Battersea Bridge: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 51°28′52″N 0°10′21″W / 51.48111°N 0.17250°W / 51.48111; -0.17250
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{{Infobox Bridge |
{{Infobox Bridge
|image = Thames Whale Battersea Bridge.jpg
|bridge_name = Battersea Bridge
|bridge_name = Battersea Bridge
|image = Battersea bridge 1.jpg
|carries = [[A3220 road]]
|caption = The Battersea Bridge with crowds along it watching the [[River Thames whale]]
|crosses = [[River Thames]]
|official_name =
|locale = [[London]], [[England]]
|locale = [[London]], [[England]]
|designer = [[Joseph Bazalgette]]
|carries = Motor vehicles
|crosses = [[River Thames]]
|design = [[Cantilever bridge]]
|material = [[Cast iron]] and [[granite]]
|maint =
|spans = 5
|open = [[31 July]] [[1890]]
|pierswater = 4
|below =
|mainspan = {{convert|160|ft|m}}
|traffic =
|length = {{convert|670|ft|m}}
|design = [[Arch bridge]]
|width = {{convert|40|ft|m}}
|toll =
|below = {{convert|38|ft|9|in|m|sigfig=3}} at [[lowest astronomical tide]]<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.pla.co.uk/display_fixedpage.cfm/id/174/site/navigation|title=Thames Bridges Heights|publisher=Port of London Authority|accessdate=2009-05-25}}</ref>
|heritage = [[Listed building|Grade II listed structure]]
|traffic = 26,041 vehicles (2004)<ref name="Cookson316">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=316}}</ref>
|mainspan =
|open = 21 July 1890
|length =
|heritage = [[Listed building|Grade II listed structure]]
|width =
|preceded = Old Battersea Bridge (1771-1890) a.k.a. Chelsea Bridge
|coordinates = {{coord|51|28|52|N|0|10|21|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
}}
}}


'''Battersea Bridge''' is a [[cast iron]] and [[granite]] five span [[cantilever bridge]] 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, London|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.
[[Image:Battersea bridge 1.jpg|thumb|right|Battersea Bridge looking downstream from Chelsea. (January 2006).]]
[[Image:James Abbot McNeill Whistler 006.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge]]'' by [[James McNeill Whistler]] (painted c.1872–5), now in the collection of [[Tate Britain]] [http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=16120].]]


The first Battersea Bridge was a [[toll bridge]] commissioned by [[John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer|John, Earl Spencer]], who had recently acquired the rights to operate the ferry. Although a stone bridge was planned, difficulties in raising investment meant that a cheaper wooden bridge was built instead, designed by [[Henry Holland (architect)|Henry Holland]]. The bridge was poorly designed and dangerous both to its users and to passing shipping, and boats often collided with it. To reduce the dangers to shipping, two [[pier (architecture)|piers]] were removed and the sections of the bridge above them were strengthened with iron girders.
'''Battersea Bridge''' is a road [[bridge]] crossing of the [[River Thames]] in south-west [[London]], linking [[Battersea]] south of the river with [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] to the north. Its 40 foot width makes it London's narrowest road vehicle bridge.


Although dangerous and unpopular, the bridge was the last surviving [[wooden bridge]] on the Thames, and was the subject of paintings by many significant artists such as [[J. M. W. Turner]], [[John Sell Cotman]] and [[James Abbott McNeill Whistler|James McNeill Whistler]], including Whistler's controversial and influential ''[[Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge]]''.
==History==
Until the late 18th century, a ferry service had operated across the river at this location, but an [[Act of Parliament]] in 1766 authorised construction of a [[toll bridge]]. A group of fifteen investors financed this first bridge, at a cost of £15,000. Designed by a Henry Holland, the bridge was composed of 19 narrow wooden spans, making it difficult for river traffic to pass through. The ceremonial opening was in November 1771, but regular traffic first moved across the bridge in 1772. In 1795, some of the wooden spans were replaced by iron girder sections, creating spans almost double the size of the wooden ones. The bridge was the subject of paintings by [[James McNeill Whistler|Whistler]] and [[J. M. W. Turner]].


Like other London toll bridges, Battersea Bridge was eventually bought by the [[Metropolitan Board of Works]] (MBW), closed in 1883 and subsequently demolished in 1885, to be replaced by the current bridge. This was designed by MBW chief [[civil engineer|engineer]] Sir [[Joseph Bazalgette]], constructed by John [[Mowlem]] & Co. from 1886, and opened on [[31 July]] [[1890]] by [[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|Lord Rosebery]].<ref>[http://thames.me.uk/s00190.htm Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide]</ref> It is composed of five [[wrought iron]] and [[steel]] [[cantilever]] spans supported on [[granite]] piers.
In 1879 the bridge was taken into public ownership, and in 1885 demolished and replaced with the existing bridge, designed by [[Joseph Bazalgette|Sir Joseph Bazalgette]] and built by [[Mowlem|John Mowlem & Co]]. The bridge is the narrowest surviving road bridge over the Thames in London, and is one of London's least busy Thames bridges. Due to its location on a bend in the river the bridge is still a hazard to shipping, and since its construction the bridge has been repeatedly closed due to collisions.


==Background==
On [[20 September]] [[2005]], the bridge was struck by a gravel-carrying barge, which became stuck underneath one of the arches. The collision caused significant damage, requiring the bridge to be closed for several months while repairs could be carried out.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4265812.stm Bridge closed after barge crash]</ref> The bridge was reopened to traffic on [[16 January]] [[2006]], well ahead of the original schedule.<ref>[http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/3708.aspx Transport for London]</ref>
[[File:Rocque Battersea.png|thumb|left|Chelsea & Battersea, 1746. The bridge would be built on the bend in the river, a short distance west of the ferry crossing shown]]
[[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] ([[Old English]] ''Cealchyð'', chalk wharf),<ref group="n">The etymology of the name is disputed, with some sources claiming that it derives from the Old English ''Chesil'', or gravel bank.</ref> on the north bank of the [[River Thames]] about {{convert|3|mi|km}} west of [[Westminster]], has existed as a town since [[Anglo-Saxon]] times.<ref name="Cookson117">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=117}}</ref> Chelsea had enjoyed good road and river connections to the seat of government at Westminster and the commercial centre of the [[City of London]] since at least the 14th century.<ref name="Cookson117" /> It was the centre of the British [[Chelsea porcelain factory|porcelain industry]],<ref name="Cookson118">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=118}}</ref> and a major producer of [[baked goods]]&nbsp;– at peak periods almost 250,000 [[chelsea bun]]s per day were sold.<ref name="Gaunt57">{{Harvnb|Gaunt|1975|p=57}}</ref> By the 18th century it had large numbers of very prosperous residents.<ref name="Cookson117" />


[[Battersea]] (listed as ''Patricesy'', St Peter's Water, in the [[Domesday Book]]),<ref>{{citation|last=Lysons|first=Daniel|title=The Environs of London|publisher=Victoria County History|year=1792|volume=1|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45371}}</ref> on the south bank of the river opposite Chelsea, was by contrast low and marshy land, prone to flooding. Conditions were ideal for farming [[asparagus]] and [[lavender]],<ref group="n">The present day place name of [[Lavender Hill]] derives from the lavender farms in the area.</ref> and a small market town grew in the area based on the asparagus and lavender industries.<ref name="Cookson118" />
The bridge was designated a [[listed building|Grade II listed structure]] in 1983.<ref>{{IoE|203518}} accessed 26 November 2008</ref>


Although Chelsea and Battersea had been linked by [[ferry]] since at least 1550,<ref name="Cookson118" /> the nearest fixed links between the two were [[Putney Bridge]], {{convert|2+1/2|mi|km}} upstream and opened in 1729,<ref name="Matthews54">{{Harvnb|Matthews|2008|p=54}}</ref> and [[Westminster Bridge]], {{convert|3|mi|km}} downstream, opened in 1746.<ref name="Matthews92">{{Harvnb|Matthews|2008|p=92}}</ref> In 1763 [[John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer|John, Earl Spencer]], purchased the [[Manorialism|manor]] of Battersea,<ref name="Cookson118" /> and consequently acquired ownership of the ferry service between Chelsea and Battersea.<ref name="Pay74">{{Harvnb|Pay|Lloyd|Waldegrave|2008|p=74}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}


[[File:Johnspencer.jpg|thumb|upright|right|John, Earl Spencer, commissioned the first Battersea Bridge]]
== See also ==
The ferry was old and somewhat dangerous,<ref name="Pay74" /> and in 1766 Spencer formed the Battersea Bridge Company and sought and obtained Parliamentary consent to build "a fine stone bridge" across the Thames.<ref name="Cookson118" /> The bridge was to be built between [[Cheyne Walk]] and Battersea, at the point where the river's course turns sharply east towards [[Westminster]],<ref name="Matthews65">{{Harvnb|Matthews|2008|p=65}}</ref> at a projected cost of £83,000 (about £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|83000|1763|r=-3}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}).<ref name="Cookson118" />{{Inflation-fn|UK}} The Earl had anticipated that many local residents would invest in the project, but soon found that there was widespread scepticism about the scheme. Only 17 investors, including the Earl himself, were willing to invest,<ref name="Cookson118" /> and a total of only £15,000 (about £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|15000|1766|r=-3}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}) was raised, far less than was needed to finance the ambitious project.<ref name="Pay74" />{{Inflation-fn|UK}}


==Old Battersea Bridge==
* [[Crossings of the River Thames]]
Spencer calculated that the £15,000 raised would be sufficient to finance a modest timber bridge, and a design was commissioned from rising architect [[Henry Holland (architect)|Henry Holland]]. The bridge was built to Holland's designs by [[John Phillips (engineer)|John Phillips]], whose uncle [[Thomas Phillips (bridge engineer)|Thomas Phillips]] had built the 1729 bridge at Putney.<ref name="Matthews65" /> The bridge was opened to pedestrians in November 1771 while still incomplete. In 1772, a chalk and gravel surface was added and the bridge was opened to vehicle traffic.<ref name="Matthews65" /> Tolls were charged on a sliding scale, ranging from [[Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|{{frac|1|2}}d]] for pedestrians to 1 [[Shilling (British coin)|shilling]] for vehicles drawn by four or more horses.<ref name="Pay74" /> The bridge was never formally named, and was referred to on maps of the period as both "Battersea Bridge" and "Chelsea Bridge".<ref group="n">The first bridge on the site of the present day [[Chelsea Bridge]] was not opened until 1858.</ref><ref name="Matthews67">{{Harvnb|Matthews|2008|p=67}}</ref>


The bridge was not a commercial success. It was {{convert|670|ft|m}} long and only {{convert|24|ft|m}} wide, making it impractical for larger vehicles to use.<ref name="Matthews65" /> Holland's design consisted of nineteen separate narrow spans and boats found it difficult to navigate beneath the bridge; there were a number of accidents including serious injuries and deaths.<ref name="Matthews65" /> Repeatedly rammed by passing shipping, the bridge required frequent expensive repairs, and dividends paid to investors were low.<ref name="Matthews65" /> During a particularly cold winter in 1795 the bridge was badly damaged by ice, necessitating lengthy and expensive repairs, and no dividends at all were paid for the next three years.<ref name="Cookson119">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=119}}</ref> Parliamentary concerns about the reliability of the bridge obliged the Battersea Bridge Company to provide a ferry service at the same rate as the bridge tolls, in the event of the bridge being closed for repairs.<ref name="Cookson118" />
==Further reading==
* Loobet, Patrick — ''Battersea Past'', 2002, p21,48. Historical Publications Ltd. ISBN 0-948667-76-1.


[[File:Greaves Old Battersea Bridge 1874.jpg|thumb|left|Old Battersea Bridge in 1874, by [[Walter Greaves (artist)|Walter Greaves]]]]
==External links==
In an effort to improve navigation around the bridge and reduce accidents, two of the supporting [[Pier (architecture)|piers]] were removed and the bridge deck strengthened with iron girders in the late 18th century.<ref name="Matthews65" /> In an effort to improve the bridge's poor safety record regarding its customers, in 1799 [[oil lamp]]s were added to the deck, making Battersea Bridge the first Thames bridge to be lit.<ref name="Matthews67" /> Between 1821 and 1824 the flimsy wooden fences along the edges of the bridge, which were often breaking, were replaced by sturdy iron {{convert|4|ft|m|adj=on}} railings,<ref name="Matthews67" /> and in 1824 the oil lamps were themselves replaced by [[gas lighting]].<ref name="Matthews67" />
* {{Structurae|id=s0003151|title=Battersea Bridge}}
* [http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/reference.aspx?uid=46289 English heritage: A view of the Old Battersea Bridge (wooden structure)]


===Competition and disputes with Vauxhall Bridge===
In 1806 a scheme was proposed by [[Ralph Dodd]] to open the south bank of the Thames opposite Westminster and London for development, by building a new major road from [[Hyde Park Corner]] to [[Kennington]] and [[Greenwich]], crossing the river at [[Vauxhall]], about halfway between Battersea Bridge and Westminster Bridge.<ref name="Matthews80">{{Harvnb|Matthews|2008|p=80}}</ref> The Battersea Bridge Company were concerned about the potential loss of custom, and petitioned Parliament against the scheme, stating that "[Dodd] is a well known adventurer and Speculist, and the projector of numerous undertakings upon a large scale most if not all of which have failed",<ref group="n">Dodd had been involved in many unsuccessful transport schemes. Between 1799 and 1803 he attempted to drive a tunnel beneath the Thames between [[Tilbury]] and [[Gravesend, Kent|Gravesend]]. A plan to dig a canal between London and [[Epsom]] was abandoned after reaching [[Peckham]], three miles away. He provided the original designs for the new [[Waterloo Bridge|Waterloo]] and [[London Bridge|London]] Bridges, both of which were taken over by John Rennie, while his design for [[Hammersmith Bridge]] had to be suspended when the owners of a strip of land blocking the approach road refused to sell it to the bridge company.</ref> and the bill was abandoned.<ref name="Cookson120">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=120}}</ref> However, in 1809 a new bill was presented to Parliament for a bridge at Vauxhall, this time obliging the operators of the new bridge to compensate the Battersea Bridge Company for any losses, and the Company agreed to allow it to pass and to accept compensation.<ref name="Cookson120" /> The Act obliged the Vauxhall Bridge Company to compensate the Battersea Bridge Company for any drop in revenue caused by the new bridge.<ref name="Cookson145">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=145}}</ref>

After many delays and setbacks, the new bridge at Vauxhall (initially named Regent Bridge after [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George, Prince Regent]] but shortly afterwards renamed Vauxhall Bridge) opened on 4 June 1816.<ref name="Cookson146">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=146}}</ref> However, the Vauxhall Bridge Company failed to pay the agreed compensation to the Battersea Bridge Company and were taken to court. After a legal dispute lasting five years a judgement was made in favour of the Battersea Bridge Company, with the Vauxhall Bridge Company being obliged to pay £8,234 (about £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|8234|1821|r=-3}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}) compensation.{{Inflation-fn|UK}}<ref name="Cookson120" />

===Old Battersea bridge in art===
[[Image:James Abbot McNeill Whistler 006.jpg|thumb|upright|right|''[[Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge]]'' by [[James McNeill Whistler]]]]
Although the bridge was inconvenient for its users and flimsily constructed, as the last surviving [[wooden bridge]] on the Thames in the London area it was considered an important landmark, and pictures of it were painted by many leading artists of the period.<ref group="n">Although temporary wooden bridges were sometimes erected on the Thames during maintenance works or wartime, following the demolition of the mediaeval [[Kingston Bridge, London|Kingston Bridge]] in 1825 Battersea Bridge was the last surviving permanent wooden bridge on the Thames in what is now [[Greater London]].</ref><ref name="Pay74" /> [[J. M. W. Turner]], [[John Sell Cotman]] and [[John Atkinson Grimshaw]] painted significant paintings of the bridge.<ref name="Matthews67" /><ref>{{citation|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/13/arts/art-review-english-watercolor-landscapes-of-a-feather.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1|title=English Watercolor Landscapes Of a Feather|last=Glueck|first=Grace|date=2002-12-13|newspaper=New York Times|accessdate=2009-05-26}}</ref> [[Walter Greaves (artist)|Walter Greaves]], whose family owned a [[boathouse]] adjacent to the bridge and whose father had been boatman to Turner, painted numerous scenes of the bridge,<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art--sold-down-the-river-when-whistler-took-on-a-thames-boatman-as-a-pupil-it-looked-like-inspired-charity-a-new-show-isnt-so-sure-1474342.html|title=Sold down the river|last=Hilton|first=Tim|date=1993-02-21|newspaper=The Independent|accessdate=2009-05-26}}</ref> whilst local resident and mentor to Greaves, [[James Abbott McNeill Whistler|James McNeill Whistler]] painted many images of the bridge, including the influential [[Hokusai]]-inspired ''[[Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge]]'' (painted c.1872–5), in which the dimensions of the bridge are intentionally distorted and [[Chelsea Old Church]] and the newly built [[Albert Bridge, London|Albert Bridge]] are visible through a stylised [[Pea soup#Pea soup fog|London fog]].<ref name="Matthews67" />

Whistler's ''Nocturne'' series achieved notoriety in 1877, when influential critic [[John Ruskin]] visited an exhibition of the series at the [[Grosvenor Gallery]]. He wrote of the exhibition that Whistler was "asking two hundred [[Guinea (British coin)|guineas]] for flinging a pot of paint in the public's face". Whistler sued for libel, the case reaching the courts in 1878.<ref>{{citation|last=Steiner|first=Wendy|date=1993-01|title=A Pot of Paint: Aesthetics on Trial in Whistler v. Ruskin|journal=Art in America|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1248/is_n1_v81/ai_13295552/|accessdate=2009-05-26}}</ref> The judge in the case caused laughter in the court when he asked Whistler "Which part of the picture is the bridge?"; the case ended with Whistler awarded token damages of one [[Farthing (British coin)|farthing]].<ref name="Cookson122">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=122}}</ref>

In 1905, ''Nocturne: Blue and Gold'' would become the first significant acquisition by the newly formed [[National Art Collections Fund]], and now hangs in [[Tate Britain]].<ref>{{citation|last=Moore|first=Susan|date=2003-11-01|title=Guardian of the nation's treasures|newspaper=The Spectator|location=London}}</ref>

===Takeover and public ownership===
In 1858 a more modern and convenient competing bridge opened nearby at [[Chelsea Bridge]],<ref name="Cookson132">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=132}}</ref> and usage of Battersea Bridge fell.<ref name="Cookson115">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=115}}</ref> In 1873 the new [[Albert Bridge, London|Albert Bridge]] opened, less than {{convert|500|yd|m}} from Battersea Bridge.<ref name="Cookson126">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=126}}</ref> Mindful of the impact Albert Bridge would have on Battersea Bridge's financial viability, the 1864 Act of Parliament authorising the Albert Bridge compelled the Albert Bridge Company to purchase Battersea Bridge at the time of the new bridge's opening, and so Battersea Bridge was bought outright by the Albert Bridge Company in 1873.<ref name="Cookson123">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=123}}</ref> By this time the bridge was in extremely poor condition, and there were many calls from local residents for it to be demolished. As an interim measure, the Albert Bridge's architect [[Rowland Mason Ordish]] strengthened the foundations of the bridge with concrete while debate continued as to the future of the bridge.<ref name="Matthews67" />

In 1877 the [[Metropolis Toll Bridges Act 1877|Metropolis Toll Bridges Act]] was passed, allowing the [[Metropolitan Board of Works]] to buy all London bridges between [[Hammersmith Bridge]] and [[Waterloo Bridge]] and free them from tolls,<ref name="Cookson147">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=147}}</ref> and in 1879 the Board of Works bought Albert and Battersea bridges for a combined cost of £170,000 (about £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|170000|1879|r=-3}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}) and the tolls were removed from both bridges.{{Inflation-fn|UK}}<ref name="TimesFreeing">{{citation|title=The Freeing of the Bridges|date=1880-06-28|newspaper=The Times|page=12|accessdate=2009-05-06}}</ref>

Inspections by the Metropolitan Board of Works following the purchase found that Battersea Bridge was in such poor condition that it would need to be completely replaced. In 1883 it was restricted to pedestrian traffic only, and in 1885 it was demolished to make way for a new bridge designed by [[Joseph Bazalgette|Sir Joseph Bazalgette]].<ref name="Pay74" />

==New Battersea Bridge==
[[Image:Battersea Bridge 1.JPG|thumb|left|The new Battersea Bridge]]
The contract to build the new bridge was awarded to [[Mowlem|John Mowlem & Co]],<ref name="Pay74" /> and in June 1887 the [[Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale|Duke of Clarence]] laid a ceremonial foundation stone in the southern [[abutment]] and construction work began.<ref name="Matthews67" /> Bazalgette's design comprised five [[cast iron]] [[cantilever]] arches, on [[granite]] piers which in turn rest on concrete foundations. The roadway itself is {{convert|24|ft|m}} wide, and {{convert|8|ft|m|adj=on}} wide footpaths are [[cantilever|cantilevered]] on either side of the bridge, giving the bridge a total width of {{convert|40|ft|m}}.<ref name="Pay74" />

On 21 July 1890, the bridge was formally opened by future Prime Minister [[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|Lord Rosebery]], at this time Chairman of the newly formed [[London County Council]]. Unlike the earlier bridge, the new bridge was officially named Battersea Bridge.<ref name="Pay74" /> Although the road was narrow, [[tram]]s operated on it from the outset. Initially these were horse-drawn, but from 1911 the electric trams of [[London County Council Tramways]] were introduced.<ref name="Matthews67" />

===Collisions===
[[File:Battersea Bridge 3.JPG|thumb|right|The Thames curves sharply at Battersea Bridge]]
Although the five spans of the current bridge are far wider than the nineteen spans of the original bridge, Battersea Bridge's location on a sharp bend in the river still presents a hazard to navigation. In 1948 the ''[[Motor ship|MV]] Delta'' jammed under the bridge, and its master Hendrikus Oostring suffered broken arms and needed to be rescued from the smashed [[wheelhouse]].<ref name="Cookson125">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=125}}</ref> In 1950 the [[Collier (ship type)|collier]] ''John Hopkinson'' collided with the central pier, causing serious structural damage, leaving the tram tracks as the only element holding the bridge together. The London County Council was concerned that the entire structure would collapse and closed the entire bridge until January 1951.<ref name="Cookson124">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=124}}</ref> By the time the bridge was re-opened, London's tram services had been shut down and the tram tracks were lifted.<ref name="Pay76">{{Harvnb|Pay|Lloyd|Waldegrave|2008|p=76}}</ref> Another serious incident took place on 21 September 2005, when the ''James Prior'', a 200-[[long ton|ton]] barge, collided with the bridge, causing serious structural damage costing over £500,000 to repair.<ref>{{citation|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4265812.stm|title=Bridge closed after barge crash |date=2005-09-21|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-05-26}}</ref><ref name="MBM">{{citation|url=http://www.mbmclub.com/auto/newsdesk/20080031191043mbmnews.html|title=Bridge crash master cleared|date=2008-01-31|newspaper=Motor Boats Monthly|accessdate=2009-05-26}}</ref> The bridge was closed to all motor vehicles other than buses while repairs were carried out, causing severe traffic congestion; it eventually reopened on 16 January 2006.<ref>{{citation|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4614654.stm|title=Bridge damaged by barge reopens|date=2006-01-15|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-05-26}}</ref> Brian King, the master of the ''James Prior'', was formally cleared of navigating without due care and attention in 2008, when the judge in the case injured his back and was unable to proceed and prosecutors decided not to re-present the case.<ref name="MBM" />

==Restoration==
[[File:Battersea Bridge 4.JPG|thumb|left|Detail of the spandrels following restoration]]
At only {{convert|40|ft|m}} wide, Bazalgette's bridge is now London's narrowest surviving road bridge over the Thames,<ref name="Pay74" /> and as of 2004 was the fifth least-used Thames bridge in London.<ref name="Cookson316" /> In 1983 the bridge was designated a [[listed building|Grade II listed structure]], protecting its character from further alterations,<ref>{{IoE|203518}} accessed 26 November 2008</ref> and in 1992 [[English Heritage]] oversaw a project to renovate the bridge, which for some years had been painted blue and red. Paint samples were analysed and photographs from the time of opening consulted, and the bridge was restored to its original appearance. The main body of the bridge was painted in dark green, with the [[spandrel]]s decorated in [[Moorish architecture|Moorish]]-style [[gilding]]. The [[Street light|lamp standards]], which had been removed during the [[Second World War]], were replaced with replicas copied from the surviving posts at the ends of the bridge.<ref name="Matthews67" /> A statue of James McNeill Whistler by [[Nicholas Dimbleby]] was erected at the north end of the bridge in 2005.<ref name="Cookson122" />

[[File:Thames Whale Battersea Bridge.jpg|thumb|right|A crowd watch the rescue of the stranded whale from Battersea Bridge]]
Shortly after reopening after the collision with the ''James Prior'', the bridge briefly attained national prominence on 20 January 2006 when a {{convert|19|ft|m|adj=on}} long female [[bottlenose whale]] became stranded at Battersea Bridge. A [[River Thames whale|rescue operation]] was mounted, and large crowds flocked to the bridge. The whale was successfully transferred to a barge, but died while being transported back to the sea to be released.<ref>{{citation|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4635440.stm|title=Londoners flock to doomed rescue |last=Dowling|first=Stephen|date=2006-01-21|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-05-26}}</ref> A year after the whale's death, it was put on public display in the offices of ''[[The Guardian]]'' newspaper.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/jan/21/thameswhale.robinmckie|title=See Thames whale in our free exhibition|last=McKie|first=Robin|date=2007-01-21|newspaper=The Observer|accessdate=2009-05-26}}</ref> The skeleton of the whale is currently preserved at the [[Natural History Museum]].<ref name="Matthews70">{{Harvnb|Matthews|2008|p=70}}</ref>

==Notes and references==
{{Commonscat}}
{{Commonscat}}
;Notes
{{Reflist|group=n}}
;References
{{Reflist|colwidth=25em}}

;Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
*{{citation|last=Cookson|first=Brian|title=Crossing the River|publisher=Mainstream|location=Edinburgh|year=2006|isbn=1 840189 76 2|oclc=63400905}}
*{{citation|last=Gaunt|first=William|title=Kensington and Chelsea|publisher=Batsford|location=London|date=1975|isbn=0 713429 19 4|oclc=1528591}}
*{{citation|last=Matthews|first=Peter|title=London's Bridges|publisher=Shire|location=Oxford|year=2008|isbn=978 0 7478 0679 0|oclc=213309491}}
*{{citation|last1=Pay|first1=Ian|last2=Lloyd|first2=Sampson|last3=Waldegrave|first3=Keith|title=London's Bridges: Crossing the royal river|publisher=Artists' and Photographers' Press|location=Wisley|year=2009|isbn=978 1 9043 3290 9|oclc=280442308}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation|last=Loobet|first=Patrick|title=Battersea Past|publisher=Historical Publications Ltd|location=London|year=2002|isbn=0 948667 76 1}}.
* {{citation|last=Roberts|first=Chris|title=Cross River Traffic|publisher=Granta|location=London|year=2006|isbn=1 862078 84 X}}
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[[Category:Bridges and tunnels in London]]
[[Category:Bridges and tunnels in London]]
[[Category:Cantilever bridges]]
[[Category:Deck arch bridges]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1890]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1890]]
[[Category:Bridges across the River Thames]]
[[Category:Bridges across the River Thames]]

Revision as of 00:15, 27 May 2009

Battersea Bridge
Coordinates51°28′52″N 0°10′21″W / 51.48111°N 0.17250°W / 51.48111; -0.17250
CarriesA3220 road
CrossesRiver Thames
LocaleLondon, England
Heritage statusGrade II listed structure
Preceded byOld Battersea Bridge (1771-1890) a.k.a. Chelsea Bridge
Characteristics
DesignCantilever bridge
MaterialCast iron and granite
Total length670 feet (200 m)
Width40 feet (12 m)
Longest span160 feet (49 m)
No. of spans5
Piers in water4
Clearance below38 feet 9 inches (11.8 m) at lowest astronomical tide[1]
History
DesignerJoseph Bazalgette
Opened21 July 1890
Statistics
Daily traffic26,041 vehicles (2004)[2]
Location
Map

Battersea Bridge is a cast iron and granite five span cantilever bridge 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.

The first Battersea Bridge was a toll bridge commissioned by John, Earl Spencer, who had recently acquired the rights to operate the ferry. Although a stone bridge was planned, difficulties in raising investment meant that a cheaper wooden bridge was built instead, designed by Henry Holland. The bridge was poorly designed and dangerous both to its users and to passing shipping, and 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 on the Thames, and was the subject of paintings by many significant artists such as J. M. W. Turner, John Sell Cotman and James McNeill Whistler, including Whistler's controversial and influential Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge.

In 1879 the bridge was taken into public ownership, and in 1885 demolished and replaced with the existing bridge, designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette and built by John Mowlem & Co. The bridge is the narrowest surviving road bridge over the Thames in London, and is one of London's least busy Thames bridges. Due to its location on a bend in the river the bridge is still a hazard to shipping, and since its construction the bridge has been repeatedly closed due to collisions.

Background

Chelsea & Battersea, 1746. The bridge would be built on the bend in the river, a short distance west of the ferry crossing shown

Chelsea (Old English Cealchyð, chalk wharf),[n 1] on the north bank of the River Thames about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Westminster, has existed as a town since Anglo-Saxon times.[3] Chelsea had enjoyed good road and river connections to the seat of government at Westminster and the commercial centre of the City of London since at least the 14th century.[3] It was the centre of the British porcelain industry,[4] and a major producer of baked goods – at peak periods almost 250,000 chelsea buns per day were sold.[5] By the 18th century it had large numbers of very prosperous residents.[3]

Battersea (listed as Patricesy, St Peter's Water, in the Domesday Book),[6] on the south bank of the river opposite Chelsea, was by contrast low and marshy land, prone to flooding. Conditions were ideal for farming asparagus and lavender,[n 2] and a small market town grew in the area based on the asparagus and lavender industries.[4]

Although Chelsea and Battersea had been linked by ferry since at least 1550,[4] the nearest fixed links between the two were Putney Bridge, 2+1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) upstream and opened in 1729,[7] and Westminster Bridge, 3 miles (4.8 km) downstream, opened in 1746.[8] In 1763 John, Earl Spencer, purchased the manor of Battersea,[4] and consequently acquired ownership of the ferry service between Chelsea and Battersea.[9]

John, Earl Spencer, commissioned the first Battersea Bridge

The ferry was old and somewhat dangerous,[9] and in 1766 Spencer formed the Battersea Bridge Company and sought and obtained Parliamentary consent to build "a fine stone bridge" across the Thames.[4] The bridge was to be built between Cheyne Walk and Battersea, at the point where the river's course turns sharply east towards Westminster,[10] at a projected cost of £83,000 (about £15,362,000 as of 2024).[4][11] The Earl had anticipated that many local residents would invest in the project, but soon found that there was widespread scepticism about the scheme. Only 17 investors, including the Earl himself, were willing to invest,[4] and a total of only £15,000 (about £2,635,000 as of 2024) was raised, far less than was needed to finance the ambitious project.[9][11]

Old Battersea Bridge

Spencer calculated that the £15,000 raised would be sufficient to finance a modest timber bridge, and a design was commissioned from rising architect Henry Holland. The bridge was built to Holland's designs by John Phillips, whose uncle Thomas Phillips had built the 1729 bridge at Putney.[10] The bridge was opened to pedestrians in November 1771 while still incomplete. In 1772, a chalk and gravel surface was added and the bridge was opened to vehicle traffic.[10] Tolls were charged on a sliding scale, ranging from 1⁄2d for pedestrians to 1 shilling for vehicles drawn by four or more horses.[9] The bridge was never formally named, and was referred to on maps of the period as both "Battersea Bridge" and "Chelsea Bridge".[n 3][12]

The bridge was not a commercial success. It was 670 feet (200 m) long and only 24 feet (7.3 m) wide, making it impractical for larger vehicles to use.[10] Holland's design consisted of nineteen separate narrow spans and boats found it difficult to navigate beneath the bridge; there were a number of accidents including serious injuries and deaths.[10] Repeatedly rammed by passing shipping, the bridge required frequent expensive repairs, and dividends paid to investors were low.[10] During a particularly cold winter in 1795 the bridge was badly damaged by ice, necessitating lengthy and expensive repairs, and no dividends at all were paid for the next three years.[13] Parliamentary concerns about the reliability of the bridge obliged the Battersea Bridge Company to provide a ferry service at the same rate as the bridge tolls, in the event of the bridge being closed for repairs.[4]

Old Battersea Bridge in 1874, by Walter Greaves

In an effort to improve navigation around the bridge and reduce accidents, two of the supporting piers were removed and the bridge deck strengthened with iron girders in the late 18th century.[10] In an effort to improve the bridge's poor safety record regarding its customers, in 1799 oil lamps were added to the deck, making Battersea Bridge the first Thames bridge to be lit.[12] Between 1821 and 1824 the flimsy wooden fences along the edges of the bridge, which were often breaking, were replaced by sturdy iron 4-foot (1.2 m) railings,[12] and in 1824 the oil lamps were themselves replaced by gas lighting.[12]

Competition and disputes with Vauxhall Bridge

In 1806 a scheme was proposed by Ralph Dodd to open the south bank of the Thames opposite Westminster and London for development, by building a new major road from Hyde Park Corner to Kennington and Greenwich, crossing the river at Vauxhall, about halfway between Battersea Bridge and Westminster Bridge.[14] The Battersea Bridge Company were concerned about the potential loss of custom, and petitioned Parliament against the scheme, stating that "[Dodd] is a well known adventurer and Speculist, and the projector of numerous undertakings upon a large scale most if not all of which have failed",[n 4] and the bill was abandoned.[15] However, in 1809 a new bill was presented to Parliament for a bridge at Vauxhall, this time obliging the operators of the new bridge to compensate the Battersea Bridge Company for any losses, and the Company agreed to allow it to pass and to accept compensation.[15] The Act obliged the Vauxhall Bridge Company to compensate the Battersea Bridge Company for any drop in revenue caused by the new bridge.[16]

After many delays and setbacks, the new bridge at Vauxhall (initially named Regent Bridge after George, Prince Regent but shortly afterwards renamed Vauxhall Bridge) opened on 4 June 1816.[17] However, the Vauxhall Bridge Company failed to pay the agreed compensation to the Battersea Bridge Company and were taken to court. After a legal dispute lasting five years a judgement was made in favour of the Battersea Bridge Company, with the Vauxhall Bridge Company being obliged to pay £8,234 (about £887,000 as of 2024) compensation.[11][15]

Old Battersea bridge in art

Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge by James McNeill Whistler

Although the bridge was inconvenient for its users and flimsily constructed, as the last surviving wooden bridge on the Thames in the London area it was considered an important landmark, and pictures of it were painted by many leading artists of the period.[n 5][9] J. M. W. Turner, John Sell Cotman and John Atkinson Grimshaw painted significant paintings of the bridge.[12][18] Walter Greaves, whose family owned a boathouse adjacent to the bridge and whose father had been boatman to Turner, painted numerous scenes of the bridge,[19] whilst local resident and mentor to Greaves, James McNeill Whistler painted many images of the bridge, including the influential Hokusai-inspired Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge (painted c.1872–5), in which the dimensions of the bridge are intentionally distorted and Chelsea Old Church and the newly built Albert Bridge are visible through a stylised London fog.[12]

Whistler's Nocturne series achieved notoriety in 1877, when influential critic John Ruskin visited an exhibition of the series at the Grosvenor Gallery. He wrote of the exhibition that Whistler was "asking two hundred guineas for flinging a pot of paint in the public's face". Whistler sued for libel, the case reaching the courts in 1878.[20] The judge in the case caused laughter in the court when he asked Whistler "Which part of the picture is the bridge?"; the case ended with Whistler awarded token damages of one farthing.[21]

In 1905, Nocturne: Blue and Gold would become the first significant acquisition by the newly formed National Art Collections Fund, and now hangs in Tate Britain.[22]

Takeover and public ownership

In 1858 a more modern and convenient competing bridge opened nearby at Chelsea Bridge,[23] and usage of Battersea Bridge fell.[24] In 1873 the new Albert Bridge opened, less than 500 yards (460 m) from Battersea Bridge.[25] Mindful of the impact Albert Bridge would have on Battersea Bridge's financial viability, the 1864 Act of Parliament authorising the Albert Bridge compelled the Albert Bridge Company to purchase Battersea Bridge at the time of the new bridge's opening, and so Battersea Bridge was bought outright by the Albert Bridge Company in 1873.[26] By this time the bridge was in extremely poor condition, and there were many calls from local residents for it to be demolished. As an interim measure, the Albert Bridge's architect Rowland Mason Ordish strengthened the foundations of the bridge with concrete while debate continued as to the future of the bridge.[12]

In 1877 the Metropolis Toll Bridges Act was passed, allowing the Metropolitan Board of Works to buy all London bridges between Hammersmith Bridge and Waterloo Bridge and free them from tolls,[27] and in 1879 the Board of Works bought Albert and Battersea bridges for a combined cost of £170,000 (about £21,833,000 as of 2024) and the tolls were removed from both bridges.[11][28]

Inspections by the Metropolitan Board of Works following the purchase found that Battersea Bridge was in such poor condition that it would need to be completely replaced. In 1883 it was restricted to pedestrian traffic only, and in 1885 it was demolished to make way for a new bridge designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette.[9]

New Battersea Bridge

The new Battersea Bridge

The contract to build the new bridge was awarded to John Mowlem & Co,[9] and in June 1887 the Duke of Clarence laid a ceremonial foundation stone in the southern abutment and construction work began.[12] Bazalgette's design comprised five cast iron cantilever arches, on granite piers which in turn rest on concrete foundations. The roadway itself is 24 feet (7.3 m) wide, and 8-foot (2.4 m) wide footpaths are cantilevered on either side of the bridge, giving the bridge a total width of 40 feet (12 m).[9]

On 21 July 1890, the bridge was formally opened by future Prime Minister Lord Rosebery, at this time Chairman of the newly formed London County Council. Unlike the earlier bridge, the new bridge was officially named Battersea Bridge.[9] Although the road was narrow, trams operated on it from the outset. Initially these were horse-drawn, but from 1911 the electric trams of London County Council Tramways were introduced.[12]

Collisions

The Thames curves sharply at Battersea Bridge

Although the five spans of the current bridge are far wider than the nineteen spans of the original bridge, Battersea Bridge's location on a sharp bend in the river still presents a hazard to navigation. In 1948 the MV Delta jammed under the bridge, and its master Hendrikus Oostring suffered broken arms and needed to be rescued from the smashed wheelhouse.[29] In 1950 the collier John Hopkinson collided with the central pier, causing serious structural damage, leaving the tram tracks as the only element holding the bridge together. The London County Council was concerned that the entire structure would collapse and closed the entire bridge until January 1951.[30] By the time the bridge was re-opened, London's tram services had been shut down and the tram tracks were lifted.[31] Another serious incident took place on 21 September 2005, when the James Prior, a 200-ton barge, collided with the bridge, causing serious structural damage costing over £500,000 to repair.[32][33] The bridge was closed to all motor vehicles other than buses while repairs were carried out, causing severe traffic congestion; it eventually reopened on 16 January 2006.[34] Brian King, the master of the James Prior, was formally cleared of navigating without due care and attention in 2008, when the judge in the case injured his back and was unable to proceed and prosecutors decided not to re-present the case.[33]

Restoration

Detail of the spandrels following restoration

At only 40 feet (12 m) wide, Bazalgette's bridge is now London's narrowest surviving road bridge over the Thames,[9] and as of 2004 was the fifth least-used Thames bridge in London.[2] In 1983 the bridge was designated a Grade II listed structure, protecting its character from further alterations,[35] and in 1992 English Heritage oversaw a project to renovate the bridge, which for some years had been painted blue and red. Paint samples were analysed and photographs from the time of opening consulted, and the bridge was restored to its original appearance. The main body of the bridge was painted in dark green, with the spandrels decorated in Moorish-style gilding. The lamp standards, which had been removed during the Second World War, were replaced with replicas copied from the surviving posts at the ends of the bridge.[12] A statue of James McNeill Whistler by Nicholas Dimbleby was erected at the north end of the bridge in 2005.[21]

A crowd watch the rescue of the stranded whale from Battersea Bridge

Shortly after reopening after the collision with the James Prior, the bridge briefly attained national prominence on 20 January 2006 when a 19-foot (5.8 m) long female bottlenose whale became stranded at Battersea Bridge. A rescue operation was mounted, and large crowds flocked to the bridge. The whale was successfully transferred to a barge, but died while being transported back to the sea to be released.[36] A year after the whale's death, it was put on public display in the offices of The Guardian newspaper.[37] The skeleton of the whale is currently preserved at the Natural History Museum.[38]

Notes and references

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Battersea Bridge.
Notes
  1. ^ The etymology of the name is disputed, with some sources claiming that it derives from the Old English Chesil, or gravel bank.
  2. ^ The present day place name of Lavender Hill derives from the lavender farms in the area.
  3. ^ The first bridge on the site of the present day Chelsea Bridge was not opened until 1858.
  4. ^ Dodd had been involved in many unsuccessful transport schemes. Between 1799 and 1803 he attempted to drive a tunnel beneath the Thames between Tilbury and Gravesend. A plan to dig a canal between London and Epsom was abandoned after reaching Peckham, three miles away. He provided the original designs for the new Waterloo and London Bridges, both of which were taken over by John Rennie, while his design for Hammersmith Bridge had to be suspended when the owners of a strip of land blocking the approach road refused to sell it to the bridge company.
  5. ^ Although temporary wooden bridges were sometimes erected on the Thames during maintenance works or wartime, following the demolition of the mediaeval Kingston Bridge in 1825 Battersea Bridge was the last surviving permanent wooden bridge on the Thames in what is now Greater London.
References
  1. ^ Thames Bridges Heights, Port of London Authority, retrieved 2009-05-25
  2. ^ a b Cookson 2006, p. 316
  3. ^ a b c Cookson 2006, p. 117
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Cookson 2006, p. 118
  5. ^ Gaunt 1975, p. 57
  6. ^ Lysons, Daniel (1792), The Environs of London, vol. 1, Victoria County History
  7. ^ Matthews 2008, p. 54
  8. ^ Matthews 2008, p. 92
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Pay, Lloyd & Waldegrave 2008, p. 74
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Matthews 2008, p. 65
  11. ^ a b c d 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 May 7, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Matthews 2008, p. 67
  13. ^ Cookson 2006, p. 119
  14. ^ Matthews 2008, p. 80
  15. ^ a b c Cookson 2006, p. 120
  16. ^ Cookson 2006, p. 145
  17. ^ Cookson 2006, p. 146
  18. ^ Glueck, Grace (2002-12-13), "English Watercolor Landscapes Of a Feather", New York Times, retrieved 2009-05-26
  19. ^ Hilton, Tim (1993-02-21), "Sold down the river", The Independent, retrieved 2009-05-26
  20. ^ Steiner, Wendy (1993-01), "A Pot of Paint: Aesthetics on Trial in Whistler v. Ruskin", Art in America, retrieved 2009-05-26 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ a b Cookson 2006, p. 122
  22. ^ Moore, Susan (2003-11-01), "Guardian of the nation's treasures", The Spectator, London
  23. ^ Cookson 2006, p. 132
  24. ^ Cookson 2006, p. 115
  25. ^ Cookson 2006, p. 126
  26. ^ Cookson 2006, p. 123
  27. ^ Cookson 2006, p. 147
  28. ^ "The Freeing of the Bridges", The Times, p. 12, 1880-06-28 {{citation}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  29. ^ Cookson 2006, p. 125
  30. ^ Cookson 2006, p. 124
  31. ^ Pay, Lloyd & Waldegrave 2008, p. 76
  32. ^ Bridge closed after barge crash, BBC News, 2005-09-21, retrieved 2009-05-26
  33. ^ a b "Bridge crash master cleared", Motor Boats Monthly, 2008-01-31, retrieved 2009-05-26
  34. ^ Bridge damaged by barge reopens, BBC News, 2006-01-15, retrieved 2009-05-26
  35. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database ({{{num}}})". National Heritage List for England. accessed 26 November 2008
  36. ^ Dowling, Stephen (2006-01-21), Londoners flock to doomed rescue, BBC News, retrieved 2009-05-26
  37. ^ McKie, Robin (2007-01-21), "See Thames whale in our free exhibition", The Observer, retrieved 2009-05-26
  38. ^ Matthews 2008, p. 70
Bibliography

Further reading

  • Loobet, Patrick (2002), Battersea Past, London: Historical Publications Ltd, ISBN 0 948667 76 1.
  • Roberts, Chris (2006), Cross River Traffic, London: Granta, ISBN 1 862078 84 X
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