Putney Bridge

Last updated

Putney Bridge
Putney Bridge.jpg
Coordinates 51°28′00″N0°12′48″W / 51.466563°N 0.21339°W / 51.466563; -0.21339
Carries A219 road
Crosses River Thames
Locale London, England
Maintained by Wandsworth London Borough Council
Preceded by Hammersmith Bridge
Followed by Fulham Railway Bridge
Characteristics
Design Arch bridge
Total length700 feet (210 m)
Width75 feet (23 m)
History
Opened
  • 29 November 1729;294 years ago (1729-11-29) (first bridge)
  • 29 May 1886;138 years ago (1886-05-29) (second bridge)
Statistics
Listed Building – Grade II
Official namePutney Bridge
Designated7 April 1983
Reference no.1079799
Location
Putney Bridge

Putney Bridge is a Grade II listed bridge over the River Thames in west London, linking Putney on the south side with Fulham to the north. [1] Before the first bridge was built in 1729, a ferry had shuttled between the two banks.

Contents

The current format is three lanes southbound (including one bus lane) and one lane (plus cycle lane/bus stop) northbound. Putney High Street, a main approach, is part of a London hub for retail, offices, food, drink and entertainment. Putney Embankment hosts Putney Pier for riverboat services immediately south-west of the bridge as well as the capital's largest set of facilities in rowing. The Pier in the sport marks one end of the Championship Course.

Position

The north side of the bridge is 120m west-southwest of Putney Bridge Underground station, which is in the park-sandwiched Hurlingham neighbourhood of Fulham. Parkland to the west includes the gardens of Fulham Palace, historic home of the Bishops of London. On the south side of the bridge is a rounded glass-prowed ship-shaped 21st-century building, Putney Wharf Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Putney.

The bridge has medieval parish churches beside its abutments: St Mary's Church, Putney is built on the south and All Saints Church, Fulham on the north bank. This close proximity of two churches by a major river is rare, another example being at Goring-on-Thames and Streatley, villages hemmed in by the Chiltern Hills (the Goring Gap).

History

First bridges

Putney Bridge, 1793, by J. Farington, a square-rigged 'West Country' barge, fishermen netting for salmon and erosion of the riverbank. Putney Bridge London 1793.jpg
Putney Bridge, 1793, by J. Farington, a square-rigged 'West Country' barge, fishermen netting for salmon and erosion of the riverbank.

The first bridge of any kind between the two parishes of Fulham and Putney was built during the Civil War: after the Battle of Brentford in 1642, the Parliamentary forces built a bridge of boats between Fulham and Putney. According to an account from the period:

The Lord-Generall hath caused a bridge to be built upon barges and lighters over the Thames, between Fulham and Putney, to convey his army and artillery over into Surry, to follow the King's forces; and he hath ordered that forts shall be erected at each end thereof to guard it; but for the present the seamen, with long boats and shallops, full of ordnance and musketeers, lie there upon the river to secure it. [2]

In 1720 Sir Robert Walpole (the following year considered the first Prime Minister) was returning from seeing George I at Kingston on Thames and being in a hurry to get to the House of Commons rode together with his servant to Putney to take the ferry across to Fulham. However, the ferrymen were drinking in The Swan Inn. The calls of Sir Robert and his servant went unanswered. Walpole, who was left to take a longer route to Parliament, seemed to be motivated by the experience to have a bridge built across the Thames between Fulham and Putney. [3]

Fulham and Putney Bridge Act 1725
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of Great Britain (1714-1801).svg
Long title An Act for building a Bridge cross the River of Thames, from the Town of Fulham, in the County of Middlesex, to the Town of Putney, in the County of Surrey.
Citation 12 Geo. 1. c. 36
Dates
Royal assent 24 May 1726
Fulham Bridge Act 1727
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of Great Britain (1714-1801).svg
Citation 1 Geo. 2. St. 2. c. 18

The legal framework for construction of a bridge was approved by an Act of Parliament (the Fulham and Putney Bridge Act) in 1726. Built by local master carpenter Thomas Phillips to a design by Royal Navy Surveyor Sir Jacob Ackworth, the first bridge was opened on 29 November 1729. In its first guise, from 1729 to 1886 it was slightly downriver to the north, and in many official records was also known as Fulham Bridge. It was the only bridge between London Bridge and Kingston Bridge at the time. It was a toll bridge with tollbooths at either end of the timber-built structure. [4]

In October 1795, Mary Wollstonecraft, philosopher and early women's equality advocate, allegedly planned to commit suicide by jumping from the bridge, because she had returned from a trip to Sweden to discover that her lover was involved with an actress from London. [5]

The bridge was the starting point for The Boat Race from 1845 until the new iron aqueduct was built just upstream in 1856, after which this became the starting point. The competitors are currently 32 men of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge with two crews of first and second eights. Women's eights competed in an equivalent race for the first time in 2015, having since 1927 competed a shorter varsity race in Henley also in the early spring. [6]

The bridge was badly damaged by the collision of a river barge in 1870. Although part of the bridge was subsequently replaced, the entire bridge was then demolished to make way for construction of the current bridge. The iron aqueduct was also demolished as the new bridge carried the water in pipes beneath the road surface.

Current bridge

Putney Bridge looking upstream Putney Bridge 723-5.JPG
Putney Bridge looking upstream

The Metropolitan Board of Works purchased the bridge in 1879, discontinued the tolls in 1880, and set about its replacement.

In 1886 construction of the stone bridge that stands today, on a new alignment, was completed. A new road – Putney Bridge Approach – was laid to connect the northern end of the new bridge with Fulham High Street at its junction with New King's Road; in consequence the southernmost stretch of Fulham High Street was reduced to a cul-de-sac. The bridge was designed by civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette as a five-span structure, built of stone and Cornish granite. Bazalgette also designed London's sewerage system, and the bridge integrates two of his five outfall sewers running perpendicular to it. [4] It was constructed by John Waddell of Edinburgh, whose tender of £240,433 (equivalent to £30,587,686in 2023) [7] was accepted on 15 April 1882. It is 700 ft long (210 m) and 43 ft wide (13 m), and was opened by the Prince (later King Edward VII) and Princess of Wales on 29 May 1886. [4] In 1933, the bridge was widened to its present three carriageways. Putney Bridge Approach was widened in consequence, further encroaching on the churchyard of All Saints Church, Fulham.

The stone marking the downstream end of the Championship Course is used for all boat races through Putney in Olympic-class rowing boats. These include the Wingfield Sculls and the UK's main Head of the River Races, just west of the bridge, rather than at the bridge itself, under which the centre of its middle arch would provide an advantage if starting underneath it, as all races are competed with the tide.

In 2007, the bridge suffered considerable damage by a developer who cut several holes into the Cornish granite of the southern approach of the bridge. [8] [9]

On 14 July 2014, Putney Bridge closed for three months, except to pedestrians and dismounted cyclists, to undergo "essential repairs" by Wandsworth Council "to better protect the bridge from damage caused by water penetration, which has contributed to the poor road surface". [10] The bridge reopened on 26 September that year. [11]

On 5 May 2017 an unidentified jogger on the bridge pushed over a woman, where an approaching bus narrowly avoided hitting her. [12] [13] Irish playwright Sonya Kelly wrote a play, Once Upon a Bridge, inspired by the incident which was produced by Druid Theatre in 2021. [14]

A view from the Putney Boat Sheds. Putney Bridge at Dusk, London, UK - Diliff.jpg
A view from the Putney Boat Sheds.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnes, London</span> Area of south-west London, England

Barnes is a district in south London, England, part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It takes up the extreme north-east of the borough, and as such is the closest part of the borough to central London. It is centred 5.8 miles (9.3 km) west south-west of Charing Cross in a bend of the River Thames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Putney</span> District of London

Putney is an affluent district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, five miles southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roehampton</span> District in south-west London, England

Roehampton is an area in southwest London, in the Putney SW15 postal district, and takes up a far western strip, running north to south, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It contains a number of large council house estates and is home to the University of Roehampton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Wandsworth</span> London borough in United Kingdom

Wandsworth is a London borough in South West London, England. It forms part of Inner London and has an estimated population of 329,677 inhabitants. Its main communities are Battersea, Balham, Putney, Tooting and Wandsworth Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulham</span> Area of west London, England

Fulham is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, 3.6 miles (5.8 km) southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth, Putney, Barn Elms and the London Wetland Centre in Barnes. on the far side of the river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Bazalgette</span> English civil engineer (1819–1891)

Sir Joseph William Bazalgette CB was an English civil engineer. As Chief Engineer of London's Metropolitan Board of Works, his major achievement was the creation of a sewerage system for central London, in response to the Great Stink of 1858, which was instrumental in relieving the city of cholera epidemics, while beginning to clean the River Thames. He later designed Hammersmith Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hammersmith Bridge</span> Suspension bridge in London, England

Hammersmith Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the River Thames in west London. It links the southern part of Hammersmith in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, on the north side of the river, and Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, on the south side of the river. The current bridge, which is Grade II* listed and was designed by civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, is the second permanent bridge on the site, and has been attacked three times by Irish republicans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battersea Bridge</span> Bridge over the River Thames in London

Battersea Bridge is a five-span arch bridge with cast-iron girders and granite piers crossing the River Thames in London, England. It is situated on a sharp bend in the river, and links Battersea south of the river with Chelsea to the north. The bridge replaced a ferry service that had operated near the site since at least the middle of the 16th century.

Sands End is an area of the ancient parish of Fulham, formerly in the County of Middlesex, which is now the southernmost part of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, England. In a deep loop of the River Thames, between the tidal Chelsea Creek and the old Peterborough estate, west of Wandsworth Bridge, its northern edge is New King's Road. While wharves, industrial acres and workers' cottages gave way to intensive re-development such as Chelsea Harbour and Imperial Wharf in the last quarter of the 20th-century, it still contains some 300-year-old cottages and 19th century streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Putney Bridge tube station</span> London Underground station

Putney Bridge is a London Underground station on the Wimbledon branch of the District line. It is between Parsons Green and East Putney stations and is in Zone 2. The station is located in the south of Fulham, adjacent to Fulham High Street and New Kings Road (A308) and is a short distance from the north end of Putney Bridge from which it takes its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Championship Course</span> Part of the Thames used for rowing races

The Championship Course is a stretch of the River Thames between Mortlake and Putney in London, England. It is a well-established course for rowing races, particularly the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The course is on the tidal reaches of the river often referred to as the Tideway. Due to the iconic shape of the Championship Course, in orthopaedic surgery, an S-shaped incision along the crease of the elbow is commonly referred to as "a boat-race incision resembling the River Thames from Putney to Mortlake."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Putney Vale</span> Community in Wandsworth, London, England

Putney Vale is a small community in south west London. It lies between Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common, to the east of Beverley Brook and Kingston Vale. Its main features are a housing estate, a superstore and a large cemetery. The A3 dual carriageway runs through it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wandsworth Bridge</span> Bridge in London, England

Wandsworth Bridge crosses the River Thames in west London. It carries the A217 road between the area of Battersea, near Wandsworth Town Station, in the London Borough of Wandsworth on the south of the river, and the areas of Sands End and Parsons Green, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, on the north side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A308 road</span> Road in England

The A308 is a road in England in two parts. The first part runs from Central London to Putney Bridge. The second part runs from just beyond Putney Heath to Bisham, Berkshire. It traces four, roughly straight lines, to stay no more than 3 miles (4.8 km) from the Thames. It is a dual carriageway where it is furthest from that river, in Spelthorne, Surrey and forms one of the motorway spurs to the large town of Maidenhead. Other key settlements served are Fulham, Kingston (London), Staines upon Thames, Windsor and a minor approach to Marlow

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tideway</span> Part of the River Thames subject to tides

The Tideway is the part of the River Thames in England which is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock. The Tideway comprises the upper Thames Estuary including the Pool of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A3036 road</span> Road in southwest London

The A3036 is an A road in London, England, running from Waterloo to Wandsworth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Putney Pier</span> Pier on the River Thames

Putney Pier is a pier on the River Thames at Putney, in the London Borough of Wandsworth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wandsworth Park</span> Public Park in London, United Kingdom

Wandsworth Park is a Grade II listed public urban park on the banks of the River Thames in the London Borough of Wandsworth, situated between Putney and Wandsworth town centres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulham High Street</span>

Fulham High Street is a street in Fulham, London.

References

  1. Historic England (7 April 1983). "Putney Bridge (1079799)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  2. Faulkner, Thomas (1813). An Historical and Topographical Account of Fulham: Including the Hamlet of Hammersmith. T. Egerton.
  3. "Putney Bridge on Londonhistorians.org".
  4. 1 2 3 "Putney Bridge: Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide". thames.me.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  5. Wardle, Ralph. M., ed. (1979). Collected Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft. Cornell University Press. p. 317. ISBN   978-0801411649.
  6. "Women's Boat Race set for men's course from 2015". BBC. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  7. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  8. "A bridge too far". Evening Standard . 25 March 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
  9. "Injunction stops Putney Bridge drilling". Wandsworth Guardian . 13 December 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
  10. "Getting around while Putney Bridge is closed". Metro : 50. 15 July 2014.
  11. Edmonds, Lizzie (26 September 2014). "Putney Bridge reopens to road traffic two weeks ahead of schedule". Evening Standard. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  12. "Putney Bridge jogger assault investigation case closed". BBC News . 28 June 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  13. "The unsolved mystery of the Putney Pusher". Wired . 14 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  14. "Once upon a bridge-Sonya Kelly on her new Druid play". Raidió Teilifís Éireann . 11 February 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.

51°28′01″N0°12′47″W / 51.46694°N 0.21306°W / 51.46694; -0.21306