The Old London Bridge that stood for 600 years over Thames was the river’s key crossing point, as well as the city’s prime real estate area.

During medieval times, it was natural for bridges to have buildings built upon them. Usually, it was a couple of shops, the bridge keeper’s house, and maybe a church. But London Bridge, being long and spacious, accommodated hundreds of buildings, some of which stood seven stories high and overhung the river precariously by several feet. The London Bridge was a great attraction, but it was bridge’s many buildings that made it the city’s icon.

Illustration of the Nonsuch House from 1873.

Among the many buildings that stood upon London Bridge, the most remarkable was the palatial Nonsuch House.