| 144 | L O N | |
with a window to the north, and another
to the south.
It has been already observed, that this
street had three openings on each side,
adorned with iron rails, to afford the
passengers a view of the river, and placed
over three of the widest arches, called na-
vigable locks; because vessels of consider-
able burthen have been used to pass thro'
them. That arch next the gate has ob-
tained the name of the rock lock, from
the cause already mentioned: that under
the drawbridge was called the drawbridge
lock; and the third, near the chapel
(which could not easily be distinguished
from the rest of the houses) was called St.
Mary's lock: and there was a fourth be-
tween St. Magnus's church at the foot of
the bridge, and the first vacancy north-
ward, called the King's lock; from its
being customary for the King to go thro'
it in his passage through the bridge.
Thus the street on the bridge had no-
thing to distinguish it from a common
handsome narrow street; but the high
arches towards the middle, and the three
openings on each side, which afforded an
agreeable view of the river. But on the
outside the view from the water, and from
the keys, was as disagreeable as possible.
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| | Nineteen |
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| L O N | 145 |
Nineteen unequilateral arches, with ster-
lings increased to a monstrous size by
frequent repairs, supported the street
above. These arches were of very dif-
ferent sizes, and several that were low and
narrow, were placed between others that
were broad and lofty. The back part of
the houses next the Thames had neither
uniformity nor any degree of beauty; the
line was broken by a great number of clo-
sets projecting from the buildings, and by
mean necessary houses hanging over the
sterlings. This deformity was increased
by the houses extending a considerable
distance over the sides of the bridge, and
by some of them projecting farther over it
than others: by which means the tops of
almost all the arches, except those that
were nearest, were concealed from the
view of the passengers on the keys, and
gave the bridge the appearance of a mul-
titude of rude piers, with only an arch or
two at the end, and the rest consisting of
beams extending from the tops of flat
piers, without any other arches, quite
across the river.
But most of these deformities will be
soon removed. Instead of a narrow street
of twenty feet wide, there will be a pas-
sage of thirty-one feet broad for carriages;
with a handsome raised pavement of stone
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