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OVERVIEW
London Bridge is in the borough of Southwark located 2 km south of the centre of London and links the district of Southwark to the City of London.
It is easy to find as It crosses the Thames river at precisely the centre of the Greater London area and is situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge to the west and Tower Bridge to the east.
This area is sometimes referred to as the Pool of London.
Specific directions to London Bridge are listed below. This destination is open to visitors all year and is free to access. Many organised tours feature this destination. |
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London Bridge Interactive Map (Local)
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LONDON BRIDGE POSTCODE
Satellite Navigation systems (Sat Nav) in Britain often have an option for typing in a postcode. This is an easy way to find a location. The closest postcode for London Bridge is: SE1 9BG. This postcode will take you to No1 London Bridge, a 13 story building which is only 5 metres from the south side of the crossing. This Postcode can also be used in Google Earth and Maps.
MAP COORDINATES
Longitude & Latitude:
(Degrees-Minutes-Seconds)
DMS: 51 30 28.50 N / 00 05 16.65 W
GPS: N51 30.48095 E0 5.26313
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PEDESTRIAN ACCESS
London Bridge has two pedestrian walkways, one on either side of the bridge, which are protected by barrier fences. These pedestrian sidewalks are wide and are suitable for disabled people using wheelchairs. The road that runs over the bridge is called King William Street and ends at the junction of Cannon Street and Eastcheap Street immediately in front of the House of Fraser.
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| VISITOR DIRECTIONS TO LONDON BRIDGE |
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Getting There via Main Railway Networks:
The closest mainline train station is CANNON STREET which is the terminus for a number of rail networks leading to the south and south east of England.
The station is located in Travel Zone 1.
Walking Distance to the bridge is 440m.
Euston Station is the main terminus for trains heading to the north and is a 4.2km walk. It will take approximately 10 minutes to travel the distance in a Taxi and will cost approximately £12.00 depending on traffic conditions. |
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Getting There via Tubes Stations:
There are two Tube stations very close to London Bridge.
MONUMENT Tube Station, part of the Circle and District lines, is located on Eastcheap Street on the city central and northern side of the River Thames. It is a 255 metre walk from the station to the northern end of London Bridge.
LONDON BRIDGE Tube station, part of the Northern and Jubilee lines, is situated at the junction of London Bridge Street and Borough High Street. It is a 150 metre walk from the station to the Southern end of the bridge. |
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Getting There on the Busses:
There are several bus stops close to London Bridge. The best is London Bridge Borough High Street which is immediately outside No 1 London Bridge. Bus routes 17, 21, 35. 40, 42 43, 47, 48, 78, 133, 141, 149, 343, 381 and 521 will all take visitors to the destination.
There are also several transport Night Busses. These include routes N21, N35, N43, N47, N133, N149, N343 and N381. (Correct as of 2010. Please check details with london Transport) |
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Getting There by Car:
It is possible to drive to, and even over, London Bridge but there is no place to stop on the bridge. To find parking visitors will need to use one of several local centres. All short-term parking in London can seem expensive and will usually range between £1.50 / hour to 8.00 / hour. There is some Pay & Display parking pays on nearby streets but these are difficult to find and if you miss finding a place it can involve driving some distance before you can return to try again.
Driving in Central London on week days between 7.am and 6.pm is subject to a Congestion Charge which is a set fee of £10.00 (ten) per day. This destination is inside the charge zone. |
- Southwark Street Parking: 53 Southwark Street, London.
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Sat Nav Postcode: SE1 1RU
Walking Distance to the bridge is 600m. Parking spaces are limited.
Closed on Sundays. |
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- Great Suffolk Street Parking: Cnr. Great Suffolk & Union Street, London.
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Sat Nav Postcode: SE1 OUE
Walking Distance to the bridge is 1.2km. Parking spaces are limited.
Closed on Saturdays & Sundays. |
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- London Vintry Thames Exchange Parking: UG Bell Wharf Lane, London
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Sat Nav Postcode: EC4R3TB
Walking Distance to the bridge is 630m. 466 Parking spaces.
Open 7 days per Week - Parking underground with security. |
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| LOCAL VIEW POINTS OF INTEREST ... AND FREE TO SEE FROM THE BRIDGE |
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| A BRIEF HISTORY OF LONDON BRIDGE |
The first bridge to cross the River Thames is an important part of British heritage and was probably built by the Romans around 50 AD. It is believed to have been constructed in the same location as the modern Bridge. It was almost certainly destroyed for the first time when the city was sacked and burnt to the ground in 60 AD by Queen Boudicca during the Iceni rebellion. The bridge was rebuilt and maintained over the next 400 years.
By 470 AD, some sixty years after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the crossing had fallen into disrepair. The historical record shows that it was built again around 860 AD. Some historians believe it was destroyed again in 1014 by Olaf, leader of the Norwegians. It must have been rebuilt again by the Norman invaders as records show that during a storm in 1091 a tornado ruined the structure. In 1136 AD it burnt down and by 1197 the decision had been made to finally build it out of stone instead of wood. It was quickly colonised by houses and shops to the point where it became quicker to cross the Thames by ferry rather than use the overcrowded and chaotic bridge.
Over the following centuries parts of London bridge collapsed, burnt down again and just slid into the river. between 1758 and 1762 it was cleared of all buildings and rebuilt using wider arches. It was clear to everyone that the existing bridge needed to be completely removed and a new one built in its place. In 1825 work began on a new bridge designed by the famous architect John Rennie. It was built from granite and opened in 1831. It and stayed in place until 1963 when it was sold to the eccentric American Oil Baron Robert P. McCulloch for $2,460,000 (Worth about $22,000,000 today) The old bridge was shipped to Arizona in the USA where it was reconstructed as a crossing over Lake Havasu. it is still a popular tourist attraction. The existing London bridge was designed by was designed by architects Mott, Hay and Anderson and completed in 1972. It was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It nearly collapsed again when a frigate, The HMS Jupiter collided with it in 1984. Fortunately the bridge survived due to its over-engineered construction.
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| FACTS & SPECIFICATIONS |
| Length: |
283 metres |
| Height: |
20 Metres Tidal Average. 8.9 metres above high tide level |
| Width: |
32 metres |
| Supporting Piers: |
2 |
| Spans: |
3 |
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