View source for Battersea Bridge

{{short description|Bridge over the River Thames in London}}
{{about|the road bridge in Battersea|the railway bridge|Battersea Railway Bridge}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox bridge
| bridge_name   = Battersea Bridge
| image         = Battersea bridge 1.jpg
| carries       = [[A3220 road]]
| crosses       = [[River Thames]]
| preceded      = [[Battersea Railway Bridge]]
| followed      = [[Albert Bridge, London|Albert Bridge]]
| locale        = [[London]], England
| designer      = [[Joseph Bazalgette]]
| design        = [[Arch bridge]]
| material      = [[Cast iron]] and [[granite]]
| maint         = [[Transport for London]]
| spans         = 5
| pierswater    = 4
| mainspan      = {{convert|163|ft|m}}
| length        = {{convert|725|ft|6|in|m}}
| width         = {{convert|40|ft|m}}
| below         = {{convert|38|ft|9|in|m|sigfig=3}} at [[lowest astronomical tide]]<ref name="Thames Bridges Heights" />
| traffic       = 26,041 vehicles (2004){{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=316}}<br>22,537 vehicles (2010)<br>23,495 vehicles (2015) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/manualcountpoints/7609|title=Road Traffic Statistics - Manual count point: 7609|access-date=2022-10-27}}</ref>
>| open          = {{Start date and age|df=y|1890|7|21}}
| heritage      = [[Listed building|Grade II listed structure]]
| replaces      = Old Battersea Bridge (1771–1885) a.k.a. Chelsea Bridge
| coordinates   = {{coord|51|28|52|N|0|10|21|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Battersea Bridge''' is a five-span [[arch bridge]] with [[cast iron|cast-iron]] [[girder]]s and [[granite]] [[pier (architecture)|piers]] crossing the [[River Thames]] in [[London]], England. It is situated on a sharp bend in the river, and links [[Battersea]] south of the river with [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] to the north. The bridge replaced a ferry service that had operated near the site since at least the middle of the 16th century.

The first Battersea Bridge was a [[toll bridge]] commissioned by [[John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer|John, Earl Spencer]], who had recently acquired the rights to operate the ferry. Although a stone bridge was planned, difficulties in raising investment meant that a cheaper wooden bridge was built instead. Designed by [[Henry Holland (architect)|Henry Holland]], it was initially opened to pedestrians in November 1771, and to vehicle traffic in 1772. The bridge was inadequately designed and dangerous both to its users and to passing shipping, and boats often collided with it. To reduce the dangers to shipping, two piers were removed and the sections of the bridge above them were strengthened with iron girders.

Although dangerous and unpopular, the bridge was the last surviving [[wooden bridge]] on the Thames in London, and was the subject of paintings by many significant artists such as [[J. M. W. Turner]], [[John Sell Cotman]] and [[James Abbott McNeill Whistler|James McNeill Whistler]], including Whistler's ''[[Nocturne: Blue and Gold&nbsp;– Old Battersea Bridge]]'', and his controversial ''[[Nocturne in Black and Gold&nbsp;– The Falling Rocket]]''.

In 1879 the bridge was taken into public ownership, and in 1885 demolished and replaced with the existing bridge, designed by [[Joseph Bazalgette|Sir Joseph Bazalgette]] and built by [[Mowlem|John Mowlem & Co]]. The narrowest surviving road bridge over the Thames in London, it is one of London's least busy Thames bridges. The location on a bend in the river makes the bridge a hazard to shipping, and it has been closed many times due to collisions.

== Background ==
[[File:Rocque Battersea.png|thumb|left|upright|Chelsea and Battersea, 1746. The bridge would be built on the meander in the river, a short distance west of the ferry crossing shown]]

[[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]], about {{convert|3|mi|km}} west of [[Westminster]] on the north bank of the [[River Thames]], has existed as a settlement since at least [[Anglo-Saxon]] times.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=117}} The Thames at this point inflects through a sharp angle from a south–north to an east–west flow, and the slow-moving and relatively easily [[Ford (crossing)|fordable]] river here is popularly believed to be the site of [[Julius Caesar]]'s crossing of the Thames during the 54 BC [[Caesar's invasions of Britain|invasion of Britain]].{{sfn|Roberts|2005|p=61}}{{refn|group=n|During the construction of the first Battersea Bridge large quantities of Roman-era bones and weapons were recovered from the riverbed.}} Chelsea enjoyed good road and river connections to the [[Houses of Parliament|seat of government]] at [[Westminster]] and the commercial centre of the [[City of London]] since at least the 14th century.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=117}} It was a centre of the British [[Chelsea porcelain factory|porcelain industry]],{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=118}} and a major producer of [[baked goods]]&nbsp;– at peak periods almost 250,000 [[Chelsea bun]]s per day were sold.{{sfn|Gaunt|1975|p=57}} By the 18th century it had large numbers of very prosperous residents.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=117}}

[[Battersea]], listed as ''Patricesy'' (St Peter's Water) in the [[Domesday Book]] and first mentioned in records of 693 AD,<ref name="Lysons 1792" />{{sfn|Roberts|2005|p=64}} on the south bank of the river opposite Chelsea, was by contrast low and marshy land, prone to flooding. Conditions were ideal for farming [[asparagus]] and [[lavender]],{{refn|group=n|The present day place name of [[Lavender Hill]] derives from the lavender farms in the area.}} and a small market town grew in the area based on the asparagus and lavender industries.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=118}}

Although Chelsea and Battersea had been linked by [[ferry]] since at least 1550,{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=118}} the nearest fixed links between the two were [[Putney Bridge]], {{convert|2+1/2|mi|km}} upstream and opened in 1729,{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=54}} and [[Westminster Bridge]], {{convert|3|mi|km}} downstream, opened in 1746.{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=92}} In 1763 [[John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer|John, Earl Spencer]], purchased the [[Manorialism|manor]] of Battersea,{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=118}} and consequently acquired ownership of the ferry service between Chelsea and Battersea.{{sfn|Pay|Lloyd|Waldegrave|2009|p=74}}

The ferry was old and somewhat dangerous,{{sfn|Pay|Lloyd|Waldegrave|2009|p=74}} and Spencer formed the Battersea Bridge Company and sought and obtained parliamentary consent via the '''{{visible anchor|Battersea Bridge Act 1766}}''' ([[6 Geo. 3]]. c. 66) to build "a fine stone bridge" across the Thames.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=118}} The bridge was to be built between [[Cheyne Walk]] and Battersea, at the point where the river's course turns sharply east towards [[Westminster]],{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=65}} at a projected cost of £83,000 (about £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|83000|1763|r=-3}}|0}} in {{inflation-year|UK}}).{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=118}}{{Inflation-fn|UK}} The earl had anticipated that many local residents would invest in the project, but soon found that there was widespread scepticism about the scheme. Only 15 investors, including the earl himself, were willing to invest,{{sfn|Roberts|2005|p=62}} and a total of only £17,662 (about £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|17662|1766|r=-3}}|0}} in {{inflation-year|UK}}) was raised, far less than was needed to finance the ambitious project.{{Inflation-fn|UK}}{{sfn|Davenport|2006|p=72}}

== Old Battersea Bridge ==
[[File:Greaves Old Battersea Bridge 1874.jpg|thumb|''Old Battersea Bridge'', [[Walter Greaves (artist)|Walter Greaves]] (1874)]]
Spencer calculated that the money raised would be sufficient to finance a modest timber bridge, and a design was commissioned from rising architect [[Henry Holland (architect)|Henry Holland]]. The bridge was built to Holland's designs by [[John Phillips (engineer)|John Phillips]], whose uncle [[Thomas Phillips (bridge engineer)|Thomas Phillips]] had built the 1729 bridge at Putney.{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=65}} The bridge was opened to pedestrians in November 1771 while still incomplete. In 1772 a chalk and gravel surface was added and the bridge was opened to vehicle traffic.{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=65}} Tolls were charged on a sliding scale, ranging from [[Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|{{frac|1|2}}d]] for pedestrians to 1 [[Shilling (British coin)|shilling]] for vehicles drawn by four or more horses.{{sfn|Pay|Lloyd|Waldegrave|2009|p=74}} The bridge was never formally named, and was referred to on maps of the period as both "Battersea Bridge" and "Chelsea Bridge".{{refn|group=n|The first bridge on the site of the present day [[Chelsea Bridge]] was not opened until 1858.}}{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=67}}

[[File:Johnspencer.jpg|thumb|upright|left|John, Earl Spencer, commissioned the first Battersea Bridge]]
The bridge was not a commercial success. It was {{convert|734|ft|m}} long and only {{convert|24|ft|m}} wide, making it impractical for larger vehicles to use.{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=65}} Holland's design consisted of nineteen separate narrow spans, the widest being only {{convert|32|ft|m}} wide,{{sfn|Davenport|2006|p=73}} and boats found it difficult to navigate beneath the bridge; there were a number of accidents including serious injuries and deaths.{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=65}} Repeatedly rammed by passing shipping, the bridge required frequent costly repairs, and dividends paid to investors were low.{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=65}} During a particularly cold winter in 1795 the bridge was badly damaged by ice, necessitating lengthy and expensive reconstruction, and no dividends at all were paid for the next three years.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=119}} Concerns were expressed in Parliament about the reliability of the bridge, and the Battersea Bridge Company was obliged to provide a ferry service at the same rate as the bridge tolls, in the event of the bridge being closed for repairs.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=118}}

In an effort to improve the bridge's poor safety record for its customers, [[oil lamp]]s were added to the deck in 1799, making Battersea Bridge the first Thames bridge to be lit.{{sfn|Davenport|2006|p=72}}{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=67}} Between 1821 and 1824 the flimsy wooden fences along the edges of the bridge, which were often breaking, were replaced by sturdy iron {{convert|4|ft|m|adj=on}} railings,{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=67}} and in 1824 the oil lamps were themselves replaced by [[gas lighting]].{{sfn|Davenport|2006|p=72}}{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=67}}
In 1873, in an effort to improve navigation around the bridge and reduce accidents, two of the piers were removed, making the widest span a more easily navigated {{convert|77|ft|m}}, and the bridge deck was strengthened with iron girders to compensate for the missing piers.{{sfn|Davenport|2006|p=73}}

=== Competition and disputes with Vauxhall Bridge ===
In 1806, a scheme was proposed by [[Ralph Dodd]] to open the south bank of the Thames opposite Westminster and London for development, by building a new major road from [[Hyde Park Corner]] to [[Kennington]] and [[Greenwich]], crossing the river at [[Vauxhall]], about halfway between Battersea Bridge and Westminster Bridge.{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=80}} The Battersea Bridge Company were concerned about the potential loss of custom, and petitioned Parliament against the scheme, stating that "[Dodd] is a well known adventurer and Speculist, and the projector of numerous undertakings upon a large scale most if not all of which have failed",{{refn|group=n|Dodd had been involved in many unsuccessful transport schemes. Between 1799 and 1803 he attempted to drive a tunnel beneath the Thames between [[Tilbury]] and [[Gravesend, Kent|Gravesend]]. A plan to dig a canal between London and [[Epsom]] was abandoned after reaching [[Peckham]], three miles away. He provided the original designs for the new [[Waterloo Bridge]] and [[London Bridge]], both of which were taken over by John Rennie, while his design for [[Hammersmith Bridge]] had to be suspended when the owners of a strip of land blocking the approach road refused to sell it to the bridge company.}} and the bill was abandoned.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=120}} However, in 1809 a new bill was presented to Parliament for a bridge at Vauxhall, this time obliging the operators of the new bridge to compensate the Battersea Bridge Company for any losses, and the company allowed it to pass as the [[Vauxhall Bridge Act 1809]] ([[49 Geo. 3]]. c. cxlii) and accepted compensation.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=120}} The act obliged the Vauxhall Bridge Company to reimburse the Battersea Bridge Company for any loss in revenue caused by the new bridge.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=145}}

After many delays and setbacks, the new bridge at Vauxhall (initially named Regent Bridge after [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George, Prince Regent]], but shortly afterwards renamed [[Vauxhall Bridge]]) opened on 4 June 1816.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=146}} However, the Vauxhall Bridge Company failed to pay the agreed compensation to the Battersea Bridge Company and were taken to court. After a legal dispute lasting five years, a judgment was made in favour of the Battersea Bridge Company, with the Vauxhall Bridge Company being obliged to pay £8,234 (about £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|8234|1821|r=-3}}|0}} in {{inflation-year|UK}}) compensation.{{Inflation-fn|UK}}{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=120}}

=== Old Battersea Bridge in art ===
[[File:James Abbot McNeill Whistler 006.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Nocturne: Blue and Gold&nbsp;– Old Battersea Bridge]]'', [[James McNeill Whistler]] (c.1872–75)]]
Although the bridge was inconvenient for its users and flimsily constructed, as the last surviving [[wooden bridge]] on the Thames in the London area it was considered an important landmark, and many leading artists of the period were attracted to it.{{refn|group=n|Although temporary wooden bridges were sometimes erected on the Thames during maintenance works or wartime, following the demolition of the mediaeval [[Kingston Bridge, London|Kingston Bridge]] in 1825 Battersea Bridge was the last surviving permanent wooden bridge on the Thames in what is now [[Greater London]]. Other wooden bridges over the Thames, such as [[Tenfoot Bridge]] and [[Old Man's Bridge]], still exist on the narrow upper reaches of the river.}}{{sfn|Pay|Lloyd|Waldegrave|2009|p=74}} [[Camille Pissarro]], [[J. M. W. Turner]], [[John Sell Cotman]] and [[John Atkinson Grimshaw]] produced significant paintings of the bridge.{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=67}}<ref name="Glueck 2002-12-13" /><ref>[http://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?museum=sc&t=objects&type=ext&f=&s=&record=21&maker=pissarro%2C+camille&op-earliest_year=%3E%3D&op-latest_year=%3C%3D museums.fivecolleges.edu]</ref> [[Walter Greaves (artist)|Walter Greaves]], whose family owned a [[boathouse]] adjacent to the bridge and whose father had been boatman to Turner, painted numerous scenes of the bridge.<ref name="Hilton 1993-02-21" /> Local resident and mentor to Greaves [[James Abbott McNeill Whistler|James McNeill Whistler]] created many images of it, including the influential [[Hokusai]]-inspired ''[[Nocturne: Blue and Gold&nbsp;– Old Battersea Bridge]]'' (painted {{circa|1872}}–5), in which the dimensions of the bridge are intentionally distorted and [[Chelsea Old Church]] and the newly built [[Albert Bridge, London|Albert Bridge]] are visible through a stylised [[Pea soup fog|London fog]].{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=67}}

[[File:Grimshaw Battersea Bridge.jpg|left|thumb|''Battersea Bridge'', [[John Atkinson Grimshaw]] (1885)]]
Whistler's ''Nocturne'' series achieved notoriety in 1877, when influential critic [[John Ruskin]] visited an exhibition of the series at the [[Grosvenor Gallery]]. He wrote of the painting ''[[Nocturne in Black and Gold&nbsp;– The Falling Rocket]]'', that Whistler was "asking two hundred [[Guinea (British coin)|guineas]] for flinging a pot of paint in the public's face". Whistler sued for libel, the case reaching the courts in 1878.<ref name="Steiner 1993-01" /> The judge in the case caused laughter in the court when, referring to ''Nocturne: Blue and Gold&nbsp;– Old Battersea Bridge'', he asked Whistler "Which part of the picture is the bridge?"; the case ended with Whistler awarded token damages of one [[Farthing (British coin)|farthing]].{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=122}}

In 1905, ''Nocturne: Blue and Gold'' became the first significant acquisition by the newly formed [[National Art Collections Fund]], and is now in [[Tate Britain]].<ref name="Moore 2003-11-01" />
[[File:Fulham LCCN2003687676.jpg|thumb|''Chelsea: Old Battersea Bridge and Chelsea Church'', James McNeill Whistler, c. 1879]]

=== Takeover and public ownership ===
A more modern and convenient competing bridge opened nearby at [[Chelsea Bridge]] in 1858,{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=132}} and usage of Battersea Bridge fell sharply.{{sfn|Roberts|2005|p=62}}{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=115}} There were serious public concerns about the safety of the bridge by this time, after an 1844 incident in which a woman was murdered on the bridge in view of one of the toll collectors, who did not intervene because both parties had paid their fares.{{sfn|Roberts|2005|p=63}}
[[File:Joseph bazalgette.jpg|thumb|upright|Joseph Bazalgette]]
The new [[Albert Bridge, London|Albert Bridge]] opened in 1873, less than {{convert|500|yd|m}} from Battersea Bridge.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=126}} Mindful of the impact the new bridge would have on older bridge's financial viability, the [[Albert Bridge Act 1864]] ([[27 & 28 Vict.]] c. ccxxxv) authorising the Albert Bridge compelled the Albert Bridge Company to purchase Battersea Bridge at the time of the new bridge's opening and to compensate the owners of Battersea Bridge with £3,000 (about £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|3000|1864|r=-3}}|0}} in {{inflation-year|UK}}) per annum until the new bridge opened,{{sfn|Davenport|2006|p=72}} and so Battersea Bridge was bought outright by the Albert Bridge Company in 1873.{{Inflation-fn|UK}}{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=123}}{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=71}} By this time the bridge was in extremely poor condition, and there were many calls from local residents for it to be demolished. As an interim measure, the Albert Bridge's architect [[Rowland Mason Ordish]] strengthened the foundations of the bridge with concrete while debate continued as to its future.{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=67}}

The [[Metropolis Toll Bridges Act 1877]] ([[40 & 41 Vict.]] c. xcix) was passed, which allowed the [[Metropolitan Board of Works]] to buy all London bridges between [[Hammersmith Bridge|Hammersmith]] and [[Waterloo Bridge]]s and free them from tolls,{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=147}} and in 1879 the Board of Works bought Albert and Battersea bridges for a combined cost of £170,000 (about £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|170000|1879|r=-3}}|0}} in {{inflation-year|UK}}) and the tolls were removed from both bridges.{{Inflation-fn|UK}}<ref name="Times Freeing" />

Inspections by the Chief Engineer of the Metropolitan Board of Works, [[Joseph Bazalgette|Sir Joseph Bazalgette]], following the purchase found that Battersea Bridge was in such poor condition that it was unable to be repaired safely.{{sfn|Roberts|2005|p=64}} In 1883 it was restricted to pedestrian traffic only, and in 1885 it was demolished to make way for a new bridge designed by Bazalgette.{{sfn|Pay|Lloyd|Waldegrave|2009|p=74}}

== New Battersea Bridge ==
[[File:Battersea Bridge 1.JPG|thumb|left|The new Battersea Bridge]]
The contract to build the new bridge was awarded to [[Mowlem|John Mowlem & Co]],{{sfn|Pay|Lloyd|Waldegrave|2009|p=74}} and in June 1887 the [[Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale|Duke of Clarence]] laid a ceremonial foundation stone in the southern [[abutment]] and construction work began.{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=67}} Bazalgette's design incorporated five arches with cast iron griders, on [[granite]] piers which in turn rest on concrete foundations. The roadway itself is {{convert|24|ft|m}} wide, and {{convert|8|ft|m|adj=on}} wide footpaths are [[cantilever]]ed on either side of the bridge,{{refn|group=n|The cantilevering is hidden by ornamental iron casings, and is not visibly apparent other than from beneath the bridge.}} giving the bridge a total width of {{convert|40|ft|m}}.{{sfn|Pay|Lloyd|Waldegrave|2009|p=74}} The [[balustrade]] is a distinctive [[Moorish architecture|Moorish]]-style lattice.{{sfn|Roberts|2005|p=65}} Construction work was overseen by Bazalgette's son Edward, and cost a total of £143,000 (about £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|143000|1890|r=-3}}|0}} in {{inflation/year|UK}}).{{Inflation-fn|UK}}{{sfn|Davenport|2006|p=73}}

On 21 July 1890, the bridge was officially opened by future Prime Minister [[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|Lord Rosebery]], then chairman of the newly formed [[London County Council]]. Unlike its predecessor, the new bridge was officially named Battersea Bridge.{{sfn|Pay|Lloyd|Waldegrave|2009|p=74}} Although the road was narrow, [[tram]]s operated on it from the outset. Initially these were horse-drawn, but from 22 June 1911 the electric trams of [[London County Council Tramways]] were introduced.{{sfn|Davenport|2006|p=73}}

=== Collisions ===
[[File:Battersea Bridge 3.JPG|thumb|The Thames curves sharply at Battersea Bridge]]
Although the five spans of the current bridge are far wider than the nineteen spans of the original bridge, Battersea Bridge's location on a sharp bend in the river still presents a hazard to navigation. In 1948, the ''[[Motor ship|MV]] Delta'' jammed under the bridge, and its master Hendrikus Oostring suffered broken arms and needed to be rescued from the smashed [[Bridge (nautical)|wheelhouse]].{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=125}} On 23 March 1950, the [[Collier (ship type)|collier]] ''John Hopkinson'' collided with the central pier, causing serious structural damage, leaving the tram tracks as the only element holding the bridge together.{{sfn|Davenport|2006|p=73}} The London County Council was concerned that the entire structure would collapse and closed the bridge until January 1951.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=124}} Tram services in the area were withdrawn on 30 September 1950, so when the bridge was reopened the tram tracks were lifted.{{sfn|Davenport|2006|p=73}}{{sfn|Pay|Lloyd|Waldegrave|2009|p=76}} Another serious incident took place on 21 September 2005, when the ''James Prior'', a 200-[[long ton|ton]] barge, collided with the bridge, causing serious structural damage costing over £500,000 to repair.<ref name="BBC 2005-09-21" /><ref name="MBM" /> The bridge was closed to all motor vehicles other than buses while repairs were carried out, causing severe traffic congestion; it eventually reopened on 16 January 2006.<ref name="BBC 2006-01-15" /> Brian King, the master of the ''James Prior'', was formally cleared of navigating without due care and attention in 2008, when the judge in the case injured his back and was unable to proceed, and prosecutors decided not to re-present the case.<ref name="MBM" />

=== Restoration ===
[[File:Battersea Bridge 4.JPG|thumb|left|Detail of the spandrels following restoration]]
At only {{convert|40|ft|m}} wide, Bazalgette's bridge is now London's narrowest surviving road bridge over the Thames,{{sfn|Pay|Lloyd|Waldegrave|2009|p=74}} and in 2004 was the fifth least-used Thames bridge in London.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=316}} In 1983 the bridge was designated a [[listed building|Grade II listed structure]], protecting its character from further alterations,<ref name="IoE" /> and in 1992 [[English Heritage]] oversaw a project to renovate the bridge, which for some years had been painted blue and red.

Paint samples were analysed and photographs from the time of opening consulted, and the bridge was restored to its original appearance. The main body of the bridge was painted in dark green, with the [[spandrel]]s decorated in [[gilding]]. The [[Street light|lamp standards]], which had been removed during the [[Second World War]], were replaced with replicas copied from the surviving posts at the ends of the bridge.{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=67}} A statue of James McNeill Whistler by [[Nicholas Dimbleby]] was erected at the north end of the bridge in 2005.{{sfn|Cookson|2006|p=122}}

{{clear}}

=== 2006 Thames whale ===
{{main|River Thames whale}}
Shortly after its reopening following the collision with the ''James Prior'', the bridge briefly attained national prominence on 20 January 2006 when a {{convert|19|ft|m|adj=on}} long female [[bottlenose whale]] became stranded at Battersea Bridge. A [[River Thames whale|rescue operation]] was mounted, and large crowds flocked to the bridge. The whale was successfully transferred to a barge, but died while being transported back to the sea to be released.<ref name="Dowling 2006-01-21" /> A year after the whale's death, its skeleton was put on public display in the offices of ''[[The Guardian]]'' newspaper.<ref name="McKie 2007-01-21" /> Today it resides at the [[Natural History Museum, London|Natural History Museum]].{{sfn|Matthews|2008|p=70}}

==See also==
{{Portal|London|Transport|Engineering}}
* [[List of crossings of the River Thames]]
* [[List of bridges in London]]
* [[Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Wandsworth]]

== Notes and references ==

'''Notes'''
{{reflist|group=n}}

'''References'''
{{reflist
| colwidth = 30em
| refs =

<ref name="Thames Bridges Heights">
{{cite web
| title = Thames Bridges Heights
| publisher = Port of London Authority
| url = http://www.pla.co.uk/display_fixedpage.cfm/id/174/site/navigation
| access-date = 23 August 2011
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110720225414/http://www.pla.co.uk/display_fixedpage.cfm/id/174/site/navigation| archive-date= 20 July 2011 | url-status= live}}
</ref>

<ref name="Lysons 1792">
{{cite book
| last = Lysons
| first = Daniel
| year = 1792
| title = 'Battersea', The Environs of London: volume 1: County of Surrey
| publisher = Victoria County History
| volume = 1
| pages = 26–48
| url = http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45371
| access-date = 23 August 2011
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Glueck 2002-12-13">
{{cite news
| last = Glueck
| first = Grace
| date = 13 December 2002
| title = Art Review; English Watercolor Landscapes Of a Feather
| newspaper = New York Times
| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/13/arts/art-review-english-watercolor-landscapes-of-a-feather.html
| access-date = 23 August 2011
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Hilton 1993-02-21">
{{cite news
| last = Hilton
| first = Tim
| date = 21 February 1993
| title = ART / Sold down the river
| newspaper = The Independent
| url = https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art--sold-down-the-river-when-whistler-took-on-a-thames-boatman-as-a-pupil-it-looked-like-inspired-charity-a-new-show-isnt-so-sure-1474342.html
| access-date = 23 August 2011
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Steiner 1993-01">
{{cite journal
| last = Steiner
| first = Wendy
| date = January 1993
| title = A Pot of Paint: Aesthetics on Trial in Whistler v. Ruskin
| journal = Art in America
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Moore 2003-11-01">
{{cite journal
| last = Moore
| first = Susan
| date = 1 November 2003
| title = Guardian of the nation's treasures
| journal = [[The Spectator]]
| location = London
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Times Freeing">
{{cite news
| date = 28 June 1880
| title = The Freeing of the Bridges
| newspaper = The Times
| page = 12
}}
</ref>

<ref name="BBC 2005-09-21">
{{cite news
| work = BBC News
| date = 21 September 2005
| title = Bridge closed after barge crash
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4265812.stm
| access-date = 23 August 2011
}}
</ref>

<ref name="MBM">
{{cite journal
 |last        = Hall
 |first       = Nick
 |date        = 31 January 2008
 |title       = Bridge crash master cleared
 |journal     = Motor Boats Monthly
 |url         = http://www.mbmclub.com/auto/newsdesk/20080031191043mbmnews.html
 |access-date  = 23 August 2011
 |archive-url  = https://www.webcitation.org/5hGRGjDr7?url=http://www.mbmclub.com/auto/newsdesk/20080031191043mbmnews.html
 |archive-date = 3 June 2009
 |url-status     = dead
}}
</ref>

<ref name="BBC 2006-01-15">
{{cite news
| work = BBC News
| date = 15 January 2006
| title = Bridge damaged by barge reopens
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4614654.stm
| access-date = 23 August 2011
}}
</ref>

<ref name="IoE">
{{NHLE |num=1080752 |desc=Battersea Bridge |access-date=26 November 2008}}
</ref>

<ref name="Dowling 2006-01-21">
{{cite news
| last = Dowling
| first = Stephen
| date = 21 January 2006
| title = Londoners flock to doomed rescue
| work = BBC News
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4635440.stm
| access-date = 23 August 2011
}}
</ref>

<ref name="McKie 2007-01-21">
{{cite news
| last = McKie
| first = Robin
| date = 21 January 2007
| title = See Thames whale in our free exhibition
| newspaper = The Observer
| url = https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/jan/21/thameswhale.robinmckie
| access-date = 23 August 2011
}}
</ref>

}}

'''Bibliography'''
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book
  | last = Cookson
  | first = Brian
  | year = 2006
  | title = Crossing the River
  | publisher = Mainstream
  | location = Edinburgh
  | isbn = 978-1-84018-976-6
  | oclc = 63400905
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Davenport
  | first = Neil
  | year = 2006
  | title = Thames Bridges: From Dartford to the Source
  | publisher = Silver Link Publishing
  | location = Kettering
  | isbn = 978-1-85794-229-3
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Gaunt
  | first = William
  | year = 1975
  | title = Kensington and Chelsea
  | publisher = Batsford
  | location = London
  | isbn = 978-0-7134-2919-0
  | oclc = 1528591
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Matthews
  | first = Peter
  | year = 2008
  | title = London's Bridges
  | publisher = Shire
  | location = Oxford
  | isbn = 978-0-7478-0679-0
  | oclc = 213309491
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Pay
  | first1 = Ian
  | last2 = Lloyd
  | first2 = Sampson
  | last3 = Waldegrave
  | first3 = Keith
  | year = 2009
  | title = London's Bridges: Crossing the Royal River
  | publisher = Artists' and Photographers' Press
  | location = Wisley
  | isbn = 978-1-904332-90-9
  | oclc = 280442308
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Roberts
  | first = Chris
  | year = 2005
  | title = Cross River Traffic
  | publisher = Granta
  | location = London
  | isbn = 978-1-86207-800-0
  }}
{{refend}}

== Further reading ==
{{Commons category|Battersea Bridge}}
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book
  | last = Loobet
  | first = Patrick
  | year = 2002
  | title = Battersea Past
  | pages = 48–49
  | publisher = Historical Publications Ltd
  | isbn = 978-0-948667-76-3
  }}
{{refend}}

{{Crossings navbox
| structure = [[Crossings of the River Thames|Crossings]]
| place = [[River Thames]]
| upstream = [[Battersea Railway Bridge]] (railway) <br /> [[Wandsworth Bridge]] (road)
| downstream = [[Albert Bridge, London|Albert Bridge]]
| bridge = Battersea Bridge <br /> [[British national grid reference system|Grid reference]]: {{gbmappingsmall|TQ269773}}
}}

{{Featured article}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1890 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Cast-iron arch bridges in England]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1890]]
[[Category:Bridges across the River Thames]]
[[Category:Road bridges in England]]
[[Category:Rebuilt buildings and structures in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Grade II listed bridges in London]]
[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea]]
[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Wandsworth]]
[[Category:Transport in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Wandsworth]]
[[Category:Former toll bridges in England]]
[[Category:Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery]]