| London Bridge today is not the same London Bridge | | | | meters, and built on 6-metre-wide piers. A twentieth |
| that crossed the Thames when it was first built. Peter, | | | | opening in the bridge was spanned by a wooden |
| a priest and chaplain of St. Mary's of Colechurch, | | | | drawbridge. With the building of this bridge, a peculiar |
| began the foundation of the original bridge in 1176 to | | | | effect was discovered — the tide roared |
| replace a wooden bridge (expensive to maintain and | | | | through the narrow arches every day with great |
| repeatedly burned down) that had first been built by | | | | force; in fact, it was so dramatically affected that it |
| the Romans. The original London Bridge consisted of | | | | created temporary 5-foot-high cataracts every day as |
| nineteen pointed arches, each with a span averaging 7 | | | | it went in and out.. |