Battersea Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battersea Bridge |
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| Carries | 2 lanes of A3220 road |
| Crosses | River Thames |
| Locale | London, England |
| Heritage status | Grade II listed structure |
| Preceded by | Old Battersea Bridge (1771–1885) a.k.a. Chelsea Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cantilever bridge |
| Material | Cast iron and granite |
| Total length | 725 feet 6 inches (221.13 m) |
| Width | 40 feet (12 m) |
| Longest span | 163 feet (50 m) |
| Number of spans | 5 |
| Piers in water | 4 |
| Clearance below | 38 feet 9 inches (11.8 m) at lowest astronomical tide |
| History | |
| Designer | Joseph Bazalgette |
| Opened | 21 July 1890 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 26,041 vehicles (2004) |
Battersea Bridge is a cast-iron and granite five-span cantilever bridge crossing the River Thames in London, England. It is on a sharp bend in the river, and links Battersea south of the river with Chelsea to the north.
The first Battersea Bridge was a toll bridge. Although a stone bridge was planned, a cheaper wooden bridge was built instead. Designed by Henry Holland, it was opened to pedestrians in November 1771, and to vehicles in 1772. The bridge was poorly designed. Iy was dangerous to its users and to passing shipping. Boats often collided with it. To reduce the dangers to shipping, two piers were removed, and the sections of the bridge above them were strengthened with iron girders.
Although dangerous and unpopular, the bridge was the last surviving wooden bridge across the Thames in London. It was the subject of paintings by Turner, Cotman and Whistler.
In 1879 the bridge was taken into public ownership, and in 1885 demolished and replaced with the existing bridge, designed by Joseph Bazalgette. It is the narrowest surviving road bridge over the Thames in London, and one of London's least busy Thames bridges. The position on a bend in the river makes the bridge a hazard to shipping, and it has been closed many times due to collisions.
In June 2012, the bridge was highlighted on the route of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the Thames. The Battersea Bridge area marked the official start of the parade of ships and boats moving towards Tower Bridge.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Chelsea & Battersea, 1746. The bridge would be built on the meander in the river, a short distance west of the ferry crossing shown
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Old Battersea Bridge, Walter Greaves (1874)
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John, Earl Spencer, commissioned the first Battersea Bridge
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Battersea Bridge, John Atkinson Grimshaw (1885)
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Joseph Bazalgette
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The new Battersea Bridge
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The Thames curves sharply at Battersea Bridge
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Detail of the spandrels following restoration
See also
In Spanish: Puente de Battersea para niños
