Now onto the oldest crossing of the Thames and therefore one which the most history wrapped up in it. A crossing has been in place here for at least 2,000 years and was London's only river crossing until 1750 when Westminster Bridge was opened. Until 1176 London Bridge had always been made of wood but was often subject to being burnt down. However, the bridge that began construction in 1176 was made of stone, but it took 33 years before it was complete. This was to be the famous London Bridge with houses built on top of it. Houses, shops and a chapel dedicated to St Thomas Becket covered the bridge. But the bridge was not immune to being burnt down like its wooden predecssors. During Wat Tyler's Peasants' Revolt of 1381 the bridge was torched, but the buildings on themselves created their own fire risk. The weight of the buildings also led to problems for the bridge's structure. By the end of the 18th century the bridge was in a parlous state and an altnertive needed to be found.
In 1799 a competition for a replacement was held and engineer John Rennie was the ultimate winner. It was built about 30 metres upstream of the old bridge which itself was retained until the new bridge was complete in 1831. The new bridge was widened between 1902 and 1904 in an attempt to ease traffic congestion, but the foundations were not up to the extra weight and by the east side of the bridge slowly subsided.
The bridge was sold in 1968 to the American oil magnate Robert P McCulloch for $2.46 million. It was dismantled and shipped to Lake Havasu City in Arizona, where it was reconstructed in 1971 to bridge a canal as part of an English 'theme park'.
In London, the bridge was replaced by the present day bridge between 1967 and 1972. It was constructed by the engineering company Mowlam and opened to traffic in March 1973. It is 283 metres long and the only notable event in its history to date is when HMS Jupiter collided with it in 1984 causing damage to both bridge and ship.
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