london bridge by maria karampournou

London Bridge

London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames

The bridge has existed over the period from the Roman occupation nearly 2,000 years ago.

D E S T R U C T I O N !• The bridge fell into disrepair after the

Romans left.

• London Bridge was destroyed in 1091 by a storm which is also known as St Mary-le-Bow, and is known as the London Tornado of 1091

• It was destroyed yet again, this time by fire, in 1136.

The new bridge took 33 years to complete and was finished in 1209, during the reign of King John

By the end of the 18th century, it was apparent that the old London Bridge— by then over 600 years old— needed to be replaced

The bridge was eventually replaced by a structure of five stone arches

The total construction cost of around £2.5 million (£186 million as of 2011)

FRICK OUT!! The southern

gatehouse, the Stone Gateway became the scene of one of London's most notorious sights:

The head of William Wallace was the first to appear on the gate, in 1305, starting a tradition that was to continue for another 355 years.