The original wooden bridge, which replaced a ferry service that had operated since the mid-16th century, was built in the 1770s. Although dangerous and unpopular, as boats often collided with it, the bridge was the last surviving wooden bridge on the Thames in London. In 1885 it was demolished and replaced with the existing bridge. It is now the narrowest surviving road bridge over the Thames in London. Its location on a bend in the river still makes the bridge a hazard to shipping, and it has been closed many times due to collisions.