Blackfriars Bridge

Blackfriars Bridge, a major road and footbridge over the River Thames in London, connects the City of London with the London Borough of Southwark. The current bridge, opened in the 1860s, replaced an earlier structure from the 1760s.

The first Blackfriars Bridge, designed by Robert Mylne and completed in 1769, was a toll bridge with nine arches of Portland stone. It was the third Thames crossing in the built-up area of London, following London Bridge and Westminster Bridge. Initially named “William Pitt Bridge” after the prime minister, it quickly became known as Blackfriars, referencing the nearby Dominican monastery. The tolls were eventually lifted, and it became a free bridge.

The City of London Corporation, responsible for the bridge, chose the location to take advantage of the disused River Fleet (now entirely subterranean), which allowed a smoother connection to the north without disrupting the area too much.

Despite being built of Portland stone, the original bridge was plagued by construction issues, leading to significant repairs in the 1830s. Eventually, it was deemed necessary to replace it. In 1860, the old bridge was dismantled, and work on a new one began. Designed by Joseph Cubitt, the new bridge, made of wrought iron with five arches, was opened by Queen Victoria in 1869. Like its predecessor, it is maintained by the Bridge House Estates under the City of London Corporation. The bridge was widened between 1907 and 1910 to accommodate increasing traffic, growing from 70 feet to 105 feet in width.

The bridge also has a historical connection to trams. In 1909, the Lord Mayor of London opened a tram line across the widened bridge, though it was closed in 1952.

In 1982, Blackfriars Bridge made international headlines when the body of Italian banker Roberto Calvi was found hanging from one of its arches. Initially ruled a suicide, it was later determined that Calvi, involved in a banking scandal, had been murdered by the Mafia. However, the suspects were acquitted in 2007 due to insufficient evidence.

The bridge is adorned with stone carvings of birds by sculptor John Birnie Philip. The carvings on the downstream side depict seabirds, while those on the upstream side show freshwater birds, symbolizing Blackfriars as the point where the river’s tidal influence changes. A statue of Queen Victoria stands at the bridge’s north end, and a commemorative plaque documents its history, including the 1909 reopening by Lord Mayor Truscott.

Blackfriars Bridge is also linked to the now-demolished Blackfriars Bridge railway station, which operated between 1864 and 1885. The River Fleet empties into the Thames beneath the north side of the bridge, which was given Grade II listed status in 1972, cementing its place as a significant piece of London’s architectural and historical landscape.