Documentary

Rob Bell's Bridges That Built London

New series. Rob Bell explores the extraordinary stories of four of London’s most iconic bridges, uncovering the history behind how – and why – they were built. In the first episode, Rob focuses on the original, and for 17 centuries the only bridge across the Thames, London Bridge. Rob explores the multiple versions of this bridge over the centuries and charts how each has shaped Britain’s capital city, from the Romans who used it to control southern England, to the astonishing and raucous medieval bridge, designed by priests, inhabited by hundreds, and financed and managed by City merchants.

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Created By

Status

Ended

Original Name

Rob Bell's Bridges That Built London

First Air Date

January 6, 2021

Last Air Date

October 11, 2021

Seasons

1

Episodes

4

Language

English

Production Companies

Networks

Channel 5

S01E04

Waterloo; The World's Finest Bridge

Rob uncovers the story of the two Waterloo Bridges, both once hailed as bridges of the future. He discovers the original Waterloo Bridge was an icon of the Industrial Revolution, built using the latest technology to cater for the incredible growth of London. But this bridge - dubbed the finest in the world - was too expensive a crossing for the impoverished inhabitants of London, and fell into disrepair. Its replacement, the current bridge, symbolised the modern world. Rob discovers the astonishing story behind this bridge - including its war-time forgotten female labour force.

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