For centuries, London Bridge was the only way to get across the Thames (except by boat, or unless you wanted to travel to Kingston) – so you might be surprised to be told that visiting this historic spot is one of my top things not to do in London.
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Yes, it might still be a major bridge to cross the Thames, it’s even inspired a nursery rhyme (‘London Bridge is falling down’) but on a list of what not to do in London as a tourist, visiting London Bridge comes up high.
So if you’re wondering why you shouldn’t visit London Bridge, read on (plus I’ve got a few reasons you might still want to keep it on your London itinerary).
London Bridge is not Tower Bridge
The big mistake that a lot of people make is assuming that the iconic Tower Bridge, with its eye-catching blue and white paint, is actually called London Bridge.
Despite being London’s most famous bridge, it’s very definitely not London Bridge though.
Unsurprisingly Tower Bridge features on a lot of visitor wishlists – it looks great, there’s a chance you might see the bridge lift, and you can even go inside.
Get a discount on tickets for Tower Bridge Experience if you book through through my link, using the code MUMMYTRAVELS6
Wander along the glass floor while you’re in there, enjoy the view along the river from the high level, visit the engine rooms and learn more about the bridge’s history – did you know, it hasn’t always been painted this colour…?
There’s also lots of family activities to enjoy, with extra fun during most school holidays, plus Tower Bridge even has its own set of books for kids, about the Tower Bridge Cat.
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The Tower Bridge Cat
- Tee Dobinson (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 38 Pages – 05/18/2018 (Publication Date) – Baizdon (Publisher)
London Bridge is really dull
Among London’s string of bridges, the city has some attractive and eye-catching ones, quite apart from Tower Bridge.
But London Bridge isn’t even very decorative by London bridge standards, just a pretty boring old, grey, concrete bridge.
Head along the river and you’ve got the red and white paint of Blackfriars Bridge with its graceful arches, the sleek lines of the Millennium Bridge, Westminster Bridge’s pale green paint to name just a few…
Albert Bridge even lights up at night, with four thousand lightbulbs illuminating at dusk each day, and a couple of historic tollbooths at the end.
London Bridge is not very old
The current London Bridge opened in 1973, which makes the current one London’s newest bridge (with the exception of the pedestrianised Millennium Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridge).
The previous version, which dated back to the 1830s, was sold to an American entrepreneur and now stands in Lake Havasu (or, the exterior blocks do, at least) as it was no longer sturdy enough to support London’s increased traffic.
The urban legend that the buyer thought he was getting Tower Bridge and ended up with London Bridge is only a myth though – ‘New London Bridge’ as it was known, was specifically purchased to try to attract visitors to the area and to encourage them to buy property.
Why you should visit London Bridge
Buy this point, you’re probably convinced that you can entirely bypass London Bridge altogether – but perhaps that’s not entirely fair.
While there are plenty of reasons that you shouldn’t visit London Bridge, it’s not entirely without its merits.
The views
London Bridge itself might be dull, but you can get some great views as you cross it – not least of the far more iconic Tower Bridge.
There’s also a good view of the Shard, and you can see a fair way along the river on a clear day.
The dragon
Look out for the dragon statue as you reach the southern bank, one of 14 dragons in London marking the boundary of the City of London.
The silver boundary markers, often mistaken for griffins, hold a shield with the City of London’s coat of arms. Historically, this particular point on Bankside was where the ‘Liberty of Southwark’ began, without the City’s restrictions – and as a result, far more lawless and colourful than the city itself.
It links some great historic locations
While you might not get too excited by the bridge itself, it’s a good way to get between some of London’s landmarks.
Nearby on the north bank, you can see the Monument to the Great Fire of London, while if you walk across to the southern side, it leads to Southwark Cathedral, Borough Market, HMS Belfast and the Golden Hinde, and Bankside itself, which often has public art trails.
It’s only minutes until you reach the South Bank with all its tourist attractions as well.
If you’re looking for a walk to take you past more of London’s landmarks, check out this route through the city to spot more London attractions
To enjoy the history
While the bridge itself isn’t particularly old, there’s no question that you’re standing somewhere marked by centuries of history.
After all, there has been a bridge on this point since around 50CE, when the Romans created their first wooden crossing point over the Thames, linking their city of Londinium to the roads leading south and west.
The first stone bridge was created in the late 12th century, with houses and shops later added along its length – and repeated fires which meant it was regularly ‘falling down’ and being rebuilt. The heads of traitors were also displayed here as a warning to others.
Head to the nearby church of St Magnus the Martyr, which stands at the head of the old London Bridge, and you can see a 4 metre model of the old bridge.
Built around 900 years ago, possibly longer, the churchyard is also home to several ancient sections of previous London Bridges, including medieval stones, as well as a timber thought to date back to 75AD, tucked away inside an 18th century archway.
By the 19th century, when New London Bridge was built, it was constructed around 100ft west of the older bridge – and the current version stands on the same site.
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Images: View from the bridge/boundary dragon copyright MummyTravels, all other images courtesy of Depositphotos
