The Bridge Series – Blackfriars Railway Bridge/Blackfriars Bridge

In this episode, the 5th in Danny Hurst´s Unusual Histories Bridge Series, he reaches Blackfriars. Today, you get the history of 3 bridges for the price of one. Danny tells you about the connection the bridge has with monks, theatre, the River Fleet, David Bowie, solar power, the Mafia, and the voice of Queen Victoria. KEY TAKEAWAYS You can still see the columns that supported the old Blackfriars Bridge. They played an important role in constructing the present-day one. The bridge is named after an order of Dominican monks who lived in the area. The decoration on the piers is particularly interesting and clever. It was the London, Chatham and Dover railway that first took trains across the river at this point. A 2nd railway bridge had to be built to ease congestion. Blackfriars is the only station to span the River Thames. Originally users had to pay a toll. BEST MOMENTS ‘This monastic influence is reflected in the piers of the road bridge. ´ ‘The old Blackfriars Bridge was once known as the Alexandra Bridge.’ ‘Both the station and the bridge were renamed in 1937 to avoid confusion with St. Paul's underground station.’ EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.citybridgefoundation.org.uk/ HOST BIO Historian, performer, and mentor Danny Hurst has been engaging audiences for many years, whether as a lecturer, stand-up comic or intervention teacher with young offenders and excluded secondary students. Having worked with some of the most difficult people in the UK, he is a natural storyteller and entertainer, whilst purveying the most fascinating information that you didn't know you didn't know. A writer and host of pub quizzes across London, he has travelled extensively and speaks several languages. He has been a consultant for exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum and Natural History Museum in London as well as presenting accelerated learning seminars across the UK. With a wide range of knowledge ranging from motor mechanics to opera to breeding carnivorous plants, he believes learning is the most effective when it's fun. Uniquely delivered, this is history without the boring bits, told the way only Danny Hurst can. CONTACT AND SOCIALS Visit https://www.patreon.com/DannyHurst to access exclusive videos available only for members. https://instagram.com/dannyjhurstfacebook.com/danny.hurst.9638 https://twitter.com/dannyhurst  https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-hurst-19574720 Podcast Description "History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake." James Joyce. That was me at school as well. Ironically, I ended up becoming a historian. The Unusual Histories podcast is all about the history you don't learn at school, nor indeed anywhere else. Discover things that you didn't know that you didn't know, fascinating historical luminaries and their vices and addictions, and the other numerous sides of every story. Danny continues his Unusual Histories podcast with the Bridge Series, remaining in London travelling east to west to look at the bridges which span the Thames. He looks at their design, construction and history, along with the history of the areas in which they're located on both sides of the river. This series kicks off with an exclusive interview with Dirk Bennett of the City Bridge Foundation, the organisation which looks after London's bridges. Tower Bridge is marking its 130th anniversary this month and Dirk talks to Danny about the history of the bridge as well as the new exhibition that is opening for it. If you love history; or indeed if you hate history, this is the podcast for you…