Windsor Bridge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Windsor Bridge or Windsor Town Bridge, is a bridge over the River Thames between the towns of Windsor and Eton in the English county of Berkshire.

Windsor Town Bridge Built 1824 & now pedestrianised

Plaque on Windsor Town Bridge

It is likely the first bridge on this site was built in the 1100s. By 1172 it is recorded that Osbert de Bray derived over £4 from tolls levied on vessels passing beneath the bridge. In 1242, permission was granted for oak trees to be felled in Windsor Forest for the purpose of constructing a new bridge between Windsor and Eton. By 1819 the wooden bridge, presumably rebuilt many times over its life, had deteriorated and it was decided to build a new bridge in new materials.

Construction on the current bridge was started in 1822 and it opened on June 1, 1824. The bridge has three arches, each comprising seven cast iron segments, and supported in mid-stream by two granite piers.

Built as a road bridge, tolls were originally levied on traffic crossing the bridge. Following protests and a court case, these tolls were scrapped in 1897. In 1970, cracks were discovered in some of the cast iron segments, and despite local protests it was decided to close the bridge to all vehicular traffic. All such traffic must now travel between Windsor and Eton via the Queen Elizabeth Bridge on Windsor's by-pass.

In 2002 the bridge was refurbished, with repairs to the structure and new parapets including integral lighting. The bridge deck was replaced using York stone and seating areas provided. The bridge remains in use by pedestrians only and provides an excellent walking route from central Windsor to Eton's High Street, and a good viewing spot for both the river and Windsor Castle.

[edit] See also

Crossings of the River Thames

[edit] References

The Royal Windsor website. The Town Bridge, Windsor, 1824. Retrieved January 16, 2006.

Next crossing upstream	River Thames	Next crossing downstream
Windsor Railway Bridge (railway) Queen Elizabeth Bridge (road)	Windsor Bridge Grid reference: SU967772	Black Pott's Railway Bridge (railway) Victoria Bridge (road)