This drawing by Pete Urmston shows London Bridge as it might have appeared in 1250. The perspective of the drawing is from Southwark, on the south bank of the Thames, looking north towards the city of London. Visible in the center of the drawing is one of the bridge’s stone gates and its drawbridge, which is raised to allow ships to pass underneath. The larger building beyond the gate is the chapel of St. Thomas the Martyr. Surrounding these structures are the many shops and private dwellings that lined both sides of the bridge. The original layout allowed for 124 plots that were around 10 ft in width, not counting the homes adjoining the drawbridge tower and the gates. There was a disparity between the lengths of the buildings on the eastern and western sides due to the roadway being slightly off-center on the northern end of the bridge. On the east side, the buildings were 18 ft deep, while on the west side they were 26 ft deep. Although seemingly tight for such a busy thoroughfare, records indicate that plots in Cheapside, London’s main shopping area during the period, ranged from only 6 to 7 feet wide. In less trafficked areas of London, shops could be much larger, but the size of the shops on London Bridge are another indicator of the area’s desirability as a commercial district.

London Bridge, c. 1250

Urmston, Pete

Gerhold, Dorian. London Bridge and Its Houses (Oxford, UK: Oxbow Books, 2021), Fig. 20.

This image is not available for commercial reproduction.

London Bridge

eng 13th century

eng Modern Drawing/Painting

Dorian Gerhold

eng Streets and bridges

Lewis, Clare