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Why was the old London Bridge removed?

Once the key crossing point of the Thames River, the bridge was built in 1209 to replace the original Roman crossing built in 50. It remained in use for over 600 years, before being demolished in the 19th century to provide access for river traffic.



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The 1831 London Bridge was the last project of engineer John Rennie and completed by his son, John Rennie. By 1962, it was not sturdy enough to carry the increased load of traffic; the bridge was sold by the City of London in April 1968 to make way for its replacement.

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In 1831 King William IV and Queen Adelaide arrived by water to celebrate the opening of the new bridge. Demolition of the ancient structure began that year, and by 1832 it disappeared, having served 622 years.

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In 984, a new fixed wooden London Bridge was built. This wooden bridge was short-lived however, as in 1014 Viking invaders led by King Olaf Haraldsson, attacked the British Isles and tore the bridge down.

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Once this was completed, the old bridge was quickly dismantled and lost into the annals of history. There are, in fact, a few lasting remnants of the old London Bridge, and one of which is built into the tower of St Magnus the Marytr's Church on Lower Thames Street. The pedestrian entrance today.

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In 1968, an American tycoon bought London Bridge—all 10,000 tons of it—and moved it brick-by-brick to the desert town of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. In the early 1960s, officials in England made a troubling discovery: London Bridge was falling down.

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How many bridges are there in London? There are 35 bridges which cross over the river in London, so wherever you find yourself along the Thames you're guaranteed to be close to at least one of these famous bridges!

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When it was completed in 1209, medieval London Bridge was the only fixed crossing of the Thames downstream of Kingston-upon-Thames (until Fulham Bridge was built in 1729). Remarkably, it was also home to some 500 people – equivalent to the population of a small medieval town.

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It's used as a symbol of London and is recognisable to visitors from all over the world – even if the majority of people don't know what it is actually called. London Bridge – London Bridge has existed in one form or another for nearly 2,000 years now. It's the site of the oldest crossing of the River Thames on record.

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