Thames Bridges

The City Cruises trip from the Tower to Westminster Piers only takes about half an hour but there’s plenty to see in those 30 minutes.

As I was still in counting mode from the Tower of London stairs, I started to count the number of bridges we went under but that really does seem too sad to report! (Actually, I lost count after 5!) As you’ve already seen, the boat trip starts with a fabulous view of Tower Bridge and I’m glad to report that London Bridge is not falling down! (left) A lot of people are disappointed to know that London Bridge is a modern construction as they wrongly assume that the more ornate Tower Bridge is the one sung about in the nursery rhyme.

The most modern bridge on the Thames is the Millennium Bridge (right) which was nicknamed the “Wobbly Bridge” when it was closed two days after opening because it wobbled uncontrollably! It was modified to prevent the shakes but last year it was closed again during high winds for fear of pedestrians being blown off the footbridge! I don’t think I’ll be rushing to walk over that particular bridge!

The Golden Jubilee Bridges (left) are a slightly strange conglomeration of an old railway bridge (the Hungerford Bridge), flanked by two footbridges that were completed in 2002 and named after the Queen’s milestone.

There’s not a lot more I can write about bridges so I will move onto the more famous buildings on the banks of the River Thames next.