Did people live on London Bridge?

Did people live on London Bridge? To look at London Bridge now you see…. well…..a bridge with traffic on it. But go back three centuries or more and the bridge was full of houses and some illustrious tenants. During the reign of Henry VIII, the court painter Holbein lived there.

Did anyone live in London Bridge?

When it was completed in 1209, medieval London Bridge was the only fixed crossing of the Thames downstream of Kingston-upon-Thames (until Fulham Bridge was built in 1729). Remarkably, it was also home to some 500 people – equivalent to the population of a small medieval town.

What happened to Old London Bridge?

Once this was completed, the old bridge was quickly dismantled and lost into the annals of history. There are, in fact, a few lasting remnants of the old London Bridge, and one of which is built into the tower of St Magnus the Marytr's Church on Lower Thames Street. The pedestrian entrance today.

Did old London Bridge have buildings on it?

As well as the Londoners, architectural features of the Old London Bridge can also be appreciated. For instance there was a chapel dedicated to St Thomas Becket (handily en route for those taking a pilgrimage to Canterbury). There was also a threatening gatehouse with a drawbridge.

Can you walk across London Bridge?

Yes, absolutely. And on a pleasant day, if you cross on the east side (the left in the direction you're going) you also get a great view of Tower Bridge, the Tower, City Hall and HMS Belfast.

When did people stop living on London Bridge?

To help improve navigation under the bridge, its two centre arches were replaced by a single wider span, the Great Arch, in 1759. Demolition of the houses was completed in 1761 and the last tenant departed after some 550 years of housing on the bridge.

What did medieval London look like?

Medieval London was a maze of twisting streets and lanes. Most of the houses were half-timbered, or wattle and daub, whitewashed with lime. The threat of fire was constant, and laws were passed to make sure that all householders had fire-fighting equipment on hand.

Why did London sell the London Bridge?

In 1962, it was discovered that the London Bridge was falling down. It was sinking into the Thames because it was not adequate for the increase in London traffic across it. Robert McCulloch a Lake Havasu businessman learned that the British Government was putting the bridge up for sale.