I had never heard of Pulteney Bridge prior to the visit to Bath. According to our tour guide, the 18th century bridge is one of only four bridges in the world that has shop lots on both sides on the bridge.
Pulteney Bridge across River Avon
Pulteney Bridge across River Avon
This is the real London Bridge. People often mistaken the Tower Bridge as London Bridge; fact is the real London bridge is nothing as fancy as the famous Tower Bridge.
Photo of the London Bridge
London Bridge does have a long history of glamour and tragic though; the first bridge across the Thames in London area was built by the Romans on the present site around 52 AD and was made of wood.
The original timber bridge was replaced with new timber bridge for probably a few times before a stone bridge was finally built in the 12th century. The construction of the bridge started in 1176, and completed with the gates, chapel, shops and houses in 1209.
The stone bridge stood for over 600 years despite facing structural damage numerous times; the bridge was finally replaced by another London Bridge in 1831. This ‘new’ London Bridge however didn’t last as long as the previous one, as structural problem again arouse since early 1900s.
The bridge was dismantled and replaced section-by-section with a new concrete structure since 1967; the dismantled parts were sold to the McCulloch Oil Corporation and transported to Arizona to be rebuilt at Lake Havasu City. [Reference]
The current London Bridge was opened in 1973, and thankfully it’s not falling down.
London Bridge is Falling Down
London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down;
London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady…One of the most well-known nursery rhyme in the world; the song is referring to the incident in 1270s when Queen Eleanor (the ‘fair lady’) was appointed to repair the collapsing London Bridge. Queen Eleanor misused the funds, which led to a major collapse in 1281.
Tower Bridge is one of the major landmark of London, and perhaps one of the world’s most famous mistaken identities as people tend to mistaken it as the London Bridge.
Tower Bridge was opened since 1894 after 8 years of construction; it got its name from the nearby Tower of London.
Photo of the Tower Bridge