Bridges No.12 - Lambeth Bridge

We're now out of the hustle and bustle of Central London, but the bridges don't stop. Indeed some of the bridges to follow are equally impressive, if not more so, than anything in the centre. The first of these West London bridges is Lambeth Bridge.

Lambeth Bridge is a long established river crossing, but not always was this by bridge. The clue lies in the name of the approach road from the north - Horseferry Road. Originally this was the location of the dangerous Lambeth Horse Ferry which often prooved treacherous in the Thames' strong tidal currents.

During the 17th century the population of Lambeth grew rapidly. In 1809 an Act of Parliament was passed for a new bridge, but difficulties in raising funds for its construction delayed the start of building work. It took over fifty years for the situation to be rectified and in 1862 P.W. Barlow's three-arch iron suspension bridge opened. Tolls were charged to cross the bridge during its first 17 years and when they were lifted in 1879 the bridge was rusting badly. Major repairs were carried out in 1887 and in 1905 weight restrictions were imposed. Gates were even installed at both ends to control the number of pedestrians crossing the bridge at any one time. In 1929, work on a replacement bridge finally got underway following the five-arch design of George Humphreys. The bridge is made of steel and reinforced concrete, with granite facings. The bridge today connects the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury (Lambeth Palace) with Thames House, the headquarters building of MI5. And speaking of the secret service...