One of those “I never knew that” moments as I was rushing over London Bridge towards the tube station and going around the spike I dodged two stone plinths that people normally sit on.

Remains of Old London Bridge

Out of the corner of my eye though, for the first time, I noticed a small metal plaque with text on it, and being the curious sort, stopped to read it.

Turns out these two otherwise unremarkable stone seats are actually remnants of the old London Bridge. Not the really old medieval bridge, but the 1825 replacement which was itself taken down in 1967 and sold to the Americans. According to the metal sign, these are two granite coping stones from the bridge and were left behind, as was quite a bit of the abutment, which are now incorporated into the fabric of the modern bridge.

So, if like me you are hurrying past one day, stop to pause a moment at an overlooked bit of London heritage that is hidden in plain sight – and if with friends, point it out to them as an example of your superior London knowledge.

Remains of Old London Bridge

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9 comments
  1. RobH says:

    “..and if with friends, point it out to them as an example of your superior London knowledge”
    Superb as ever Ian!

  2. I shall definitely remember, thanks Ian!

  3. Ian Wright says:

    I really wish this had been posted yesterday as I walked past there yesterday. Something to look out for next time.

  4. Alan Burkitt-Gray says:

    Of course there’s a whole arch of the 19th century bridge just below, next to the London Bridge Experience, with the new bridge built around it.

  5. Stuart says:

    According to Wikipedia there are two alcoves from the medieval bridge in Victoria Park: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Park,_Tower_Hamlets#Modern_times

  6. Veronica Alden says:

    We at Southwark Heritage Association are glad you liked the Plaque our organization placed on those stones. We want to make sure this piece of history is not forgotten.

  7. Southwark Heritage Association says:

    we at Southwark Heritage Association are very proud of the stones which is why we placed the plaque on them. We are very glad you liked them and are able to enjoy them. we just want to make sure all our heritage is not lost to developers.

  8. jeannie says:

    thanks,you are a pillar of information,and love the bird not pigeon feeder,!!!will give it a try.,Ian.,

  9. Martin Lunnon says:

    @Stuart – the two alcoves are definitely in Victoria Park, on the east side, by the road which runs just about parallel to Cadogan Terrace. They even appear on Google Maps

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