Westminster Bridge is a road bridge over the river Themse in London. It connects the town center OF Westminster on the west side with the quarter Lambeth in the urban district London Borough OF Lambeth on the eastern side. Across it the main street A302 leads. On the western bank the Palace OF Westminster, the Parliament Square and the Portcullis House are, on the eastern bank the County resound with London Eye and the station Waterloo.

The bridge is 252 meters long and 25.5 meters wide. It consists of seven wrought-iron elbows and possesses again-gothical ornaments of Charles Barry, the architect of the Palace OF Westminster. The bridge is green painted; this corresponds to the color the leather armchair in the House OF Commons, whose meeting room of the Westminster Bridge is turned. The Lambeth Bridge however is red painted, which corresponds to the color of the House OF lord.

During the rule of Elizabeth I. gave it several times attempts to pass a law to the building a bridge but the town center OF London always successfully resisted. The only possibility of crossing in the proximity the river was the ferry with the today's Lambeth Bridge, whose use was often dangerous however because of tides. 1734 presented Swiss civil engineer Charles Labelye a new project and with the support Earl of the OF Pembroke succeeded it to it 1736 to receive the agreement of the parliament.

The Earl OF Pembroke put the foundation-stone to 1739. First caissons from cast irons were rammed into the Flussbett. But the construction work stood under no good star: Despite permission for accomplishing a Lotterie there were constantly financing problems. Hard winters, wars on the European mainland, sabotage by Flussschiffer, accidents and a small earthquake provided for numerous delays. In the brick-work tears and 1747 appeared fell stones of the fifth into the river. Only 1750 could be opened the 316 meters for a long time and 13.5 meters broad bridge. In the meantime it had received Bridge OF Fools (bridge of the fools) to the little flatterful assumptions.

The bridge had the habit to vary on their foundations. After one had torn 1831 off old London Bridge, the tide under-rinsed the foundations of the Westminster Bridge and deposited ever more mud. 1836 began James Walker with a gradual renewal of the bridge, which dragged on over ten years.

After completion of these work it sketched a plan for a complete new building together with Charles Barry, George Rennie and Thomas's PAGE. The construction work began 1854 and in May 1862 could the new, by far sturdier bridge be inaugurated. Apart from the removal of some smaller tears in the year 1924 hardly for each repairs were necessary.

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• 520. Upon Westminster Bridge. William Wordsworth. The Oxford Book ...
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  tourist information on Westminster Bridge, London, England.


• Wordsworth, William. 1888. Complete Poetical Works.
  COMPOSED UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE, SEPT. 3, 1802. EARTH has not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in ...