who constructed the london bridge? and when ? what happened when it was first constructed?

Answer 1

For many years the old London Bridge was the only bridge across the Thames. Nobody knows when the very first bridge was constructed. Here is a very interesting history:
http://midtown.net/dragonwing/col9802.htm

Picture of Old London Bridge:
http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/LondonBridge.htm

As for what happened, I can only say that when the old bridge was in use, the 19 arches impeded the flow of the Thames so that it moved more slowly to the west; there was quite a danger in going through the arches with a good fall. It also meant that the Thames could freeze over in winter - fairs could be held on it!

I don't know if this is what you meant...

Answer 2

London Bridge is a bridge in London, England over the River Thames, between the City of London and Southwark. It is between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge; it also forms the western end of the Pool of London. London's original bridge made this one of the most famous bridge emplacements in the world. It was the only bridge over the Thames in London until Westminster Bridge was opened in 1750.

A bridge has existed at or near the present site for nearly 2000 years. The first bridge across the Thames in the London area was built by the Romans on the present site around 46 AD and was made of wood. The location was most likely chosen as a bridgeable spot which still had deepwater access to the sea. The bridge fell into disrepair after the Romans left, but at some point either it was repaired or a new timber replacement constructed, probably more than once. In 1013, the bridge was burned down by King Aethelred in a bid to divide the invading forces of the Dane Svein Haraldsson. This episode might have inspired the well-known nursery rhyme London Bridge is Falling Down although the version of the song we know today refers to the many bridges that were destroyed and rebuilt, and the trading done on the shops over it ("Silver and Gold") in the 14th century [2] so the song's origin is presumably of a much later date. The rebuilt London Bridge was destroyed by a storm in 1091 and yet again, this time by fire, in 1136.


Old London Bridge
A contemporay drawing showing Old London Bridge in 1616 This pedestrian alcove is one of only two surviving fragments of the old London Bridge that was demolished in 1831. They have resided in Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets since 1860.Following the 1136 destruction of London bridge, its maintainer Peter de Colechurch proposed to replace the timber bridge with a permanent stone construction. A tax was levied to fund the new stone bridge, and construction of a new stone bridge was begun in the reign of Henry II, under de Colechurch's direction, in 1176. The new bridge took 33 years to complete and was not finished until 1209, four years after de Colechurch died, during the reign of King John.

New London Bridge
New London Bridge in the early 1890sBy the end of the 18th century, it was apparent that the old London Bridge — by now over 600 years old — needed to be replaced. It was narrow, decrepit, and blocked river traffic. In 1799, a competition for designs to replace the old bridge was held, prompting the engineer Thomas Telford to propose a bridge with a single iron arch spanning 600 ft (180 m). The revolutionary nature of this design won praise but it was never used, due to uncertainty about its feasibility and the amount of land needed for its construction.

The bridge was eventually replaced by an elegant structure of five stone arches, designed by engineer John Rennie. The new bridge was built 100 feet (30 m) west (upstream) of the original site at a cost of £2,000,000 and was completed by Rennie's son (of the same name) over a seven-year period from 1824 to 1831. The old bridge continued in use as the new bridge was being built, and was demolished after the new bridge opened in 1831.

Rennie's bridge was constructed from Dartmoor granite, with a length of 928 feet (283 m) and a width of 49 feet (15 m). The official opening took place on 1 August 1831; King William IV and Queen Adelaide attended a banquet in a pavilion erected on the bridge. The recently constructed HMS Beagle was the first ship to pass under it. It was widened in 1902–4 from 52 to 65 feet (16 to 20 m) in an attempt to combat London's chronic traffic congestion. Unfortunately, this proved too much for the bridge's foundations; it was subsequently discovered that the bridge was sinking an inch every eight years. By 1924, the east side of the bridge was some three to four inches lower than the west side; it soon became apparent that the old bridge would have to be removed and replaced with a more modern one


cont'd
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_bridge

Answer 3

Hang on Does the above SAY london bridge is tower bridge??

I beg to differ!!

London Bridge is by Southwark Street
and Tower Bridge is futher down the thames with the lifting
road.

B.t.w america BOUGHT London Bridge believing it to be Tower bridge a LONG LONG time ago....

Answer 4

Wikipedia: London Bridge
... Bridge and Tower Bridge; it also forms the western end of the Pool of London. ... The rebuilt London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, Arizona ...
Quick Links: History - Old London Bridge - New London Bridge
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Bridge - 40k - Cached - More from this site
Dragonwing - The London Bridge
... history from Dragonwing of the medieval bridge now gone, which had tall houses on both sides. ... the bridge most often shown on travel posters of London, it's ...midtown.net/dragonwing/col9802.htm

Answer 5

The first known bridge dates back to Roman occupation times, (Londonium), how many built or attempted over the Thames before or since is unknown. Just thought I'd toss in that wild card for you ;)