Building    From 1769 

Blackfriars Bridge

Categories: Transport

The first bridge on this site (shown in the picture) was designed by Robert Mylne and added a third crossing point to those already provided by London Bridge and Westminster Bridge. The plaque says 1760 but it took so long to build that it did not open until 1769, just at the end of Pitt the Elder's term as PM so it was named after him.

The location was chosen because there was available a wide route leading from the river up to what is now Ludgate Circus. This was the River Fleet with its disused wharves on both banks. It became the wide New Bridge Street. The equivalent road on the south bank crossed mainly open fields to the new St George's Circus.

Faulty workmanship meant the bridge needed replacing and this new bridge was opened by Queen Victoria on 1869. The bridge is dedicated to her, hence the statue on the north bank. Stone carvings of water birds by John Birnie Philip. Bridge designed by Joseph Cubitt, son of Sir William. Joseph also designed the sister rail bridge. The road bridge was widened 1907–10.

In Google Satellite view you can see, reading left to right: Cubitt's road bridge, Cubitt's 1864 railway bridge piers (the bridge itself was removed 1985), the 1886 bridge which has recently (2014) been converted to carry Blackfriars Station platforms. Note how the piers on all three bridges line up, presumably to ease passage for shipping.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Blackfriars Bridge

Commemorated ati

Blackfriars Bridge - plaque

The Queen was busy that day in 1869, opening two bridges, the other being Hol...

Read More

Blackfriars Bridge - underpass

{Each print is labelled. The one we have chosen for illustration is:} Her Ma...

Read More

Other Subjects

Avro No. 1 Triplane

Avro No. 1 Triplane

Airplane designed and built by Alliott Verdon Roe. The first all-British aircraft, its maiden flight took place on Walthamstow Marshes. The photograph shows Roe standing by the plane. We guess Roe ...

Vehicle, Aviation, Transport

3 memorials
Bakerloo Line

Bakerloo Line

London Underground line running from Elephant and Castle to Harrow and Wealdstone. It was originally known as the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway. Londonist have a good succinct history of this ...

Place, Transport

4 memorials
Albert Bridge

Albert Bridge

Designed and built by Rowland Mason Ordish, as an Ordish-Lefeuvre system modified cable-stayed bridge. It proved to be structurally unsound, so between 1884 and 1887 Sir Joseph Bazalgette incorpora...

Building, Transport

3 memorials
Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway

Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway

The Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR) ran from CC to Golders Green and also to (what is now known as) Archway. In 1912 it was extended south to Embankment.  Then in the ea...

Place, Transport

4 memorials
Samuel Plimsoll

Samuel Plimsoll

Born Bristol. "The sailors' friend", whose Load Line prevented ships becoming dangerously overloaded.  Sand shoes were renamed for him since the lower section is rubber and the upper is canvas: dry...

Person, Politics & Administration, Transport

1 memorial