Hammersmith Bridge

An engraving from around 1827 showing traffic passing over and under the first Hammersmith Bridge.

Two engineering marvels

The original Hammersmith Bridge, completed in 1827, was the first suspension bridge to be built across the Thames.

Designed by William Tierney Clark, it was an engineering marvel of its time, featuring chains and suspension rod technology. But it was narrow and as traffic increased and vehicles got bigger, the decision was taken to replace it.

The new bridge opened in 1887. It was designed by Joseph Bazalgette, the engineer famous for his work on London’s sewage system.

It was built on the original piers and is notable for its ornamental flourishes and distinctive green and gold colouring.

The first bridge, completed in 1827, was considered an engineering marvel.
But it was soon considered too narrow for modern traffic and was replaced by a new bridge in 1887.

Is that Harrods green and gold?

For many years, the famous department store Harrods owned a large building on the Thames in Barnes, called the Harrods Furniture Depository. It was later turned into housing.

Its location at the south-eastern end of Hammersmith Bridge led many people to wonder if the bridge’s colour scheme was inspired by that of Harrods.

Bazalgette had, however, specified green and gold paint in the original bridge plans from the early 1880s. This was well before Harrods acquired its site in 1894.

The Harrod's Furniture Depository at Barnes in 1935.
The current Hammersmith Bridge, photographed 1950–1959.

“a third bomb did explode”

The target of bombings

As a vital route for traffic, any closure of Hammersmith Bridge leads to congestion. This might be why the bridge has been the subject of three bomb attacks.

The first two, in 1939 and 1996, were the work of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Both failed. In 2000, after the IRA had ended its armed conflict, a third bomb did explode. A breakaway group of Irish Republicans were suspected.

While no one was hurt, it led to a three-week closure for repairs. When the bridge reopened, a weight limit was introduced which meant only one single-decker bus could cross the bridge at a time.

A history of closures

Over the decades, Hammersmith Bridge has gone through numerous repairs and upgrades which have required the bridge to be closed.

In 2019, critical faults were found in the bridge. Amid fears of a collapse, motor vehicles were banned. A year later, new sensors showed that these faults had worsened significantly over the space of a few hours – due, it’s thought, to a heatwave.

The bridge closure was immediately extended to pedestrians, bicycles and even river traffic. The faults also prevented crowds from gathering on Hammersmith Bridge to watch the famous Boat Race.

As a Grade II-listed structure and beloved west London landmark, the plan is to repair Hammersmith Bridge rather than rebuild it.

In the 21st century, Hammersmith Bridge has at times been closed for critical repairs.

Connections: Barnes and Hammersmith

The bridge links the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on the north side, and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the south side.

In Barnes, on the south side, four disused 19th-century reservoirs have been transformed into a wetland nature reserve. Nearby is St Paul’s School, which first opened in the City of London in 1509, before relocating to Barnes in 1968.

Heading away from central London, the closest bridge is Barnes Railway Bridge, used by trains and featuring a pedestrian walkway. Heading downstream towards central London, the next bridge is Putney Bridge.