There is archaeological evidence for scattered Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement nearby, but until a bridge was built there, London did not exist.D. Riley, in Burland, J.B., Standing, J.R., Jardine, F.M., Building Response to Tunnelling: Case Studies from Construction of the Jubilee line Extension, London, Volume 1, Thomas Telford, 2001, pp. 103 – 104. A few miles upstream, beyond the river's upper tidal reach, two ancient fords were in use. These were apparently aligned with the course of Watling Street, which led into the heartlands of the Catuvellauni, Britain's most powerful tribe at the time of Caesar's invasion of 54 BC. Some time before Claudius's conquest of AD 43, power shifted to the Trinovantes, who held the region northeast of the Thames Estuary from a capital at Camulodunum, nowadays Colchester in Essex. Claudius imposed a major colonia at Camulodunum, and made it the capital city of the new Roman province of Britannia. The first London Bridge was built by the Romans as part of their road-building programme, to help consolidate their conquest.The site of the new bridge determined the location of London itself. The alignment of Watling Street with the ford at Westminster (crossed via Thorney Island) is the basis for a mooted earlier Roman "London", sited in the vicinity of Park Lane. See Margary, Ivan D., Roman Roads in Britain, Vol. 1, South of the Foss Way – Bristol Channel, Phoenix House Lts, London, 1955, pp. 46 – 47.
There is archaeological evidence for scattered Neolithic Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement nearby but until a bridge was built there London did not existD Riley in Burland JB Standing JR Jardine FM Building Response to Tunnelling Case Studies from Construction of the Jubilee line Extension London Volume 1 Thomas Telford 2001 pp 103 – 104 A few miles upstream beyond the river's upper tidal reach two ancient fords were in use These were apparently aligned with the course of Watling Street which led into the heartlands of the Catuvellauni Britain's most powerful tribe at the time of Caesar's invasion of 54 BC Some time before Claudius's conquest of AD 43 power shifted to the Trinovantes who held the region northeast of the Thames Estuary from a capital at Camulodunum nowadays Colchester in Essex Claudius imposed a major colonia at Camulodunum and made it the capital city of the new Roman province of Britannia The first London Bridge was built by the Romans as part of their road-building programme to help consolidate their conquestThe site of the new bridge determined the location of London itself The alignment of Watling Street with the ford at Westminster (crossed via Thorney Island) is the basis for a mooted earlier Roman "London" sited in the vicinity of Park Lane See Margary Ivan D Roman Roads in Britain Vol 1 South of the Foss Way – Bristol Channel Phoenix House Lts London 1955 pp 46 – 47