Putney Bridge and the River Thames

Putney Bridge and the River Thames. . , There has been a river crossing between Fulham and Putney since the very earliest times. Originating as a ford (when the Thames was much shallower) it became a ferry by the 13th century and in 1729 'Fulham Bridge' was constructed. The wooden bridge had tollbooths at either end and was for some time the only one between London Bridge and Kingston Bridge., The Metropolitan Board of Works purchased Fulham Bridge in 1879, discontinued the tolls a year later, and set about rebuilding it. The current bridge was constructed from Cornish granite to the designs of the renowned civil engineer, Sir Joseph Bazalgette. It was opened as Putney Bridge by the Prince (later King Edward VII) and Princess of Wales on 29 May 1886., An early plan for wide steps to lead from Putney Bridge into Bishops Park was, sadly abandoned and instead the underpass was constructed to provide a direct link to Putney Bridge station., Pleasure trips once ran from the steps at each end of Bishop's Meadow. Until the 1950s a 'penny ferry' crossed the river, much used by football fans on match days., Bishop's Park has always been a popular place to watch the Boat Race between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, which has been raced from Putney since 1845 (the 'University Stone', which can be found on the opposite river bank, marks the start).