london bridge

Own A Piece Of The Original London Bridge

The small table above is no ordinary antique. The oak table is made from the ancient wood salvaged from the foundations of the Old London Bridge and is set to be auctioned off on June 30 by Lyon and Turnbull in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is expcted to sell for up to £3,000 (around $4,520).

The foundations of the bridge over the Thames River were laid in 1177. The wood was removed in 1833 before the bridge was rebuilt. The center of the table has a brass plaque in the center which reads: "The Oak of which this table is made was under the foundation of Old London Bridge, Upwards of six hundred and fifty six years and taken up from thence in 1833 by Sir Edward Banks and William John Jolliffe Esq. The contractors and builders of new London Bridge." That 19th century bridge was replaced by the current bridge which opened in March 1973. Material from the older bridge was sold to Robert P. McCulloch for $2.46 million and reconstructed at Lake Havasu City, Arizona where it has become a popular tourist attraction.

[via BBC News]

Tags: antiques, artifact, london bridge, scotland, table

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Own A Piece Of The Original London Bridge

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