Secrets of Hungerford Bridge

[@PlanetoftheDeaf]

For many years before the Millennium rebuild, there was only one pedestrian bridge, on the downstream (Waterloo Bridge side), indeed one of the benefits of the twin bridges was to restore the views on the other side towards the Houses of Parliament.

[@AtheistOrphan]

I’m old enough to remember coming out of Waterloo Station, and taking the raised walkway through the Shell Centre, which then linked up with Hungerford Bridge.

[@formzino]

Yes! I loved that. That area looks so different now

[@Locutus]

More videos from Matt please. He's one of your better presenters, almost as good as Geoff.

[@Locutus]

@Adam Dangelo Spammer

[@brianfield792]

Thank you,very interesting,especially the Brunel bit,

[@barrylarking8986]

I love these short informative videos. I know this bridge well. The story of Mr Baxter's murder was sad and one of pointless cruelty. It took the police six months of diligent work using C,T.V. footage taken at railway stations and matching suspects with the time frame, then local intelligence to track down the culprits. In some of the images the killers are sharing a joke. Three people mugged Mr Baxter and his friend. When he and his friend asked three passers-by for help, those three joined in the robbery and beatings before throwing both young men from the bridge. At their trial all six defendants blamed each other - known as the 'cut throat' defence -and lost the best years of their lives in prison. Baxter is buried on a sea cliff down in the west country.

[@londonbuildingbybuilding6143]

The footbridge that predated the Golden Jubilee Bridge was an incredibly narrow stretch of tarmac, that became chocked with pedestrian traffic during rush hour, and would puddle to the extent that it practically formed its own river, whenever it rained. Shortly before it was demolished, I recall walking across it in the dark, during a torrential downpour. There was electricity arcing off the railway. I was an inch deep in water. Things could have turned out badly. I haven't visited London for a while, for obvious reasons, but I always enjoyed the view of the skateboard graveyard that accumulates on one of the piles of the eastern bridge.

[@hairyairey]

London needs more pedestrian bridges segregated from traffic.

[@jrisner6535]

Maybe they could plants on one?

[@hotpotato4027]

Segregated from cyclists too!

[@AtheistOrphan]

1:35 - TWO pedestrian walkways originally? I only remember there being one, located on the upstream side.

[@NeilEvans1980]

I only remember an upstream walkway, that caged in thing that hooked up with the bridges that’d take you to waterloo

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@NeilEvans1980 - I'm sure you're right.

[@davidf2281]

I also only remember the one from when I started work in London in the late 90s. It was grim! But perhaps there were originally two, further back in the mists of time?

[@cockneyse]

Yes I confirm there was only ever one footbridge, both from personal experience from the 70s and the fact it lined up with the "Victorian" walkway (most of which actually was put in when the new building was built over the platforms. In the 70s the bit at the end of the Bridge was closed off) Ironically as they connected up the walkway to Charing Cross they broke the connection to Waterloo under Humgerford Bridge and onto Waterloo via the Shell Centre Tunnel and Bridge over York Road to side entrance to Waterloo. lauries-london.blogspot.com/2003/08/hungerford-bridge.html

[@webrarian]

As far as I remember, the main bridge was on the downstream side, but that underwent maintenance at some point (early 1980s?) and a temporary upstream bridge was installed. Perhaps that's what causing the confusion.

[@jonswinfield9336]

I love this site I especially love the history of London’s bridges Will you be doing them all? That would be absolutely fantastic 😊👍👍

[@michaelconnors7668]

All those palaces of the nobility, formerly making a most beautiful range of buildings fronting the Strand, with their gardens reaching to the Thames, where they had their particular watergates and stairs, one of which remains still, viz. Somerset House, have had the same fate, such as Essex, Norfolk, Salisbury, Worcester, Exceter, Hungerford, and York Houses; in the place of which, are now so many noble streets and beautiful houses, erected, as are, in themselves, equal to a large city, and extend from the Temple to Northumberland-House; Somerset House and the Savoy, only intervening; and the latter of these may be said to be, not a house,but a little town, being parted into innumerable tenements and apartments. Defoe--A Tour Through the Whole Isle of Great Britain

[@Andrewjg_89]

Interesting. What about doing a video of Millennium Bridge that used to wobble, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge where the railway station goes above River Thames, Westminster Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Putney Bridge and other road and rail bridges crossing over the River Thames in London. And the secrets of the bridges. Matt “Transportine” Brown knows a lot as much as Geoff Marshall does.

[@Londonistvids]

Check out our bridges playlist - we've already done some of those that you mention :)

[@Andrewjg_89]

Londonist Ltd Thanks 😅

[@jonswinfield9336]

Matt Browns London bridges are brilliant please can we have more?😊👍😊

[@GreatSageSunWukong]

I remember the walkway on the side next to the trains, I preferred kt to the new footbridge, I've only used it once and once was enough, I cross futher up river now.

[@phil_p]

There’s an interesting period documentary on here (KZbin) of this bridge (I think) being rebuilt in the 80’s.

[@chrismccartney8668]

Have bern thru Roberts street i think it is called from John Adam St under offices and come out at the of Strsnd Building with the big red clock 80 Strand ...

[@mohammedazizurrahman8348]

Can you do all the bridges please like que2 bridge and millennium bridge

[@Londonistvids]

We've already done Millennium - check out our bridges playlist!

[@c0ronariu5]

Lost in the pond (Matt’s brother) brought me here!

[@magicknight8412]

Isnt it just one pedestrian bridge across there? Great views of London at night from there.

[@Andrewjg_89]

Magic Knight there’s 2. On the left side and on the right side. With the railway bridge in the middle where trains do go passing by.

[@batman51]

@@Andrewjg_89 But there was only one on the east side before the rebuilding. There weren't two as stated.

[@Andrewjg_89]

batman51 True

[@magicknight8412]

@@Andrewjg_89 oh yes! i have NEVER noticed it let alone walk over it. Always use the right hand one straight up from the Festival Hall !

[@vongodric]

you didn't mention tube tunnels right beneath it ...

[@NeilEvans1980]

vongodric three... there’s also the abandoned embankment loop (or part of it at least)

[@stevekeiretsu]

or the (potential) UXBs in the river prompting the footbridges to be hung off the main bridge instead of simply given their own piers

[@matthewmckever2312]

Do a talk on the debacle of the garden bridge, what a shame and a waste. We should have one with gardens, houses and shops like ye olde London bridge. No vehicles.

[@Meadie69]

I never knew about the Victorian passages...

[@thisisstuart7951]

i miss the old foot path on Hungerford Bridge

[@mrstanhope1516]

Seem to recall hearing about a tramp getting thrown off this bridge a long time ago.

[@NR23derek]

How did people get attacked walking across them four years before they opened?

[@Albatross-365]

It was on the old footbridge

[@LondonConfidential]

@@Albatross-365 The story is insane. There is a guy on a prison podcast that talks about being in prison with one of the killers who was 17 at the time murder in '99. This was back in 2003 when they were both in Aylesbury prison.. Messed up.

[@nutsnproud6932]

Do you really need that music?

[@GaryB007]

It was a bit OTT.

[@Andrewjg_89]

Not a fan on Londonist music playlist 🤷‍♂️

[@abnormallyfunny]

"Secrets" aka "Commonly known information"

[@Need1738]

Its obviously the kinda level/not level of the MW3 2023 campaign

[@NeilEvans1980]

Matt - look at the lens - not the screen.

[@barrygower6733]

London needs a Garden Bridge.

[@Andrewjg_89]

Barry Gower but the Mayor of London doesn’t want it to happen unfortunately. www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-london-47228698 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_Bridge

[@ChrisHutchison]

£53m, most mysteriously unaccounted for, was ploughed into one such vanity project under the previous mayor. I don't think my fellow London taxpayers have much enthusiasm for another such costly fiasco.

[@DigitalDiabloUK]

Generic: Jeff isn't looking well comment.