London Bridge, London
For pretty much as long as London has been鈥� well, London, there鈥檚 been a bridge standing right here. The first one went up over 2,000 years ago, and since then it鈥檚 been a bit of a revolving door for bridges鈥擱omans built one, William the Conqueror gave it a go, and King John had his moment too.
Back in 1014, when the Danes were running the show in London, King Ethelred the Unready鈥攁 man as prepared for battle as his name suggests鈥攄ecided to team up with King Olaf of Norway and a band of Vikings. Yes, Saxons and Vikings were together at last. They sailed up the Thames, tied ropes to the wooden supports of the bridge, let the tide carry them downstream, and yoink!鈥攄own came the bridge. And just like that, the world got its catchiest medieval jingle: 鈥淟ondon Bridge is Falling Down.鈥�
By Tudor times, the bridge was basically a medieval high street, with 600 buildings, some six stories tall, crammed shoulder to shoulder. It was so packed, it became its own city ward. And as if bumper-to-bumper Tudor traffic wasn鈥檛 enough, the bridge also had a rather grim flair for home decor鈥攏amely, the severed heads of traitors displayed proudly on spikes. Yikes...
But the bridge couldn鈥檛 handle the modern hustle. By the 1960s, it was literally sinking at one end, buckling under the weight of traffic and time. So what did Britain do? Sell it, of course! For 拢1 million, or about $2.4 million back then, an American oil tycoon bought it, shipped it piece-by-piece across the Atlantic, and reassembled it over a lake in Arizona, where it stands to this day, probably wondering what happened.
The current London Bridge, built in 1973, is a minimalist affair: clean lines, pre-stressed concrete, some polished granite, and about as much flair as a spreadsheet. But hey鈥攊t gets the job done.
And once a year, for one glorious Sunday in autumn, the bridge trades buses and bikes for a flock of sheep. It's the Sheep Drive, an ancient right of the Freemen of the City, who lead their woolly companions across the bridge in a ceremony that's part tradition, part traffic-stopping spectacle.
Because why not?
Back in 1014, when the Danes were running the show in London, King Ethelred the Unready鈥攁 man as prepared for battle as his name suggests鈥攄ecided to team up with King Olaf of Norway and a band of Vikings. Yes, Saxons and Vikings were together at last. They sailed up the Thames, tied ropes to the wooden supports of the bridge, let the tide carry them downstream, and yoink!鈥攄own came the bridge. And just like that, the world got its catchiest medieval jingle: 鈥淟ondon Bridge is Falling Down.鈥�
By Tudor times, the bridge was basically a medieval high street, with 600 buildings, some six stories tall, crammed shoulder to shoulder. It was so packed, it became its own city ward. And as if bumper-to-bumper Tudor traffic wasn鈥檛 enough, the bridge also had a rather grim flair for home decor鈥攏amely, the severed heads of traitors displayed proudly on spikes. Yikes...
But the bridge couldn鈥檛 handle the modern hustle. By the 1960s, it was literally sinking at one end, buckling under the weight of traffic and time. So what did Britain do? Sell it, of course! For 拢1 million, or about $2.4 million back then, an American oil tycoon bought it, shipped it piece-by-piece across the Atlantic, and reassembled it over a lake in Arizona, where it stands to this day, probably wondering what happened.
The current London Bridge, built in 1973, is a minimalist affair: clean lines, pre-stressed concrete, some polished granite, and about as much flair as a spreadsheet. But hey鈥攊t gets the job done.
And once a year, for one glorious Sunday in autumn, the bridge trades buses and bikes for a flock of sheep. It's the Sheep Drive, an ancient right of the Freemen of the City, who lead their woolly companions across the bridge in a ceremony that's part tradition, part traffic-stopping spectacle.
Because why not?
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in London. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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London Bridge on Map
Sight Name: London Bridge
Sight Location: London, England (See walking tours in London)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: London, England (See walking tours in London)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in London, England
Create Your Own Walk in London
Creating your own self-guided walk in London is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Charles Dickens Tour
Imagine a world without Dickens. No Oliver Twist, no Ebenezer Scrooge, no brooding orphans wandering foggy streets with suspiciously eloquent vocabularies. Tough to picture, right? That鈥檚 because Charles Dickens didn鈥檛 just leave a mark on literature鈥攈e practically steamrolled through it in a horse-drawn carriage. Recognized as the undisputed heavyweight of Victorian storytelling, he... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.5 Km or 2.8 Miles
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.5 Km or 2.8 Miles
Bridges of London
Around thirty bridges span the Thames river in London, each with its own story. Our self-guided walk takes you to see nine such historical structures located in the heart of the city, starting from the storied Westminster Bridge and ending at the iconic Tower Bridge.
The latter has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognizable bridges in the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
The latter has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognizable bridges in the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
London Introduction Walking Tour
London: the capital of England, heart of the UK, and international heavyweight in history, culture, and sheer charm. Its name comes straight out of Rome. Londinium was founded circa 43 AD as a trading post. Then came Queen Boudica in 61 AD, who, let鈥檚 say, didn鈥檛 care much for Roman urban planning and burnt it to the ground. But Londinium wasn鈥檛 one to stay down鈥攊t bounced back,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles
Covent Garden Walking Tour
A shopping and entertainment hub on the eastern fringes of London's West End, Covent Garden is a district historically associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market 鈥� currently a shopping spot popular with locals and tourists alike.
Once a slum area, today the north of the district is given over to independent shops centered on Neal's Yard and Seven Dials. Both places offer... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Once a slum area, today the north of the district is given over to independent shops centered on Neal's Yard and Seven Dials. Both places offer... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Sherlock Holmes Tour in London
Among a myriad of other, real-life celebrities who have ever called London their home, perhaps the most famous is the fictional consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, created by Conan Doyle. Indeed, the ingenious sleuth has left an indelible mark on the literary and cultural landscape of London ever since the appearance of the first stories about him in the late 1880s. Years on, there are several... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Harry Potter Walking Tour I
The Harry Potter phenomenon began with author J.K. Rowling, who famously dreamed up the series while delayed on a train from Manchester to London. With the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher鈥檚 Stone in 1997, the literary world changed forever. Across seven books, readers followed Harry鈥檚 evolution from an orphaned schoolboy at Hogwarts to a brave young wizard confronting evil... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
London Souvenirs: 18 Distinctively British Products for Travelers
Most visitors to London consider shopping as part of their must-do London experience. From street markets to Victorian arcades to snobbish Sloane Square to busy Oxford Street, there are a host of shops selling items which typically represent this vibrant city. Whether you are shopping for souvenirs...