Old London Bridge: The Story of the Longest Inhabited Bridge in Europe [Paperback]

 

 

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This is a little gem of a book, concerning the history of Old London Bridge, the stone structure which spanned the Thames- connecting Southwark with the City- and which operated from 1209 until Rennie's new bridge opened for business in August 1831. Actually, as the author Patricia Pierce points out, archaeological evidence was "unearthed" which showed that a wooden bridge had been on the same spot prior to the erection of Old London Bridge. (The wooden bridge dated back to Roman times.) Old London Bridge was functional for over 600 years. Rennie's new bridge was not so fortunate, becoming obsolete in 140 years- and is now serving as a tourist attraction in Arizona. The current London Bridge opened for business in 1973. Ms. Pierce has managed to make her book interesting by not limiting herself to the bridge, strictly speaking. After all, reading about the shops and houses which were on the bridge, the hazards of traveling on the bridge (due to congestion) and under it (the changeable currents), and all the repairs that were needed over the years- well, that could become tedious after awhile. So, Ms. Pierce uses the bridge as a focal point and enriches the story by telling us about people who crossed the bridge, who didn't like to cross the bridge, and who crossed under the bridge. The first category included the French king, John II, who was "paraded" across the bridge after being captured in 1357 at the Battle of Poitiers. Those being chivalrous times, John was well-treated. He was given comfortable accomodations at the Savoy Palace beside the Thames, and was allowed to visit the City of London. When he couldn't come up with the money necessary to ransom himself he was allowed to go back to France to try a little harder, and his son, the Duke of Anjou, took his place as a hostage. Anjou showed considerable initiative by escaping and getting back to France. His father, however, thought that wasn't very sporting- and voluntarily came back to London and once again was held for ransom. The English showed their appreciation by treating John even better the second time around, and Sir Henry Picard, a former Mayor of London, had John as a guest at a dinner where five kings were present. In the second category (those who didn't like to travel over the bridge), Queen Elizabeth I is mentioned. It is unclear exactly why Elizabeth didn't like to do so....it could have been a fear of heights or concern for her personal safety (the bridge was extremely crowded with pedestrians, carts and animals and people were sometimes knocked into the Thames and drowned). In any event, it is believed that during her long reign Elizabeth only made the trip one time. In the final category (those going under the bridge), Samuel Pepys is mentioned, which offers Ms. Pierce the wonderful opportunity to talk about Pepys's career with the Naval Board, his famous diary, and his fondness for the ladies. Ms. Pierce even branches out a bit and covers things that may not have been on the bridge, but were at least nearby. This way, we hear about the Globe theater, which got "its name from its sign and the flag which flew to announce that a play was in progress... It showed Hercules with the world on his shoulders..." Ms. Pierce even tells us that the rule of the road regarding "keep to the left" originated with a 1722 decision of the Common Council, which was made to control the traffic on London Bridge. One last thing I should mention, regarding the title of this review: For hundreds of years after the bridge opened, traitors' heads were set upon a gateway at the Southwark end of the bridge. Someone had to have the job of placing each new arrival "among the rotting heads, quarters and skulls already there.....and (to toss) superfluous heads into the river below". Hence, the position description: Keeper Of The Heads!

I found the subject of "Old London Bridge" and it's history and inhabitants very engrossing. Reading this book gave me a desire to read more on the subject of London's most interesting history. I am hooked!

I have to pay a debt of gratitude to Patricia Pierce's wonderful book. I loved it so much that I opted to take "The History of London Bridge " as my specialist subject in the final of BBC Mastermind, and what is more - I won, thanks mainly to the wealth of detail and information in this superb book.

Patricia's love of the old bridge is infectious. Her enthusiasm shines through every sentence. In beautifully constructed prose she brings its long and fascinating story to life. You get everything in this, the big picture, but also the charming little glimpses of everyday life on the bridge.

Every question you could ever think of about the Bridge is answered here, and then some. You will find yourself amazed at some of the details. It's a book which made me break the habit of a lifetime, and begin reading it all over again as soon as I had finished it. Truly wonderful.

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