Poole Bridge

Poole Bridge (also known as Poole Lifting Bridge) is a bascule bridge in Poole, Dorset, constructed in 1927. Situated on the western end of Poole Quay, the bridge provides a road link across a busy shipping channel between Poole's town centre and the suburb of Hamworthy, avoiding a journey of convert|11|km|mi around Holes Bay. [cite web | url = http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/twa/ir/theboroughofpoolepooleharbou5657?page=5 | title = Poole Harbour Opening Bridges | publisher = Department for Transport | year = 2008 | accessdate = 2008-08-29]

History

The existing bridge is the third to be located on the site. William Ponsonby, a Member of Parliament for Poole, was responsible for building the first bridge from Poole to Hamworthy in 1834. Ponsonby promoted his own Act of Parliament to build the wooden toll bridge. However, the bridge had a steep gradient that caused problems for horses. The bridge was replaced in 1885 by an iron swing bridge with gentler approach gradients. [cite web | url = http://www.welcometopoole.co.uk/history/story4.htm | title = History of Poole | publisher = Welcome to Poole | year = 2008 | accessdate = 2008-08-29] It was also privately owned and collected tolls up until 1926, when it was purchased by the Borough of Poole and replaced with the third and present bridge which opened in 1927. It has seven time-tabled lifts a day and another ten unscheduled lifts for commercial boats and it is estimated to lift over 6,000 times a year. [cite web | url = http://www.boroughofpoole.com/go.php?structureID=U46406a60875e7&ref=S464989E0D0BC4 | title = Existing Lifting Bridge | publisher = Borough of Poole | year = 2008 | accessdate = 2008-08-29]

References

External Links

[http://www.poole.gov.uk Borough of Poole]