Bridging History Project

City Bridge project

The aim of this two-year collaborative project between The London Archives and City Bridge Foundation, is to collect and consolidate a definitive record and archive of the history of the Bridge House Estates charity, which includes a substantial number of records for one of London’s iconic landmarks – Tower Bridge.

Collaboration is central to the values of City Bridge Foundation, so we were delighted when they sought the expertise of The London Archives and engaged us to work with them to deliver the project’s aims.

Watercolour of Southwark Bridge with St Paul's Cathedral in the background and barges in the foreground — London Picture Archive - 6161Southwark Bridge with St Paul's Cathedral in the background, c1930London Picture Archive - 6161

About City Bridge Foundation

City Bridge Foundation is a world class bridge owner responsible for five Thames crossings, and London’s biggest independent charity funder. In 2023 City Bridge Foundation was adopted as the working name for the historic charity Bridge House Estates. The City of London Corporation’s Bridge House Estates Trust Fund was initially formed in the Middle Ages, in connection with the construction of the first stone London Bridge which was completed in 1209. Essentially London Bridge was the genesis of the Trust’s existence. The City of London Corporation is the corporate Trustee of City Bridge Foundation.

At no cost to the taxpayer, City Bridge Foundation maintains and supports five of the main Thames bridges in central London:

London Bridge
Blackfriars Bridge
Southwark Bridge
Tower Bridge
Millennium Bridge

These vital Thames crossings connect the north and south sides of London, more information can be found on the City Bridge Foundation website.

In addition to managing these bridges, the charity provides funding and uses its resources to help communities foster connections, become more resilient and build a more equal London. From 1995 to September 2023 the funding arm of the charity was known as City Bridge Trust.

Tower Bridge with barges in the foreground - the bridge is open to let boats through — London Picture Archive - 169064Tower bridge with bascules open, c1905London Picture Archive - 169064

The project

The core strand of the project is the cataloguing, repackaging and long-term preservation of Tower Bridge records, including a wide range of items currently housed at The London Archives. We will also survey, transfer, catalogue, repackage and re-house other historic records, predominantly plans, which are currently housed at Tower Bridge. Collections care will be an important aspect of the project as any fragile and/or damaged plans will be conserved to protect them and ensure their future accessibility. Other key work involves a review of City Bridge Foundation’s core records, past and present.

Blackfriars bridge being built in 1777, with scaffolding under arches — London Picture Archive - 1227Construction of Blackfriars Bridge, 1777London Picture Archive - 1227

By the project’s conclusion many of the newly catalogued Tower Bridge records will be accessible to the public for the first time. The review of City Bridge Foundation’s core records will enable the charity to more fully understand and readily locate information about its fascinating and extensive history and decide how best to manage its records, (the majority of which will be in a digital format) into the future. In this way we will support City Bridge Foundation in its primary objective of maintaining five core London Bridges and its ancillary objective to use its surplus funds to award grants to charitable organisations across Greater London.