| London Bridge today is not the same
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| | or body parts of the executed who were to
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| London Bridge that crossed the Thames
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| | be put on display afterward. As late as
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| when it was first built. Peter, a priest
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| | the year 1598, a German traveller counted
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| and chaplain of St. Marys of Colechurch,
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| | over thirty heads.
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| began the foundation of the original
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| | But having so much on the bridge itself
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| bridge in 1176 to replace a wooden bridge
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| | became dangerous indeed to inhabitants
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| (expensive to maintain and repeatedly
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| | and travellers. Only three years after
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| burned down) that had first been built by
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| | it was first completed, a huge fire
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| the Romans. The original London Bridge
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| | destroyed its buildings, killing perhaps
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| consisted of nineteen pointed arches,
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| | 3000 people when it jumped from one end
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| each with a span averaging 7 meters, and
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| | of the bridge to the other, trapping
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| built on 6-metre-wide piers. A twentieth
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| | firefighting crowds between the flames.
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| opening in the bridge was spanned by a
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| | The houses were quickly rebuilt and in
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| wooden drawbridge. With the building of
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| | 1282 five of the bridge arches collapsed
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| this bridge, a peculiar effect was
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| | with the weight of winter ice. But they
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| discovered the tide roared through the
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| | too were rebuilt along with their
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| narrow arches every day with great force;
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| | requisite buildings, and the bridge
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| in fact, it was so dramatically affected
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| | continued as Londons sole crossing of the
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| that it created temporary 5-foot-high
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| | Thames until 1750, when Westminster
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| cataracts every day as it went in and
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| | Bridge opened.
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| out.. A new sport based on this nifty
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| | At about this time, the designer of
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| effect was shooting the bridge slipping
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| | Westminster Bridge was hired to repair
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| through the arches in a small boat when
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| | and renovate London Bridge. Redesign and
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| the tide was turning.
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| | repair was deemed necessary by the
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| Peter of Colechurch died in 1205, and his
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| | narrowness of the road, the huge supports
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| work was completed by three other London
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| | of the bridge (which took up about a
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| citizens by 1209. The bridge, already
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| | quarter of the rivers width), and by the
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| rather narrow for its function, became
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| | dangerous sport of shooting the bridge
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| even narrower (about 4 metres wide) when
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| | and other health hazards posed by the
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| shops and homes were built along both
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| | bridge. By 1762 the character of the
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| sides of the roadway right on the bridge
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| | bridge was changed: all the houses were
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| itself; by 1358, 138 places of business
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| | gone, the roadway was 14 metres wide, and
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| were recorded in the tax rolls. And, like
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| | the two central arches replaced by one
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| most older London buildings, the shops
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| | great arch, allowing much easier passage
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| were built so that the upper floors
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| | for larger boats.
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| stretched over the roadway at last, the
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| | Alas, this central arch proved difficult
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| bridge became more like a long tunnel
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| | to maintain, and in the early 1800s a
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| lined with shops, through which travelers
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| | second bridge was built a few meters
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| and other people flowed. One can only
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| | away. The original London Bridge was
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| imagine the smell, with the sheltered
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| | demolished by 1832. The new bridge was
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| road, no real drainage, and lots of
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| | called Rennies Bridge. Designed by George
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| horses and people! The houses were built
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| | Rennie and constructed by John Rennie, it
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| so that they overhung the water as well
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| | was composed of only five arches, with
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| as the roadway, and were anchored by
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| | the central span reaching 46 metres.
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| tying them together across the street
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| | Rennies London Bridge had a very odd
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| with arches of strong timber. In 1580,
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| | ending. It lasted less than 140 years.
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| water mills added to the general chaos of
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| | Between 1968 and 1971, it was dismantled
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| the bridge.
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| | and shipped across the Atlantic to the
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| The bridge was not only a home and place
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| | United States, where it was rebuilt in
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| of business, it was a defensible
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| | Lake Havasu City, where it still stands,
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| structure. More than once, its drawbridge
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| | crossing Lake Havasu, 255 kilometres
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| was raised and men fought under its
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| | south of Hoover Dam on the Colorado
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| strong tower to repulse invaders or
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| | River. To see that London Bridge,
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| rebels, putting the wooden houses built
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| | Londoners have to fly ten thousand miles!
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| on the bridge at some risk. Until after
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| | The current London Bridge is modern
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| the Scottish Restoration, the bridge was
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| | pre-stressed concrete with a central span
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| often decorated by the heads, quarters,
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| | of 104 meters.
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