Selected article
|
|
Richmond Bridge is a Grade I listed 18th-century stone arch bridge which crosses the River Thames at Richmond, in southwest London, England, connecting the two halves of the present-day London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Because the river meanders from its general west to east direction to flow from southeast to northwest in this part of London, what would otherwise be known as the north and south banks are often referred to as the "Middlesex" (Twickenham) and "Surrey" (Richmond) banks respectively, after the historic counties to which each side once belonged.
The bridge was built between 1774 and 1777 to the designs of James Paine and Kenton Couse, as a replacement for a ferry crossing which connected Richmond town centre on the south bank with its neighbouring district of East Twickenham (St. Margarets) to the north. Its construction was privately funded by a tontine scheme, to pay for which tolls were charged until 1859.
The bridge was widened and slightly flattened in 1937–40, but otherwise still conforms to its original design. The eighth Thames bridge to be built in what is now Greater London, it is today the oldest surviving Thames bridge in London. (Full article...)
All selected articles
|
Selected biography
|
|
George Shillibeer (11 August 1797–21 August 1866) was an English coachbuilder and operator of the first omnibus service in London from 1829.
Shillibeer was born in St Marylebone, London, the son of Abraham and Elizabeth Shillibeer. Christened in St Marys Church, St Marylebone on 22 October 1797, Shillibeer worked for the coach company Hatchetts in Long Acre, the coach-building district of the capital. In the 1820s he was offered work in Paris, France where he was commissioned to build some unusually large horse-drawn coaches of "novel design". The aim was to design a coach capable of transporting a whole group of people, perhaps two dozen, at a time.
Shillibeer's design worked, and was very stable. It was introduced into the streets of Paris in 1827 and Shillibeer concluded that operating similar vehicles in London, but for the fare-paying public with multiple stops, would be a paying enterprise, so he returned to his native city. His first London "Omnibus" began service on 4 July 1829 on a route between Paddington (The Yorkshire Stingo) and "Bank" (Bank of England) via the "New Road" (now Marylebone Rd), Somers Town and City Rd. Four services were provided in each direction daily. (Full article...)
All Selected biographies
|
Did you know...
|
|
More Did you know...
|
Related portals
|
|
|
|
Selected pictures
|
-
Image 1Southern approach to the Rotherhithe Tunnel that runs under the River Thames in east London between Rotherhithe and Limehouse.
-
Image 255 Broadway, headquarters of the UERL and its successors, is a Grade I listed building in Westminster designed by Charles Holden.
-
-
Image 4TX4 London Taxi at Heathrow Airport.
-
-
Image 6Qantas Boeing 747-400 about to land at Heathrow Airport, seen beyond the roofs of Myrtle Avenue, Hounslow.
-
-
-
Image 9London Underground Battery-electric locomotive L16 designed to operate over tracks where the traction current is turned off for maintenance work.
-
Image 10The newly constructed junction of the Westway ( A40) and the West Cross Route ( A3220) at White City, circa 1970. Continuation of the West Cross Route northwards under the roundabout was cancelled leaving two short unused stubs for the slip roads that would have been provided for traffic joining or leaving the northern section.
-
Image 11Original stations on the Metropolitan Railway from The Illustrated London News, 27 December 1862.
-
Image 12Vauxhall Bridge across the River Thames opened in 1906 and features sculptures by F. W. Pomeroy.
-
Image 13Escalators at Westminster Underground station descend between beams and columns of the station box to reach the deep-level Jubilee line platforms.
-
Image 14London Underground A60 Stock (left) and 1938 Stock (right) trains showing the difference in the sizes of the two types of rolling stock operated on the system. A60 stock trains operated on the surface and sub-surface sections of the Metropolitan line from 1961 to 2012 and 1938 Stock operated on various deep level tube lines from 1938 to 1988.
-
Image 15Helicopter landing at London Heliport, a jetty constructed in the River Thames in Battersea.
-
Image 16Day (left) and Night (right) sculptures by Sir Jacob Epstein on the London Underground's headquarters at 55 Broadway.
-
Image 17Clapham Common Underground station north and south-bound platforms on the Northern line.
-
Image 18A tram of the London United Tramways at Boston Road, Hanwell, circa 1910.
-
Image 19Albert Bridge, opened in 1873, crosses the River Thames between Chelsea and Battersea.
-
Image 20The New Routemaster built by Wrightbus has three entrances, two staircases and is designed to be reminiscent of the Routemaster.
-
Image 21Preserved AEC Routemaster coaches in London Transport Green Line livery.
-
Image 22Early style tube roundel in mosaic at Maida Vale Underground station.
-
-
-
Image 25Ruislip Lido Railway's 12-inch (300 mm) gauge locomotive "Mad Bess" hauling a passenger train.
-
-
-
-
Image 29Archer statue by Eric Aumonier at East Finchley Underground station.
-
-
Image 31The south façade of King's Cross railway station London terminus of the East Coast Main Line.
-
Image 32"Boris Bikes" from the Santander Cycles hire scheme waiting for use at a docking station in Victoria.
-
Image 33The multi-level junction between the M23 and M25 motorways near Merstham in Surrey. The M23 passes over the M25 with bridges carrying interchange slip roads for the two motorways in between.
-
Image 34Hammersmith Bridge, opened in 1887, crosses the River Thames in west London.
-
-
Image 36Planes waiting at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 4.
-
Image 37The western departures concourse of King's Cross railway station.
-
Image 38Hornsey Lane Bridge, Archway, more commonly known as "Suicide Bridge".
-
Image 39Arguably the best-preserved disused station building in London, this is the former Alexandra Palace station on the GNR Highgate branch (closed in 1954). It is now in use as a community centre (CUFOS).
-
Image 40Rail, road and river traffic, seen from the London Eye.
-
Image 41Central London Railway poster, published in 1905.
-
Image 42Sailing ships at West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs in 1810. The docks opened in 1802 and closed in 1980 and have since been redeveloped as the Canary Wharf development.
-
Image 43Woolwich Ferry boats "John Burns" and "James Newman" on the River Thames, 2012.
-
Image 44The original Hampton Court Bridge in 1753, the first of four on the site.
-
Image 45The Circle routes of Victorian London, comprising the Inner Circle, Middle Circle, Outer Circle and Super Outer Circle.
-
Image 46London General Omnibus Company B-type bus B340 built in 1911 by AEC. One of a number of London buses purchased by the British military during World War I, this vehicle was operated on the Western Front.
-
Image 47View of Old London Bridge, circa 1632 by Claude de Jongh.
-
-
Image 49Tram 2548 calls at Arena tram stop. This is one of the trams on the Tramlink network centred on Croydon in south London.
All Selected pictures
|
In the news
|
|
Archive
|
Anniversaries
|
|
|
|
_(geograph_4758436).jpg)
_2011_New_Bus_for_London,_Victoria,_route_38,_27_February_2012.jpg)
,_Showbus_2012_rally.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_building.JPG)
_Railway_Poster,_1905.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_engraving.jpg)
