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Chapel of St. Thomas on Old London Bridge
This drawing by Peter Jackson depicts the Chapel of St. Thomas on London Bridge as it would have appeared in the late 14th century. The chapel was constructed on the London Bridge in the late 12th century on the largest central pier. During this period, the idea of public works as acts of piety became popular. It was believed that building chapels on bridges would ensure their protection. Dredging of the Thames beneath has revealed countless discarded pilgrimage badges depicting St. Thomas Becket, leading many scholars to believe that the chapel may have been the starting point for various pilgrimages. The Chapel of St. Thomas was built in commemoration of Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered in 1170 under the direction of Henry II. As penance for Becket’s murder, Henry II was forced to sponsor for the construction of a new stone bridge for the city of London.
Construction began in 1176 with the foundations of the first pier. The project was overseen by Peter of Colechurch, a parish priest who supervised the project for twenty-nine years. Ultimately, the process took thirty-three years and was completed in 1209. Peter of Colechurch died in 1205, four years before the bridge was completed, but the chapel was able to receive his remains. The chapel was maintained by the bridge wardens who were in charge of dispersing money for its upkeep, while several chaplains also attended to the running of the chapel. Daily mass was offered, as were seasonal observances, including the feast day of St. Thomas the Martyr on the 29th of December. From 1384-96 the chapel was rebuilt in the perpendicular style, a late medieval form of the gothic style that emphasized rich decoration. The new building was a five-sided, east-facing apsidal end over an undercroft/lower chapel. In this drawing, the large stained glass windows and decorative tracery can be observed as elements of the perpendicular style.
Shopping on Old London Bridge
This drawing of London Bridge by Peter Jackson depicts a busy street scene on London Bridge. The river crossing occupied by London Bridge had been utilized by London’s inhabitants since Roman times. The use of stone in bridge construction first occurred during the reconstruction of the bridge in 1176 and was overseen by Peter, chaplain of the nearby Colechurch parish. Houses and shops were built on the bridge early on, but, living on the bridge was not without its dangers. In 1212 a major fire swept across the bridge destroying many of the homes and part of the Chapel of St. Thomas and there were also several instances of the arches of the bridge collapsing. Rents from properties on the bridge and elsewhere in the city, as well as tolls on ships and carts passing under and over the bridge, paid for the near constant upkeep of the bridge structure. The income was recorded in the accounts of the Bridge House estate, whose accounts also show payments to a group of workers known as ‘tidemen,’ who were responsible for the upkeep of the bridge, as well as for materials such as the frequent shipments of stone they received to make repairs.
Bridges in medieval cities served as important commercial and residential thoroughfares; the first floors of the buildings served as shops, while the upper levels were homes. The buildings situated on the bridge were some of the most expensive real estate in the city. London’s inhabitants recognized that the funneling of pedestrians through the bridge created the perfect location for commerce. Those crossing the bridge, whether on foot or by horse, had to pay a toll, while those moving goods paid an additional fee. A survey of rents from 1358 reveals that there were sixty-two shops located on the east side and sixty-nine shops located on the west side of the bridge. The structure of these buildings was so compact, the bridge was described as appearing like a continuation of the street rather than a bridge. The commercial congestion of the bridge is clear in Jackson’s work, the crowds of shoppers and condensed buildings appear like any other street in London, but the sliver of blue water beyond the bridge’s railing at the back of the drawing reminds the viewer that they are looking at London Bridge.
Construction of the Medieval London Bridge
This drawing by Peter Jackson depicts the methods used to construct the first stone London Bridge in 1176. The builders created enclosures at low tide, which they then filled with debris to act as the base of each pier (visible to left in the drawing). Planks were laid across the tops of these piles, so the builders had a surface from which to construct the starlings, which were wooden-faced pilings that eased the impact of the river on the bridge's piers. In total, the bridge had nineteen arches, and nineteen piers, which supported the structures on top. The starlings required constant upkeep, made possible by the revenue generated from the many properties held by the Bridge in the city. In its over six hundred years of use, the Bridge suffered only two collapses, five arches in 1281 and two in 1437. The timber bridge visible in the background reflects the now disproven notion that the earlier timber bridge was located further east of the stone bridge.
London Bridge, c. 1250
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.
The Middle Section of London Bridge, c. 1250
This drawing by Stephen Conlin presents a view of London Bridge similar to that shown in London Bridge c. 1250, although the perspective of this drawing is from the southeast rather than the southwest.
Roadway on London Bridge
This drawing by Pete Urmston illustrates what the roadway of London Bridge might have looked like in 1600. Positioned in the center of the image is what is known as a ‘cross-building,’ which were connecting structures built between houses on either side of the street. References to such structures were recorded as early as the mid 14th century, although they were called by a different name. In the rent records of 1358, the structure used to connect two buildings over the roadway was known as a ‘hautpas’ or high place. These structures were used to provide additional support for the bridge’s buildings, which were frequently subjected to high winds. However, the cross-buildings also presented several disadvantages by obstructing sunlight and, at a height of around 10 feet, making the roadway appear more congested. Despite these drawbacks, real estate on the bridge remained extremely popular. Those who ran the street-level shops located on the bridge also lived on the upper floors of the buildings. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the dominant trades of the bridge were haberdashers, glovers, cutlers (who made or sold edged weapons and tools), bowyers (bow makers), and fletchers (arrow makers). Sellers, more often than manufacturers, were willing to pay the high rents on London Bridge in order to take advantage of access to one of the most prominent shopping areas in the city. Based on the descriptions of leases granted during the medieval period, commerce on London Bridge was geared more towards specialty goods rather than daily purchases although there was a notable lack of such luxury crafts as goldsmiths and jewelers.
A Cutaway View of London Bridge, c. 1590
This drawing of London Bridge by Stephen Conlin depicts the middle section of the bridge as it may have appeared in 1590. Visible in this drawing is not only the outside structure of the bridge, but some interior scenes as well. At the bottom of the bridge are the piers and oblong-shaped starlings, which provided support for the roadway and buildings. Unlike most medieval bridges, the piers of London Bridge extended about fifteen feet from the roadway. As a result, the homes built on London Bridge rested largely on the piers, with added support provided by large hammer beams, visible between the piers in the drawing. In the center of Conlin’s drawing, the pier foundations of several homes are visible. Homes that were located directly over the piers could have cellars; another feature highlighted in this reconstruction. The rooms at street level were used as shops since the bridge was first and foremost a commercial area. ‘Solars’ or private rooms were located on the upper floors. In this drawing the buildings have four stories, which would have been common in 1590. For the majority of the medieval period, however, the buildings on the bridge would likely have had two stories.