19th-century London of the Thames from the City of London westwards experienced a flurry of bridge-building during the 19th century, improving overland communication to South London. At the turn of the 19th century there were only three existing bridges in Central London: Westminster Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, and the ancient London Bridge. Beyond Westminster, the closest bridge was that of Battersea, three miles upstream from Westminster Bridge. All four were demolished and rebuilt over the course of the century (completed in 1862, 1869, 1831,and 1885 respectively). In addition, a slew of new bridges for road, pedestrian, and railway traffic were built: Southwark Bridge
Sons of the Thames Challenge Shield. The race covers half the Championship Course in the opposite direction, starting at Chiswick Bridge and finishing at Hammersmith Bridge. The shield is named after Alice Dewar, a Furnival Captain in 1909. However, there are many other "Dewar Challenge Shields" that were presented by Sir Thomas Dewar dating from around the same time and which are very similar in design, so it's possible the origins of the shield may be different. Sons of the Thames Sons of the Thames is a rowing club in Hammersmith, London, England. It was originally formed in Putney over a hundred years ago