London certainly isn’t short on breathtakingly beautiful spots. But if you’re in search of a landmark that could have quite easily jumped straight from the pages of a fairytale, look no further than Albert Bridge. Stretching across the section of the Thames between Chelsea and Battersea; it’s only right that the bridge connecting two of London’s boujiest areas is also pretty darn gorgeous. So gorgeous, in fact, that it’s been nicknamed the ‘Disney Bridge‘.
Designed and built by Rowland Mason Ordish, Albert Bridge opened back in 1873. The now Grade II listed structure is a rather unique hybrid of three different bridge design styles, featuring elements of a suspension bridge, a cable-stayed bridge and (after two concrete piers were added in 1973) a simple beam bridge. Over the years it’s required some strengthening and refurbishment to keep it stable (much like myself), but it’s – very impressively – one of just two bridges in London that has never had to be replaced.
Albert Bridge is utterly picture-perfect, both day and night, but is particularly distinctive because of its pastel paintwork. The bridge wasn’t always this aesthetically pleasing, though. It was in 1992 that the bridge was painted in its now signature pastel colour palette to draw attention to it and avoid it being damaged by ships passing through it in the night. The bridge also features a unique sign on either end, warning troops to ‘break step’ whilst crossing due to concerns that their rhythmic marching would cause vibrations that would damage the bridge.
Why is it called the Disney Bridge?
Albert Bridge has earned its rather enchanting nickname due to its utterly magical appearance. At night, in particular, the bridge is gasp-inducingly good-looking when lit up by thousands of LED lights. It certainly wouldn’t look out of place in a fairytale, with its structure often compared to the castles seen in Disney movies.
So, next time you fancy feeling like the main character of a Disney movie, you need not worry about locating your passport and hopping across the channel to Disneyland Paris. Just head over to Chelsea instead, and you can live out you very own happily ever after.
📍 You’ll find the magical Disney Bridge at Albert Bridge Road, SW11 4PL.
🚇 The nearest stations are Sloane Square and Battersea Power Station.