“The Ladies’ Bridge” in Waterloo is no urban myth

London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has recently agreed to back a campaign set up to honour the female construction workers who built Waterloo bridge during World War II.

For many years tourists enjoying trips along the river Thames have been told by riverboat guides that the unofficial name for Waterloo Bridge is “The Ladies' Bridge”, because of the major role women played in its construction. Oral history suggests that up to 75% of the workforce was female, but there was no information in official records to suggest that this was more than an urban myth.

In 2005, after many years spent trawling through archives, construction historian Dr. Christine Wall discovered photographs of female welders working on the bridge. She collaborated with filmmaker Karen Livesey to make a documentary film about the bridge project in 2007, but it took a further eight years before she was able to convince the authorities that the story was true.

The women's work was celebrated during the Totally Thames festival last month, when projections of historic images were beamed onto the bridge. The next stage will be to install a blue plaque as a permanent memorial. London's Mayor is keen for the plaque to go up, saying: “A blue plaque would reflect [the female workers' contribution to London and the role of women in science and engineering.” If you would like to see a plaque erected on the Ladies' Bridge, you can sign the campaign's petition here.

Around 25,000 women worked in construction during the Second World War. At this time, women took on a range of jobs which were normally carried out by men, working in munitions factories, building ships and aeroplanes. They also drove fire engines, trains and trams. During this period some trade unions set up to serve traditionally male occupations such as engineering began to admit women members, although most employers managed to avoid the issue of equal pay. Women’s pay remained on average at 53% of the level of men’s pay.

The history of Waterloo Bridge is an example of the rich heritage of this area and its strong connections to the river. Daniel Cobb is a Waterloo estate agent who specialise in high quality apartments for sale or rent. If you are interested in Waterloo property and would like to buy or rent a flat in Waterloo, then Daniel Cobb will be happy to help, so call our Kennington estate agents today.

Photo Credit: Alice Bell