London's Bridges

by Peter Matthews

Oft-overshadowed by the imposing buildings that line the River Thames, the bridges of London are an intriguing part of the capital, past and present. This book traces the history of all 33 Thames bridges within Greater London, exploring the fascinating architecture and unique stories from Hampton Court Bridge in the west to the iconic Tower Bridge in the east. Accompanied throughout by colour photographs of the present bridges, as well as detailed paintings and engravings of the earlier structures that once stood in their place, this is a fully illustrated and absorbing narrative for anyone with an interest in the history of London.

Genres: London, History

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't quite remember what it was that inspired me to buy this. Maybe Simon Schama's History of Britain? I don't know. Anyway it was a good book, working its way down the Thames from Hampton Court Bridge in the west to Tower Bridge in the east. Each of the 33 bridges (foot, rail, road) gets a chapter of varying length, and although after a while I began to find the format becoming a bit repetitive, eventually I kind of liked the reassurance of description of the area, usually boatmen or ferry crossing, increase in demand as London grew, application to Parliament for permission to build, design and building, replacement or improvement. There are plenty of illustrations, stories and potted biographies of the major players. The chapter on London Bridge itself (and the many versions of it) was particularly fascinating. A great book for anyone interested in bridge architecture or London history.

[Gordon Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title covers it