Putney Bridge
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Putney Bridge is a bridge crossing of the River Thames in west London, linking Putney on the south side with Fulham to the north.
Construction of a bridge was first sanctioned by an Act of Parliament in 1726. Built by local master carpenter Thomas Phillips to a design by architect Sir Jacob Ackworth, the first bridge was opened in November 1729, to become the only bridge between London Bridge and Kingston Bridge at the time. A toll bridge, it featured tollbooths at either end of the timber-built structure.
In October 1795 Mary Wollstonecraft alledgedly planned to commit suicide by jumping from the bridge because she returned from a trip to Sweden to discover that her lover was involved with an actress from London.
The bridge was badly damaged by the collision of a river barge in 1870, and although part of the bridge was subsequently replaced, soon the entire bridge would be demolished.
The Metropolitan Board of Works purchased the bridge in 1879, discontinued the tolls in 1880, and set about its replacement. The current bridge was designed by civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette as a five-span structure, built of stone and Cornish granite. It was constructed by John Waddell of Edinburgh, whose tender of £240,433 was accepted on 15 April 1882. It is some 700ft long and 43ft wide, and was opened by the Prince (later King Edward VII) and Princess of Wales on 29 May 1886.
Putney Bridge is unique in that it is the only bridge in London (or England for that matter) to have a church at both ends: St. Mary's Church, Putney is located in Putney on the south bank; All Saints Church, Fulham is on the north bank and featured in the film The Omen. Also on the north side of the bridge is Putney Bridge tube station.
In 1845, the bridge was specified as the starting point of a changed course for the annual Oxford - Cambridge University Boat Race. The stone marking the downstream end of the Championship Course still used by the Boat Race, Wingfield Sculls and several major head races is now just upstream of the current bridge, but the bridge is still often incorrectly said to be the start of the Boat Race course.
Putney Bridge is often very busy on Saturdays, when Fulham F.C. are playing at home, as this is the main way for fans to cross the Old Father Thames.
[edit] See also
| Next crossing upstream | River Thames | Next crossing downstream |
| Hammersmith Bridge | Putney Bridge Grid reference: TQ242757 |
Fulham Railway Bridge (LU) Wandsworth Bridge (road) |
