This was the famous long-standing bridge bearing not only a church and houses, but also the heads of traitors preserved in tar and mounted on stakes. This one lasted six centuries, but it still caught on fire and nearly collapsed a few times. In 1014 more Viking invaders decided the bridge was in the way of their tall ships, so they tied ropes to it and rowed at full speed to help the bridge wash away.Verse Three: "Build it up with bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar." The first stone construction began in 1176 and took thirty years to finish. Whoops! Wood and clay will wash away, wash away, wash away. The English won by pulling down the Danish garrison and the bridge along with it. As London has grown it has continually reclaimed the riverbank and funneled the river into a tighter channel, causing no small floods in the lower-laying areas.Now, London Bridge first fell down and became a song when the English were fighting Viking invaders from Denmark. During Roman times the River Thames was much wider and shallower than it is today, so you could get away with mud hopping. The Romans were nice enough to build the first one, probably using a combination of floating platforms and walkways. Overview and History"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life for there is in London all that life can afford." - Samuel JohnsonDo you know all the verses to the children's song, "London Bridge is falling down"? They will take you through the history of London so let's have a look, shall we?First we need a bridge, in order for it to fall down.
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