For over five decades, a whispered tale danced along the River Thames, echoing the peculiar nickname “The Ladies’ Bridge” for Waterloo Bridge. It was a charming notion—a yarn spun about women’s hands shaping this iconic London crossing during World War II. However, it remained a fable until 2015, when historian Christine Wall stumbled upon a trove of photographs, revealing the truth behind the legend: women indeed played a pivotal role in the bridge’s construction.
In collaboration with filmmaker Karen Livesey, Wall had previously delved into the forgotten tales of these wartime heroines in a documentary titled “The Ladies Bridge.” Through anecdotes and interviews, the film paints a vivid picture of a time when women seized opportunities in droves. While records of women’s contributions in other wartime industries abound, their presence in construction remained an overlooked chapter. Yet, as Wall’s research unveiled, women rolled up their sleeves and got to work, with around 350 of them joining the ranks to rebuild Waterloo Bridge.
As London’s skyline changed and the old bridge faced its twilight years, a new chapter began—one where women stood shoulder to shoulder with men, wielding acetylene torches and welding girders. These snapshots captured by The Daily Herald in 1944 weren’t just photographs; they were testaments to the grit and determination of women who, quite literally, built bridges. So, the next time you traverse Waterloo Bridge, take a moment to tip your hat to those unsung heroes whose hands shaped the cityscape, proving once and for all that women don’t just cross bridges—they build them too.
Women build bridges 