Bridge Sprint

Westminster Storms

I arrived at Westminster Bridge probably 10mins late, and just as I got set up and happy with the settings a heavy shower blew through from the west. Once the rain had settled down enough the clouds were moving away to the right of the picture leaving some annoying white patches. Another day I'll get this shot right.

Toll Booths

A wider shot of the Albert Bridge, with the long-since closed Toll Booths on the left included.

The Albert Bridge

Opened in 1873 the Albert Bridge connects Chelsea on the north bank with Battersea on the south. It was designed as a cable-stayed bridge, but proved to be structurally unsound so some elements of a suspension bridge were incorporated by 1887. In 1973 two concrete piers were added, which transformed it once more. The bridge was rewired and repainted in 1992 to make it more conspicuous in poor visibility, and to avoid damage by ships. Illuminated by 4000 bulbs, these were changed for LEDs in 2011.

People on the Bridge

It may be gone 10pm but there is still a steady stream of foot traffic across the Millennium Bridge towards the imposing dome of St Paul's.

New to Old

The Millennium Footbridge stretches from the Tate Modern across to the north bank of the Thames and St Pauls Cathedral, a brightly lit beacon of historical importance on the ever-modernising skyline of London. Held back, and scored 20/20 in the BCC POTY 2014 Round 6 - Bridging the Gap.

Three Blackfriars

Three bridges in London, all within metres of each other and serving very different purposes. I stood on the Blackfriars Road Bridge for the shot, a 281m road and foot wrought iron bridge designed by Joseph Cubitt and completely in 1869. On the far right is the Blackfriars Railway Bridge, home to Blackfriars Station and while the railway bridge was opened in 1886 the railway station atop it was completely refurbished and only reopened in 2012. The original railway bridge was built in 1865 but wasn't strong enough and now only the pillars remain plus the southern abutment, which is a Grade II listed building.