London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
There are references to various bridges of this name throughout the long history of London and many of these incarnations came to a sticky end. King Olaf pulled down a London Bridge in 1014, another was washed away by a flood in 1097, yet another was destroyed by fire in 1135. It has been a toll bridge, a drawbridge, has had houses upon it and has been a site for the display of bloody heads (minus their bodies!).
“New” London Bridge was designed by John Rennie and opened in 1831. By 1896 it was probably the busiest point in London and needed to be widened in an attempt to relieve congestion. It was soon discovered, however, that this version of the bridge was also falling down; it was sinking by as much as one inch every eight years and by 1924 the east side had sunk some three to four inches lower than the west side.
In 1967 the ill-fated bridge was put on the market and was purchased the following year by the Missourian entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch for US$2,460,000. The bridge was carefully dismantled and then shipped overseas through the Panama Canal to California and trucked from Long Beach to Arizona, where it was reconstructed at Lake Havasu City in Arizona.
“New” London Bridge, Lake Havasu City
Meanwhile, in London, a new bridge was commissioned and built in London and opened in 1973.
The Lake Havasu version is now the second most popular tourist attraction in Arizona, after the Grand canyon of course. The setting on the lake is very attractive, but it is accompanied by a slightly tacky “Tudor” shopping area.
Linked to the Next Challenge: Bridges, Travel Photo Monday and Our World Tuesday.
Travel with Intent 
I thought this all a bit odd when I first heard it. Nice to see that it preserved.
LikeLike
wow, a very traditional bridge i’d say 🙂
LikeLike
that was really fascinating..buying and relocating an entire bridge with historical significance..thanks for sharing this and linking up for Travel Photo Mondays
LikeLike
Amazing what people will do. and looking at it you would never guess its story.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on mapsworldwide blog.
LikeLike
When I lived in London I also thought of that rhyme when crossing any of the bridges over the Thames. 😀
LikeLike
Yes, a fun rhyme.
LikeLike
Why would anyone go to that much trouble?? Tearing it down and hauling somewhere else, that’s crazy. I can only assume it was something to do with the historical value.
LikeLike
A touch of madness maybe? It could have been as an investment, it has certainly become a popular tourist attraction.
LikeLike
Am I right in believing that when the news of the purchase broke many Americans were under the impression that Arizona was getting Tower Bridge?
LikeLike
Probably. There was at least a suggestion that either the purchaser or the public though that. Or they may have thought it was an older version of the bridge, the one with rows of houses on it. The one they got is really quite plain! But it is a huge tourist attraction nonetheless.
LikeLike