Swinford Toll Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name=Swinford Toll Bridge


caption=
official_name=
carries= B4044 road
crosses=River Thames
locale= Eynsham, Oxfordshire
maint=
id=
designer =
design=
material = Stone
spans =
pierswater
mainspan=
length=
width=
height=convert|14|ft|9|in|m
clearance=
below=
traffic=
open= 1769
closed=
toll= 5 pence per car
map_cue=
map_

map_text=
map_width=
coordinates= coord|51.7746|N|1.3596|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title
lat=
long=

Swinford Toll Bridge is a privately owned toll bridge south of Eynsham, England that crosses the River Thames just above Eynsham Lock.

The bridge, constructed in local stone in the Georgian style, was opened in 1769. It replaced a pre-existing ferry and its construction was funded by the Earl of Abingdon. [Fred. S. Thacker "The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs" 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles] The bridge is governed by its own Act of Parliament, [ "An Act for building a Bridge cross the River Thames, from Swinford, in the County of Berks, to Eynsham, in the County of Oxford", 7 George III, c. 63. dated 1767 (Ref No HL/PO/PU/1/1767/7G3n22).] It allows the bridge owner to collect tolls and makes the building of bridges across the river illegal for three miles either way up or down stream from Swinford. By repute, the owners do not pay tax on the revenue from the tolls as a from King George III. It is one of the two remaining toll bridges that cross the Thames upstream of London, the other being Whitchurch Bridge.

Nowadays it carries the B4044 road between Eynsham and Farmoor and charges a toll of GBP0.05 per car. Despite this small toll there is (as of 2006) a campaign to make it toll-free. Oxfordshire County Council estimates that 10,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day. The Toll collection causes significant traffic delays. An online poll in 2006 on the Witney Gazette website showed that 87.5% of voters want the tolls scrapped.

ee also

*Crossings of the River Thames

References

External links

* [http://www.eynsham.org/tollbridge.html Historical information from the Eynsham village website]
* [http://www.riverthames.co.uk/about_thames/3751.htm Some history]

River item line|upstream=Pinkhill Lock (pedestrian)
downstream=A34 Road Bridge (road)