The 18 principal bridges crossing the river offer some of the best views of the city. Tower Bridge is a well known icon for the city and an attraction in its own right. The River Thames is the artery running through the heart of London and is lined with a string of attractions; new housing developments and hotels that have flourished in recent years, particularly on the south bank and in the Docklands area. It is central to London’s history and is used more and more as part of the city’s transport system. London Bridge (Londinium was founded by the Romans on the north bank of the river) and London Bridge (which was then wooden) was the only central London crossing until 1750. It was replaced by a stone bridge in the early 12th century and had houses and shops along it, which remained until after the Great Fire of London. London Bridge had a more unsavory use too, which was for displaying the heads of traitors, including Thomas More’s (1535). Over the centuries the bridge was replaced many times to cope with increasing demands on it by a rapidly growing city. In fact when the 19th century model had served its term over the Thames, it was dismantled and shipped to Arizona, where it was re-erected over Lake Havasu. In Elizabethan times, London Bridge stemmed the flow of the river, reducing its speed dramatically and in winter this allowed the river to freeze more easily. Consequently a Frost Fair took place on some years on the ice, with stalls and booths selling food and drink. Today, the Thames Barrier controls the tidal river, preventing floods and any further icy festivities. The present London Bridge, which opened in 1973, links the walkways leading up to Monument in the north with Southwark Cathedral near the river in the south. The Monument, designed by the architect, Sir Christopher Wren, marks the Great Fire of London (1666). If the column were laid on its side, it would reach the spot where the fire commenced. It is possible to climb the column for a view down onto the bridge and across the river. Southwark Cathedral is the oldest Gothic church in London (c.1220) with interesting memorials connected with the Elizabethan theatres of Bankside, William Shakespeare and John Harvard. From Southwark Cathedral you can walk along the South Bank, passing a dense cluster of attractions and cultural venues. A pleasant walk through the narrow, cobbled Clink Street brings you to Vinopolis the City of Wine and one of the oldest pubs in London, The Anchor. Next you reach Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, a recreation of the building that would have stood next to the river in Elizabethan times. The mighty Bankside Power Station, housing the Tate Modern, is just west of the theatre. Keep walking and you will pass the South Bank Centre - a busy cultural centre comprising the National Theatre, the Royal Festival Hall and the Hayward Gallery - finally reaching the bridge featured in the Kinks’ song ‘Waterloo Sunset’. Waterloo Bridge (some of London’s greatest views can be seen from Waterloo Bridge), where you can see the House's of Parliament on the north bank, and the Royal Festival Hall on the south. Somerset House, the City of London and St Paul’s Cathedral. (built during 1939-45) are clad in Portland stone, the bridge was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who was also the architect of Bankside Power Station and the red telephone box, a British icon. There is now a walkway link directly from the bridge to the river terrace at Somerset House which is a wonderful place to have a drink outside in the summer or to visit the Gilbert Collection of gold and mosaics or the Courtauld Gallery which house's some famous impressionist paintings. Tower Bridge The building of Tower Bridge, the most easterly bridge in London, took nearly ten years to complete and was finished in 1894. Horace Jones’s gothic design was intended to blend in with the Tower of London and the engineering of the bascule bridge by John Wolfe-Barry, allows for the bridge to open for tall ships to pass through. It was restored in 1982, when it also opened as a visitor attraction, the Tower Bridge Experience, which takes you through the engine rooms and a state of the art exhibition within the towers. Up on the walkways there are magnificent panoramic views of London, which can be enjoyed without the noise or interruption of traffic passing next to you. The bridge is illuminated at night making the restaurant a romantic setting for watching the boats pass by and the reflection of lights in the water. Further west, Albert Bridge and Chelsea Bridge are also very pretty at night - treat yourself to a night time boat trip to appreciate these lovely structures. Docklands, away from the Thames, has some interesting bridges across the canals of the capital, and is a must-see for those interested in modern architecture. There is a very elegant curving footbridge on Dundee Wharf in Limehouse, stayed by a single mast, that sweeps across the mouth of Limekiln Dock. It was built in 1995 by Anthony Hunt Associates, the same engineers who built a floating footbridge in Import Dock on the Isle of Dog's. This striking tubular structure is also very practical as it can be lifted hydraulically to let boats through. Hungerford Bridge which links Charing Cross to the South Bank Centre has one rather tired looking walkway at present. Come next April it will have a stylish state-of-the-art walkway either side. Linking St Paul’s Cathedral and Tate Modern is the Millennium Bridge. Designed by a partnership of architect Lord Foster, sculptor Sir Anthony Caro and engineers Ove Arup, it is the first new pedestrian bridge across the Thames in more than a hundred years. It is currently undergoing structural tests, but when open, will offer pedestrians an accessible route into Bankside and the southern side of the Thames from the City of London. Whichever way you are travelling around London, take some time to see this fabulous city from one of the bridges. In a bustling, vibrant capital, they are often the best places to view the Thames and some of London’s finest architecture.