Old London Bridge (Medieval)

Old London Bridge was one of the wonders of the medieval world. Construction began in 1176 under the direction of Peter de Colechurch, a chaplain and architect, and took 33 years to complete — Colechurch died in 1205 and was buried in the bridge's chapel. The completed bridge rested on 19 irregular stone arches with a drawbridge section at the southern end. Over the centuries, the bridge became densely built up with timber-framed houses and shops rising to seven storeys, creating a narrow canyon-like street above the river. At its peak, over 200 buildings stood on the bridge. The southern gatehouse famously displayed the heads of traitors on pikes — a tradition lasting from the 13th to the 17th century. The bridge's narrow arches created a dangerous rapids effect called "shooting the bridge," and many Londoners drowned attempting to pass through in boats. Watermen coined the saying "London Bridge was made for wise men to go over and fools to go under." The houses were removed in the 1760s during a widening project, and the entire medieval bridge was demolished in 1831 after John Rennie's replacement bridge opened alongside it. The demolition erased one of Europe's most remarkable medieval structures — a building that was simultaneously bridge, street, shopping district, chapel, fortress, and community.