Hammersmith Bridge facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Hammersmith Bridge

Carries	A306 road
Crosses	River Thames
Locale	London, England
Maintained by	Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council
Preceded by	Barnes Railway Bridge
Followed by	Putney Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Suspension bridge
Material	Steel, wrought iron, cast iron, plywood
Pier construction	Stone
Total length	700 ft (210 m)
Width	43 ft (13 m)
Number of spans	3
Piers in water	2
Clearance below	3.5 metres (11 ft) MHWS
History
Designer	William Tierney Clark (first bridge) Joseph Bazalgette (current bridge)
Constructed by	Dixon, Appleby & Thorne (current bridge)
Construction begin	1825 (first bridge) 1884 (current bridge)
Construction end	1827 (first bridge) 1887 (current bridge)
Construction cost	£80,000 (first bridge) £82,117 (current bridge)
Opened	6 October 1827; 197 years ago (1827-10-06) (first bridge) 11 June 1887; 138 years ago (1887-06-11) (current bridge)
Inaugurated	6 October 1827 (first bridge) 11 June 1887 (current bridge)
Rebuilt	1884–1887
Closed	10 April 2019; 6 years ago (2019-04-10) (motor vehicles) 13 August 2020; 4 years ago (2020-08-13) (cycles and pedestrians)

The Hammersmith Bridge is a suspension bridge in west London, England. It crosses the River Thames, connecting the areas of Hammersmith on the north side and Barnes on the south side.

This bridge is the second permanent bridge built in this spot. It was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. The bridge is considered a very important historical structure, known as a Grade II* listed building.

The bridge has faced challenges over the years. It has been attacked three times by Irish republicans. In April 2019, it was closed to all motor traffic because cracks were found in its supports. Then, in August 2020, it was also closed to people walking and cycling.

History of Hammersmith Bridge
Bridge Problems and Closures
- 2019–2021 Closure
Coats of Arms on the Bridge
Images for kids
See also

History of Hammersmith Bridge

Building the First Bridge

Local people wanted a new bridge at Hammersmith. This would save them from having to travel far to cross the river at Kew Bridge or Putney Bridge. A special law was passed on June 9, 1824, to allow the bridge to be built. This law also created the Hammersmith Bridge Company.

Work on the bridge began in 1825. It was finished and opened on October 6, 1827. Building the first bridge cost about £80,000. This would be many millions of pounds today.

Engraving of the first Hammersmith Bridge, completed in 1827.

This was the first suspension bridge ever built over the River Thames. It was designed by William Tierney Clark. The company also bought land to build the roads leading to the bridge.

Hammersmith Bridge Road was built along with the bridge. Other roads like Upper Bridge Road (now Castelnau) and Lower Bridge Road (now Lonsdale Road) were also created. People had to pay a fee, called a toll, to cross the bridge. The toll house was on the Hammersmith side.

By the 1870s, the bridge was not strong enough for the heavy traffic. In 1870, between 11,000 and 12,000 people gathered on the bridge to watch the University Boat Race. This made people worried about the bridge's strength.

In 1880, the Metropolitan Board of Works, a group that managed London's public works, bought the bridge. They removed the tolls on June 26, 1880, making it free to cross.

In 1882, a boat crashed into the bridge and damaged it. This led to a new law in 1883 to build a replacement bridge. A temporary bridge was put in place in 1884 while the new one was being built.

Building the Current Bridge

The bridge you see today was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. It uses the same foundations as the first bridge. Dixon, Appleby & Thorne built the new bridge. It was opened on June 11, 1887, by the Prince of Wales.

The new bridge is made mostly of wrought iron. It is about 700 feet (213 meters) long and 43 feet (13 meters) wide. It cost £82,117 to build. This would also be many millions of pounds today.

In 1889, the London County Council took over ownership of the bridge.

Events in the 20th Century

On December 27, 1919, a brave airman named Lieutenant Charles Campbell Wood jumped into the Thames from the bridge. He saved a drowning woman. Sadly, he later died from an infection caused by his injuries. A plaque on the bridge remembers his bravery.

On March 29, 1939, there was an attempt to damage the bridge. A man named Maurice Childs saw a smoking suitcase on the walkway. He found a bomb inside and quickly threw it into the river. The explosion sent water 60 feet into the air. Moments later, a second bomb exploded, damaging parts of the bridge and breaking nearby windows. Maurice Childs was given an award for his quick thinking.

In 1965, the bridge's ownership changed to the Greater London Council (GLC). When the GLC was closed down in 1985, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham took over the bridge's care.

On April 26, 1996, another attempt was made to damage the bridge. Two large bombs were placed on the south side of the Thames. Luckily, the bombs did not go off.

On June 1, 2000, a bomb planted under the bridge caused damage. The bridge was closed for two years for repairs. When it reopened, there were new rules about how heavy vehicles could be.

Bridge Problems and Closures

Hammersmith Bridge has often had problems with its structure. It has been closed for long periods many times. This is because the bridge was not built to handle the heavy and constant traffic of modern inner London.

In 1973, the bridge was repaired. Steel parts were replaced, and the deck (the road surface) was improved. The wooden blocks on the road were changed to plywood panels. These panels were replaced again in 1987.

In 1984, parts of the bridge's support system failed under a heavy load. These parts had to be replaced.

In February 1997, the bridge was closed to most traffic. Only buses, bikes, motorcycles, emergency vehicles, and people walking could use it. This was for important repairs because parts of the bridge were rusted or worn out.

The bridge reopened in July 1998. It had a weight limit of 7.5 tons. Buses had to follow special rules and use smaller single-decker buses to reduce the weight on the bridge.

After the 2000 bomb attack, the bridge was repainted to its original 1887 colors. New lights were also installed.

In 2008, the bridge was officially named a Grade II* listed structure. This helps protect its special design from changes that would not fit its history.

More repairs were needed in 2014. However, further work was delayed in 2016 due to disagreements over who should pay for it. The local council said they would not pay most of the cost.

2019–2021 Closure

Because funding for major repairs was still not decided, the bridge was closed to motor vehicles on April 10, 2019. This was due to safety concerns. People could still walk and cycle across it. Later, it was reported that the closure was because of cracks in the bridge's pedestals, which are the main supports.

On August 13, 2020, the bridge was also closed to people walking and cycling. This happened because the structural problems got worse during a heatwave. Even boats and people walking under the bridge were stopped.

In September 2020, the government created a special team to look into the bridge's condition. They wanted to find a way to reopen it for walkers and cyclists, and later for cars. In October 2020, it was announced that the bridge might not reopen to vehicles until at least 2027.

Engineers have suggested a temporary double-decked steel structure. This could be built inside the existing bridge. It would allow damaged parts to be removed and repaired. This plan could allow the bridge to reopen for walkers and cyclists in summer 2021. Cars and vans might cross two months later, with full repairs finished by 2023.

In December 2020, some experts suggested that the full closure might have been too careful. They thought the bridge could reopen for walkers and cyclists after only a little work.

On Valentine's Day in 2021, local people lit up the bridge in red. They displayed a message saying, "Broken Hearts. Broken Promises. Broken Lives. Broken Bridge." This was to show how upset they were about the ongoing delays.

Coats of Arms on the Bridge

At both ends of Hammersmith Bridge, there is a design with seven coats of arms. These were once painted in their correct colors, but now they are all in a standard color scheme.

The shield in the middle shows the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom. The other coats of arms, going clockwise from the left, belong to: