| Battersea Bridge (picture by Peter Watts) |  |
Battersea Bridge
Photographer Description of Battersea Bridge
Panorama taken from Battersea Bridge in London. The view in this picture looks down river towards Albert Bridge and Battersea Park.Battersea Bridge - Further Information
Battersea Bridge is built on a sharp corner at one of the narrowest points of the River Thames in London, linking Chelsea on the north with Battersea on the south. It is very close to Albert Bridge, the next bridge downriver. The next road bridge upriver is Wandsworth Bridge. The current bridge is the second to have been built on this site, opening in 1890.The original bridge built here was made of wood and opened in 1771 as a toll bridge replacing a ferry service that used to operate at this point on the river. It was poorly constructed and proved a hazard to both shipping and those using it. There were frequent collisions causing the bridge to be closed and returns to investors were very poor. Oil lamps were added to the deck in 1799 to improve visibility, making it the first bridge in London to be lit. These were replaced with gas lamps in 1824.
Battersea Bridge suffered further income problems with the opening of Vaxhaull Bridge in 1816 and Albert Bridge in 1873. It was taken into public ownership under the 1877 the Metropolis Toll Bridges Act along with all the bridges between Hammersmith Bridge and Waterloo Bridge.
Battersea Bridge is still a hazard to shipping with recent collisions occurring in 1948, 1950 and 2005, closing it to traffic while repairs were undertaken. The bridge acquired national fame in 2006 when a bottlenose whale become stranded here and died during rescue attempts. The skeleton of the whale is now housed in the Natural History Museum.
Travel Directions and Getting There:
Bus: Battersea Hester Road, Baufort Street, Cheyne Walk
Ferry: Cadogan Pier
Tube: Fullham Broadway (District line) Pimlico (Victoria Line)
Train: Battersea Park Railway Station, Queenstown Road Battersea Rail Station