Thames, London's River, guide to the bridges

The River Thames was London's main highway in times gone by. In those days the roads were rough, the horses slow, the highwaymen and footpads dangerous. Best go by sea!

The river was first bridged by the Romans at a convenient ford, and for centuries that remained the only bridge over the river in the area. The next bridge to be built was Westminster in 1750. Others soon followed including Tower bridge in Victorian times. . The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Woolwich was built in1991 to take the M25 over the river.

Coming up river from the sea, until one arrives at the upper reaches of the river beyond the capital, one passes the following bridges

• Queen Elizabeth II suspension bridge
• Tower Bridge - built with a rising centre roadway, to enable ships to pass it on their way to the Docks
• London Bridge, the oldest and most famous of the bridges. The wooden bridge on the Roman site continued until 1176, when it was replaced by a stone bridge. remarkably this survived until 1831, carrying out all sorts of useful tasks like displaying the severed heads of executed traitors and rebels. The 1831 bridge was designed by John Rennie, and when this in its turn was replaced in 1972, it was transported stone by stone to the Arizona Desert, where it resides today