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This illustrated talk concentrated on the most famous of entry ways to London, London Bridge.
The Roman city of Lundinium seems to have had a bridge across the Thames from the evidence od digs although it would have been roughly wher Westminster is today. This was most probably a wooden construction . With the the decline of the Empire and the abandonment of the province the city went into decline and the walls fell into disrepair.
There is mention of a bridge in 1009-10 and Harold and his army crossed it on his way to meet william's invading force.
The first stone bridge took 30 yearsa to build and it was 900feet long and 20 feet wide with 19 arches. A gate and drawbidge guarded the way and a chapel was built in the centre. Buildings went up along it's length. Fire destroyed many of these structures with a high cost of life. At one time the buildings restricted the carriageway and the flow of traffic. Tolls werem levied at various times.
By the end of the 16th Century the drawbridge tower was removed and the control of the bridge was in the hands of the Bridge House TrustIn 1632 a fire destroyed some of the buildings and these not fully replaced leaving a firebreak. Some of the houses were replaced by blocks. . The buildings gradually disappeared and it became possible to see right across.
For many years the flow of the river was restricted by the narrow arches but in 1740 the central arch was widened to 40 feet. The building of a new bridge alongside the old one and the removal of the old meant that the water flow improved and some of the other bridges were unable to survive and had to be replaced.
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