The River Thames was London's main highway in times gone by. In those days the roads were rough, the horses slow, the highwaymen and footpads dangerous. Best go by sea!

The river was first bridged by the Romans at a convenient ford, and for centuries that remained the only bridge over the river in the area. The next bridge to be built was Westminster in 1750. Others soon followed including Tower bridge in Victorian times.

London's Tower Bridge is one of the most instantly recognisable bridges in the world, and has become a symbol of London.

It is easy to forget that it was not designed as a tourist attraction but as a response to the pressing needs of the times.
Today it forms a scenic entry to Southwark

Tower Bridge - built with a rising centre roadway, to enable ships to pass it on their way to the Docks

The wooden bridge on the Roman site continued until 1176, when it was replaced by a stone bridge. remarkably this survived until 1831, carrying out all sorts of useful tasks like displaying the severed heads of executed traitors and rebels.

A funny but true story is that a wealthy American once bought a bridge, London bridge.
He wrongly thought that he had bought Tower bridge in 1972.

He had it dismantled , labeled ,shipped and it was transported stone by stone to the Arizona Desert in America
He then had builders rebuild it

He was very upset when he found he had bought plain old London bridge not TOWER BRIDGE as thought

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