The London Millennium Bridge - Julian Ayre

This volume reports on the results of archaeological work on the site of the London Millennium Bridge, where excavations on the banks of the Thames revealed medieval waterfronts and associated structures. Up until the 12th century the Thames river was much wider. Revetments associated with land reclamation were built on both banks from the 12th century onward, and on the City side nearly 15m of land was won from the river during the 13th century. In the 14th and 15th centuries masonry river walls were built to the south of a narrow inlet, extending the riverside properties a further 10m into the Thames and creating large docks. Eventually the docks silted up and the inlet was in-filled. Buildings on the City side revealed evidence of post-Great Fire industrial activity; the finds included fine medieval metalwork, leather, and pottery, notably a unique group of imported 14th-century pottery in the Archaic Maiolica style. Excavations on the Southwark bank revealed a similar series of waterfronts, including a 12th-century jetty. Post-medieval revetments and the brick wall of an 18th century waterfront were also recorded, along with a remarkable sequence of timber and brick drains.;The finds included rare fragments of two river vessels, known as western barges, a collection of post-medieval pottery and well-preserved metalwork.