Editing Blackfriars Bridge (section)

==History==
[[Image:Blackfriars Bridge, River Thames, London, with St Pauls Cathedral.jpg|thumb|Blackfriars Bridge with [[St Paul's Cathedral]] behind]]

The first fixed crossing at Blackfriars was a {{convert|995|ft|m|adj=on}} long [[toll bridge]] designed in an Italianate style by [[Robert Mylne (architect)|Robert Mylne]] and constructed with nine semi-elliptical arches of Portland stone. Beating designs by [[John Gwynn (architect)|John Gwynn]] and [[George Dance the Younger|George Dance]], it took nine years to build, opening to the public in 1769. It was the third bridge across the Thames in the then built-up area of London, supplementing the ancient [[London Bridge]], which dated from several centuries earlier, and [[Westminster Bridge]]. It was originally named "William Pitt Bridge" (after the Prime Minister [[William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham|William Pitt the Elder]]) as a dedication, but its informal name relating to the precinct within the City named after the Blackfriars Monastery, a [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] [[priory]] which once stood nearby, was generally adopted. It was later made toll free.

The [[City of London Corporation]] was responsible for promoting it and the location between the other two bridges was chosen because it was realised that the disused wharfage of the lower [[River Fleet]] from the Thames to what became [[Ludgate Circus]] would allow access into the north bank without unduly disrupting the neighbourhood; hence its name of [[New Bridge Street]]. The Fleet can be seen discharging into the Thames at its north side. By taking an access road from its southern landing to a junction with the routes created to simplify passage between those bridges to its east and west to the south it would also add to those improvements. This created the junction at [[St George's Circus]] between [[Westminster Bridge Road]], [[Borough Road]] and the later named [[Blackfriars Road]] which crossed the largely open parish of [[Christchurch Surrey]]. The continuation to the south at the major junction at [[Elephant and Castle]] is therefore named [[London Road, Southwark|London Road]].

Although it was built of Portland stone the workmanship was very faulty. Between 1833 and 1840 extensive repairs were necessary, until at last it was decided to build a new bridge on the same site, which coincided with the creation of the [[Thames Embankment]]'s junction with the new [[Queen Victoria Street, London|Queen Victoria Street]] and required a major reconfiguration.

The original Blackfriars Bridge was dismantled in 1860. P.A. Thom & Company won the contract for the bridge's reconstruction, and they placed an order with Lloyds, Foster and Company for the required ironwork.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/articles/Wednesbury/Lloyd/Wednesbury.htm/ |title=The Lloyds of Wednesbury |access-date=17 October 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121085623/http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/articles/Wednesbury/Lloyd/Wednesbury.htm |archive-date=21 January 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> However, P.A. Thom encountered difficulties in finding stable foundations for the bridge, which ultimately led to financial troubles. As a result, Lloyds, Foster and Company went bankrupt, suffering a loss of £250,000 on the project. The metalwork for the bridge was ultimately constructed by The [[Patent Shaft]] and Axletree Company, [[Wednesbury]], following their acquisition of Lloyds, Foster and Company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/GB146_BS-PS/|title=Patent Shaft Steel Works Ltd, Brunswick, Monway and Old Park Works, Wednesbury|access-date=17 October 2017}}</ref>

The present bridge which on 6 November 1869 was opened by Queen Victoria<ref>{{cite news|title=The Queen's Visit to the City: Opening of Blackfriars Bridge and Holborn Viaduct|newspaper=[[Evening Standard]]|location=London|date=1869-11-08|pages=6–7}}</ref> is {{convert|923|ft}} long, consisting of five wrought iron<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=693|work=Engineering Timelines|title=Blackfriars Bridge|access-date=2018-01-21}}</ref> arches built to a design by [[Joseph Cubitt]]. Cubitt also designed the adjacent rail bridge (now demolished) and it was a condition that the spans and piers of the two bridges be aligned. Like its predecessor it is owned and maintained by the [[Bridge House Estates]], a charitable trust overseen by the [[City of London Corporation]]. The [[Blackfriars and Southwark Bridges Act 1867]] put the full length and its southern end within the city's borders, in the parish of St Anne Blackfriars, and not in the adjoining borough of [[Southwark]]. Due to the volume of traffic over the bridge, it was widened between 1907 and 1910, from {{convert|70|ft|m|0}} to its present {{convert|105|ft|m|0}}.

On 14 September 1909 a [[Trams in London|tram line]] was opened across the newly widened bridge by the Lord Mayor of London, [[George Wyatt Truscott]].<ref name="Marshall">{{cite book|author=Marshall, Prince (1972)|title=Wheels of London|publisher=The Sunday Times Magazine|page=20|ISBN=0-7230-0068-9}}</ref> It closed on 5 July 1952.

The bridge attracted some international attention in June 1982, when the body of [[Roberto Calvi]], a former chairman of Italy's largest private bank, was found hanging from one of its arches with five bricks and around $14,000 in three different currencies in his pockets. Calvi's death was initially treated as suicide, but he was on the run from Italy accused of [[embezzlement]] and in 2002 forensic experts concluded that he had been murdered by the [[Sicilian Mafia|Mafia]], to whom he was indebted.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1936830.stm|title=New tests "say Calvi was murdered"|date=2002-04-19|publisher=[[BBC News]]|access-date=2018-01-21}}</ref> In 2005, five suspected members of the Mafia were tried in a Rome court for Calvi's murder, but all were acquitted in June 2007 for lack of evidence.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/19/newsid_3092000/3092625.stm|publisher=BBC News|title=1982: 'God's banker' found hanged|date=19 June 1982}}</ref>