8-3LondonBridge

=What Was the London Bridge and What Role Did it Play in Elizabethan England? = //Answer prepared by Emily B.//  The London Bridge is probably the most famous bridge ever built. The Romans first constructed it in order to cross the River Thames around 43 AD. During its life, the bridge was rebuilt several times. In 1176, when the London Bridge was built under the direction of Peter Colechurch, it was the first stone bridge ever built. This design appeared to be very durable. According to Elizabethan-Era.org, “Completed in 1209, this new London Bridge took 33 years to build and lasted more than 600 years.” However, the Great Fire of 1666 burned it down. It was then rebuilt on stone arches in order to support stores, chapels and houses, making it look more like a busy street than a bridge. This bridge was exceedingly significant, not just by its appearance, but because it served many purposes as well. The London Bridge was of very high importance to the Elizabethans, and one of the most striking features of their city. London was only a few square miles; many people and buildings were crammed into such a small area and confined by the surrounding city walls. The mighty river Thames separated London from the town of Southwark. As described by the book Tudor England, “Southwark was a bustling suburb, new buildings springing up everywhere…surrounded by fields of cattle and sheep.” (39). There was only one physical connection between the people of London to Southwark and neighboring towns across the wide river Thames, the world famous London Bridge. London was a very popular destination for travelers in Elizabethan times. Hundreds would flock to the city each day, making the congestion heavier. The London Bridge was the standard way travelers would get across the Thames on their way to and from the city. Although the bridge was very popular, not everyone preferred taking the London Bridge. According to the book called Understanding Shakespeare’s England by Jo McMurty, “watermen, England’s equivalent of taxi drivers, took fares across the river. Many preferred this method to crossing by foot on the London Bridge” (96). But no amount of watermen could compete with the many other benefits of the London Bridge. The Bridge played an important role in commerce because it served as a quick and easy route for trade. During the Elizabethan period, England was an international trade center; more than 90 percent of the country’s overseas trade was done from London. Modern historian A.L. Rouse states, “London’s prominence in trade surpassed that of all the rest of the leading towns together.” (Elizabethan England, pg. 25) Merchants would file into the many ports on or near the Bridge, making trading simpler. For hundreds of years, the London Bridge was key to life in and around the city. Serving many purposes from travel to trade, the London Bridge was a critical asset to Londoners before, during, and after the Elizabethan period.

Click [|HERE] for a virtual tour of the London Bridge as it might have looked in the 1600s!
 =Works Cited: = Lace, William W.. Elizabethan England. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 1995.

McMurty, Jo. Understanding Shakespeare's England. Hamden, Conneticut: Archon Books, 1989.

Shellard, Dominic. William Shakespeare. London: The British Library, 1998.

Tudor England, London: Mashall Cavendish Books, 1994

London Bridge Pic: http://www.translating-william-shakespeare.com/image-files/shakespeare_london.gif