The Story of the Longest Inhabited Bridge in Europe.
For over 600 years Old London Bridge pulsated with life, the scene of commerce and battle, romance and ceremony. On its completion in 1209, it was the longest habitable bridge ever built, framed throughout Europe and an inspiration for artists such as Canaletto and Turner.
The bridge was at its peak of beauty and interest in the medieval period, with its pleasing lack of symmetry and charming assemblage of buildings. It had nineteen narrow arches and at one time as many as 138 shops on its superstructure. Its twenty weir-like piers created fearsome rapids where thousands drowned, some thrill-seekers "shooting the bridge".
In a richly textured narrative, Patricia Pierce brings to life each stage of the Bridge's colourful history and its setting. From bloody Viking attacks and violent rebellion to royal pageants and a famous joust, the Bridge stood witness to the comings and goings of twenty generations of Londoners.
This is the story of Old London Bridge, the remarkable structure that lives on in affectionate folk memory and occupies a unique place in London's glorious heritage.
