The Alcoves of Old London Bridge

At the east end of Victoria Park there are two stone alcoves older than the park itself. Ten-feet tall, weather-worn, and sprinkled with moss, their quiet grandeur feels like that of an ancient monument, as if East London has built itself around a couple of prehistoric sentry boxes.

The alcoves are remnants of old London Bridge, of falling down fame, erected in the 1760s and donated to Victoria Park in 1860, and have sheltered Londoners for over 250 years.

Work on the original London Bridge began in 1176 and finished in 1209 and it was packed with hundreds of houses and shops balanced precariously over the Thames. Between 1760 and 1763 the buildings were cleared, the bridge was widened from 20ft to 46ft, and seven alcoves were placed along each side for anyone to take shelter from the elements as they crossed it. The bridge was demolished in 1831.

Two other alcoves are known to have survived the bridge’s demolition — one at Guy’s Hospital in Southwark (purchased for the sum of 10 guineas) and the other in the grounds of a tower block in East Sheen.

A symbol inside the roof of the alcoves is of the Bridge House Estates (now the City Bridge Trust), founded in 1282 to maintain London Bridge,  one of the oldest organisations in the world. (see extras)

The alcoves have appeared in many artworks such as JMW Turner’s painting ‘Old London Bridge’ (see extras)