Westminster Bridge, London: Through The Years
London’s iconic Westminster Bridge is one of the most important engineering enterprises of the Georgian era.
For more than 600 years, from 1129, the nearest Thames bridge to London Bridge was at Kingston.
Therefore, Westminster Bridge was proposed in 1664.
However, the Corporation of London, the watermen (who ferried people across the river all day), and other people with vested interests, all opposed it.
Permission to build a bridge at Westminster, however, was finally given Royal Approval in 1736, when George II was King.
The original Westminster Bridge was envisioned and crafted by architect Charles Labelye.
It was of an elegant design - spanning 1,223 feet of river, it was 44 feet in width allowing for wide pavements and the passage of three carriages abreast.
The beautiful structure, was one of the most important engineering enterprises of the Georgian era.
Its fifteen arches was an engineering and design masterpiece of its time.
The handsome structure became one of London’s internationally recognised tourist attractions, with many artists making contemporary paintings, including by Canaletto.
In 1802, it inspired Wordsworth to write his poem Upon Westminster Bridge.
However, it did become a bit dodgy.
The bridge featured semi-octagonal turrets that provided shelter for pedestrians, however, these became haunts for vagabonds, muggers and prostitutes.
Therefore, 12 nightwatchmen were hired to guard travellers as they crossed the river, day and night.
The original bridge lasted until the 1850s, by which time it was suffering from structural problems requiring it to be replaced by the present version.
The current bridge was designed by Thomas Page and opened on 24 May 1862 on Queen Victoria's 43rd birthday.
Queen Victoria, however, was booked to perform the opening ceremony; but when the time came, she was in prolonged mourning for Prince Albert, who'd died the previous December.
The rather subdued opening ceremony took place without her.
With a length of 820 feet and a width of 85 feet, it is a seven-arch, cast-iron bridge with Gothic detailing by Charles Barry.
It was famously painted green in 1970 to match the seats in the House of Commons, the part of the Palace of Westminster closest to the bridge.
In 2005–2007, it underwent a complete refurbishment, including replacing the iron fascias and repainting the whole bridge.
The modern bridge was also used in a couple of James Bond films (Spectre and Die Another Day); and in several Doctor Who episodes, including The Dalek Invasion of Earth in 1964.
Perhaps, most famously, an eerily deserted Westminster Bridge kicks off the mounting sense of terror in 2002 British horror film 28 Days Later.
Through the centuries, the iconic bridge witnessed pivotal moments in history.
It stood witness to suffragette protests in 1914 and bore the scars of World War II, which was catastrophic.
Over seven hours, 505 German bomber planes followed the silvery path of the River Thames to drop more than 700 tons of high explosive bombs and 86,000 incendiary bombs across London.
These air raids led to the highest nightly casualty figure recorded during the London Blitz.
1,436 people were killed and 1,800 were seriously wounded. Around 12,000 Londoners were left homeless.
Fears rose for the nearby Clock Tower and Big Ben.
The clock faces had been dark throughout the Blitz, as part of blackouts across the capital, but the iconic architectural landmark was vulnerable.
The Clock Tower was struck by a small bomb or anti-aircraft missile.
Some of the ornamental ironwork was destroyed, stonework was damaged and all the glass in the south clock face was broken. But the tower survived with relatively minor damage.
Throughout the war it stood as a national symbol, with the bongs of Big Ben broadcast on wireless radio across the country.
The Houses of Parliament were hit several times, and three people in the buildings lost their lives.
In the House of Lords, War Reserve Constables Gordon Farrant and Arthur Stead were on firewatch duties in the turret above the Royal Gallery.
The first bomb to hit Parliament fell on the turret, destroying it and killing both men.
Captain Edward Elliott, the House of Lords Resident Staff Superintendent, was killed at his post while helping with the firefighting.
Despite being re-built and having many renovations, Westminster Bridge still stands today as one of London’s most recognisable sites and it has raving reviews on TripAdvisor.
One recent visitor said: “Worth walking across this bridge from Westminster to view a perspective on the Houses of Parliament, St Thomas' Hospital and the embankment.
You could come back over Lambeth Bridge after walking behind the hospital.”
Another person added: “Great place to spend your time with friends and family. Good places to move around and nice view of historic monuments and entertainment places like London Eye.
”Access to south bank makes a pleasant walking.”
Just a heads up that the bridge can get crowded, especially during the holidays.
Today, Westminster Bridge is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Palace of Westminster.
It is also a Grade II listed structure, making it of ‘significant importance.’
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