Medal

Bronze medal commemorating the opening of 'new' London Bridge in 1831. One side has the arms, crest and motto of the City of London. The other has the mark of the Bridge House Estates in an oak wreath and the inscription: London Bridge. Commenced 15 June 1825. Opened 1 August 1831.

The 'new' London Bridge replaced the 'Old' medieval bridge, which was, by the late 18th century not able to cope with the large amount of traffice wanting to cross the river. It also impeded water traffic on the river. The new bridge was constructed upstream of the old one, which remained open during the building of the new bridge. The access roads constructed to serve the new bridge cost more than the bridge itself. The bridge was opened on 1 August 1831 by King William IV and Queen Adelaide.

By the late 19th century London Bridge was the busiest Thames crossing and it was widened by 13 ft (4 m) in an attempt to ease congestion. In the 20th century it was found that the bridge was sinking gradually, so plans were made to replace it. These came to fruition in 1973 when the present London Bridge was opened. The 1831 bridge was sold to Robert McCulloch, and American oil entrepreneur, who reconstructed it in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where it now spans the Bridgewater Channel.

The Bridge House Estates is a charity originally set up by the City of London in 1282 to maintain London Bridge through collection of tolls and donations. It paid for the both rebuildings of London Bridge and the construction of Blackfriars Bridge and Tower Bridge. It now has an extensive property portfolio and, since 1995, has also been allowed to make grants to other charitable ventures in Greater London through the City Bridge Trust.