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The Bridge House Estates continues right up
to the present day, from its 11th Century origins, and is still
associated with using its accumulated funds to build, manage
and maintain Londons bridges; London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Southwark
Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge. As well as the money spent on
bridges, the charity gives away large amounts of money every
year to worthy causes from its huge assets which include a portfolio
of commercial property worth as much as £500 million
in itself.
They recently gave a large grant to the new Millennium Bridge
- the first new bridge over the Thames in London for over a
century. The Bridge House Estates logo is one of the earliest
logos ever in continuous use and can be found carved into stonework
in many places along the riverfront.
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The new bridge constructed by John Mowlem
& Co was erected this time on the same spot, but by progressive
building of the new and demolition of the old, the new bridge
gradually took over the place of the old with traffic being
able to continue throughout construction. In the meantime the
old bridge was carefully dismantled for transporting over to
Arizona to arise again in Lake Havasu City where it forms the
centre-piece of their 40,000 strong community. |
| The new bridge is concrete with huge hollow
caissons which allows essential services to cross the river.
It is the only hollow bridge crossing the Thames and is very
useful for this purpose. The bridge has polished granite panels
and has a wide stainless steel hand-rail sweeping across its
whole width, as well as heated pavements for winter. |
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This latest re-building of London's historic
bridge was opened on the 16th March by HM Queen Elizabeth II
who arrived by river at the quay of the adjacent Fishmongers'
Hall, where the Watermen lined up to greet her. She saw then
a temporary exhibition on the long history of London Bridge.
A plaque on the bridge commemorates the opening. |
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| This latest modern bridge continues London's
long history of a bridge over the Thames at that point, where
perhaps as many as ten bridges have here crossed the river and
played a key part on London's eventful history. |
Peter Jackson FSA - 1922 - 2003 - Founder Trustee
The London Bridge Museum & Educational Trust website is specially dedicated to the memory of our Trustee, Peter Jackson FSA (1922-2003), Artist and Historian, who drew many of the illustrations on this educational site, several of which Peter specifically hand-coloured for the production. His memory will live on in these fine pictures, which form one of the most comprehensive collections covering the earlier parts of the history of London's famous bridge. |
Peter Jackson was born in Brighton in 1922 and, coming to London, studied at Willesden School of Art. His interest in London began in 1949 when he joined the Evening News, drawing and writing features on London history. Over the years he has amassed a substantial reference library, including probably the largest collection of prints, drawings, maps, ephemera and photographs of old London in private hands and his considerable knowledge of London history and topography is derived from this extensive archive. He is the author of several books on London most of which were illustrated with material from his collection or with his own reconstructions. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1980 and had been Chairman of the Topographical Society for many years, as well as a much appreciated Trustee of the London Bridge Museum & Educational Trust.
Dedication kindly sponsored by the Pool of London Partnership. |
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