Old London Bridge

The Thames has been described as liquid history' but few of the thousands of daily commuters and vehicles crossing London Bridge today will know that Roman, Saxo-Norman and medieval bridges stood on almost the same spot. Two thousand years ago the Romans identified this point as the best place to bridge the river, creating a focus for transport and trade. The Roman bridge went out of use in the 4th century AD and the Thames was not bridged again until c. AD 1000. The great stone bridge, lined with houses, was constructed between 1176-1209 and demolished in 1831. The 1831 bridge, replaced in 1967, now stands at Lake Havasu City, Arizona. This accessible, illustration-led book, combines the latest analysis with Gordon Home's research and Peter Jackson's fine illustrations to bring together the archaeological, architectural, historical and pictorial evidence for London's greatest bridge, the source of the keep left' rule of the road.