It was John Rennie’s plans proposing five semielliptical arches that won over the panel and in 1824 his design was approved. Sadly, he had died in 1821, so his second son John Rennie Jr. was to continue the work. The bridge was built 180 feet west of the old bridge so that it could still be used in the meantime and for a time, Londoners could see both the old bridge and the new side-by-side. 

On June 15th, 1825, the Lord Mayor of London, John Garratt, laid the first stone of the new London Bridge, in the presence of the Duke of York. The work was then continued by John Rennie Jr. It was built from granite that had been quarried on Dartmoor and spanned 928 feet in length and 49 feet in width.

 

The grand opening of the new London Bridge

The new bridge was finally finished in 1831 and opened by King William and Queen Adelaide. Traffic was then diverted to the new structure to allow demolition of the old bridge. During the dismantling, Peter de Colechurch’s bones were found in the remains of the old chapel which were thrown into the river. An unceremonious end to the man who had built the old bridge which had served London for 600 years.