To my mind Waterloo Bridge is one of the most overlooked bridges on the Thames. It’s design has been criticised, but I think it’s sleek arches are rather pleasing.
The current bridge is the second incarnation, the first opened in 1817, but by the end of the 19th century it was showing signs of subsidence and general decay. By the 1920’s five of the piers were in very poor condition and the bridge had to be closed for reinforcement to be put in place and a temporary steel framework was built on top of the existing bridge and then placed next to it for the use of southbound vehicles.
In the 1930s London County Council decided to demolish the bridge and replace it with a new structure designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, he of the icon red telephone box.
Work began in the late 1930s but with the advent of the Second World War labour was at a premium. This is where the nickname “Ladies’ Bridge” comes from as it is calculated that around 65% of the workforce used to complete the bridge were female.
There’s a short piece about it on YouTube.
A LONDON MISCELLANY 
Wow. That is fascinating, I never knew this! I‘ll be looking at (and crossing) Waterloo Bridge with renewed respect henceforth.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hopefully one day there will be some sort of plaque to commemorate their efforts. There was a lot of talk about it back in 2016, but nothing seems to have happened. There is a link to add your name to a petition calling for some sort of recognition. https://pointpeople.typeform.com/to/VfhYND
LikeLiked by 1 person
That definitely sounds overdue. Thanks for sharing the link!
LikeLike
Hi!
I nominated you for the Dazzling Blogger Award. Hope you will find the time to participate.
You can check the rules here:
LikeLike