Hammersmith Bridge
Hammersmith Bridge is one of London's most beloved and historically significant river crossings, spanning the Thames between Hammersmith on the north bank and Barnes on the south. It holds the distinction of being the first suspension bridge ever built across the Thames in London, making it a landmark of considerable engineering and historical importance. Today it is as much a visual centrepiece of this stretch of the river as it is a functional crossing, and its ornate Victorian ironwork makes it one of the most photographed bridges in the city. Despite years of closures and controversy over its deteriorating condition, it remains a cherished symbol of west London and a focal point for the communities on both banks.
The first bridge on this site was designed by William Tierney Clark and opened in 1827, replacing a ferry crossing that had served travellers for centuries. That original structure proved inadequate for the growing demands of Victorian London, and in 1887 it was replaced by the current bridge, designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette — the engineer best known for creating London's sewerage system and the Victoria Embankment. Bazalgette's bridge cleverly reused the original piers but created an entirely new superstructure with the ornate cast-iron towers and suspension chains that define its appearance today. The bridge has a dramatic history of near-disasters: it survived an IRA bombing attempt in 1939 when a bomb was discovered and thrown into the Thames before it could detonate, and it was targeted again in 1996 during the Provisional IRA campaign. In 2000, the bridge was temporarily closed when structural weaknesses were discovered after a large crowd gathered to watch the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, causing the deck to vibrate alarmingly. It has been in a prolonged state of partial or full closure since 2019, when cracks in the cast-iron pedestals were discovered that made it unsafe for motorised traffic.
Standing on or near Hammersmith Bridge, the first thing that strikes visitors is its extraordinary decorative richness. The towers are painted in a deep bottle green with gilded finials and ornamental ironwork, giving the bridge an almost fairy-tale quality that sits in pleasing contrast to the grey-brown Thames flowing beneath. The suspension chains sweep gracefully from tower to tower, and the lamp standards along the footway add to its Victorian character. On a sunny morning, the golden accents catch the light magnificently, and the reflection of the structure shimmers on the water below. The bridge vibrates subtly when pedestrians cross in numbers, a reminder of its fragile structural state, and the sound of the river passing beneath — combined with the calls of swans and the occasional rowing eight cutting through the water — makes for a remarkably peaceful urban experience given how close it sits to the busy A4 corridor.
The surroundings are among the most attractive in west London. On the Hammersmith side, the Thames Path runs along the riverbank, dotted with historic pubs including the Dove and the Blue Anchor, which have served watermen and locals for centuries. Hammersmith itself, just a short walk away, has a bustling town centre with the Apollo music venue and excellent transport links. On the Barnes side of the bridge, the atmosphere changes dramatically to one of village-like calm. Barnes is an affluent, leafy suburb with a charming high street, independent shops, and the remarkable WWT London Wetland Centre just a short distance away — one of the finest urban wetland nature reserves in the world. The Thames Path continues in both directions, making Hammersmith Bridge a natural staging post for long riverside walks toward Kew, Richmond, or Chiswick.
Visiting Hammersmith Bridge at present requires awareness of its ongoing restoration situation. Since 2019, the bridge has been closed to motor vehicles, and it has at various points been closed to cyclists and pedestrians as well depending on the progress of emergency works. By mid-2020s, limited pedestrian and cyclist access has generally been maintained during daylight hours, but it is worth checking current status before visiting as closures can change. The bridge is most easily reached via Hammersmith Underground station, served by the Piccadilly, District, and Hammersmith & City lines, from which it is roughly a ten-minute walk south along the riverside. The best times to visit are on clear mornings or at golden hour before sunset, when the light plays brilliantly off the gilded ironwork and the river is at its most atmospheric. The Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, held annually in spring, draws enormous crowds to this stretch of the Thames, and the bridge is one of the prime vantage points, though this naturally means significant congestion.
One of the most remarkable hidden stories about the bridge concerns the 1939 bombing attempt. A pedestrian noticed a suspicious package attached to the structure and, with extraordinary presence of mind and personal bravery, threw the bomb into the Thames before it detonated — an act of heroism that saved the bridge and potentially many lives. A plaque on the bridge commemorates this event. The bridge has also played a role in cinema and television, its distinctive silhouette appearing in numerous period productions set in Victorian or Edwardian London. The prolonged funding dispute between Hammersmith & Fulham Council, Transport for London, and the government over paying for the estimated £140 million restoration became something of a cause célèbre in London local politics, illustrating how the maintenance of Victorian infrastructure can fall into a bureaucratic void. Despite all this, Hammersmith Bridge endures as a symbol of west London's identity — battered, ornate, controversial, and irreplaceable.