Page "London Bridge" Paragraph 8

After the murder of his erstwhile friend and later opponent Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, the penitent King Henry II commissioned a new stone bridge in place of the old, with a chapel at its centre dedicated to Becket as martyr.

The archbishop had been a native Londoner, and a popular figure.

His chapel became the official start of pilgrimage to his Canterbury shrine ; it was grander than some town parish churches, and had an additional river-level entrance for fishermen and ferrymen.

Building work began in 1176, supervised by Peter of Colechurch.

The costs would have been enormous, and Henry attempted to meet them with taxes on wool and sheepskins, but the project continued past his own lifetime.

It was finished by 1209 during the reign of King John.

It had taken 33 years to complete, and John licensed out building plots on the bridge to help recoup the costs ; but it was never enough.

In 1284, in exchange for loans to the royal purse, the City of London acquired the Charter for its maintenance, based on the duties and toll-rights of the former " Brethren of the Bridge ".