Unexpectedly humble origins
The eastern approach to Westminster Bridge is guarded by a majestic stone lion with a luxuriant mane. From its granite plinth on the north parapet of the bridge, it watches over those who cross the Thames towards Parliament. It might be thought a worthy symbol of power from the days when London was the capital of a global empire – but in fact this is a brewery lion, and is not even made of real stone.
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Address Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PB | Public Transport Westminster (Circle, District, Jubilee Line) | Tip One legacy of the Festival of Britain is an example of good 1950s architecture: the Royal Festival Hall, with the upmarket bar-restaurant Skylon and a view of the river from the café.
The material is »Coade stone«, a ceramic product that was made in the factory of Mrs Eleanor Coade in Lambeth between 1770 and the 1840s. The recipe was 60 per cent clay with additions of ground glass, flint and a little quartz. Coade stone was extremely resistant to weathering and corrosion caused by soot, important properties in smoggy 19th century London. The mixture was shaped in moulds to make unique items or low-cost mass products, and was fired four days long at a high, constant temperature. This technical achievement, and the fact that standard parts could be combined in varied ways for individual designs, made Coade stone popular for monuments and architectural adornment. Further examples of its use are the figures above the entrance of Twinings on The Strand (see p. 208), the tombs of the Sealy family and Captain Bligh (of the mutiny on the Bounty) in the churchyard of St Mary’s Lambeth (see p. 224), and architectural details in the chapel of the Old Naval College in Greenwich.
In 1837, the sculptor William Woodington made two lions to stand on top of the Red Lion Brewery on the south bank of the Thames. When the brewery was demolished in 1950 and the Festival of Britain was held on its site, the red paint was stripped from one lion and, at the wish of King George VI, the figure was placed in front of Waterloo Station. It came to the bridge in 1966. The second lion, shining gold, growls down at visitors from the gate of Twickenham rugby stadium.
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