BRIDGESPOTTING

Southwark Bridge crosses the Thames in central London, about a quarter-mile to the west of London Bridge. Built in 1921, it is a nice example of the early use of steel arch bridge construction. Like London Bridge, Southwark Bridge is only about 30 feet high over the river and has no superstructure, so it is not prominently visible. However, a nice feature of this bridge is the way that the steel arches and rails have been decoratively painted to highlight its architecture. The color scheme used on Southwark is bright green and yellow, with the curved-arch girders and horizontal deck painted green and the vertical deck supports and steel rails highlighted in yellow. The color scheme is echoed in the Victorian-style lampposts. The internal structural components of the bridge are painted gray, which accentuates the bright colors on the sides of the bridge. Being so centrally located, Southwark Bridge also offers amazing views of many of the major landmarks of London, especially The Shard and Tower Bridge to the east.

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There is a full description of a tour of the Thames bridges in Chapter 9 of my book, Bridgespotting: A Guide to Bridges that Connect People, Places, and Times.