2 William IV coins and a Coade trade card. When he was moved in 1966 a new coin and a couple of articles on Coade stone and the history of the lion were added.

There is also a mysterious door in the back of the pedestal- if anyone knows what’s behind it, let me know! It’s probably just a store room but we can live in hope that it’s a secret tunnel…

The South Bank lion features on my ‘Beasts On The Banks’ self-guided walk. Click here to read.

6. The William Wordsworth Poem

Half way along, on the down river side of the bridge you will find a small plaque with a rather lovely William Wordsworth poem.

The poem was composed upon Westminster Bridge on September 3rd 1802 and is called ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802’. An excellent name I think; no faffing about.

It reads:

‘Earth has not any thing to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!’

Wordsworth wrote this poem whilst leaving London, on his way to Calais. In the same collection, ‘Poems, In Two Volumes’ (1807) there is a poem called ‘London, 1802‘ that is a lot less positive. He laments the state of the country and its moral stagnation.

7. A Dodgy Design Choice?

We are moving from Wordsworth to schoolboy level smut with this last one I’m afraid. On some sunny days, in the early afternoon, the trefoil shapes in the side of the bridge create some rather questionable shadows on the path…

Whether this was a mistake or someone having a bit of laugh, we will probably never know!

Thank you for reading! Click below for more of London’s historical gems…