Osney Bridge

Osney Bridge
Osney Bridge looking north from Osney Island
Carries	A420 road
Crosses	River Thames
Locale	Oxford
Maintained by	Oxfordshire County Council
Design	arch
Material	iron
Height	7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m)[1]
Number of spans	1
Opened	1889
Coordinates	51°45′10″N 1°16′23″W / 51.752694°N 1.273093°W / 51.752694; -1.273093Coordinates: 51°45′10″N 1°16′23″W / 51.752694°N 1.273093°W / 51.752694; -1.273093

Osney Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in Oxford, England, built in 1889 to replace a stone bridge which collapsed in 1885^[2]. It carries the Botley Road (A420) from Botley into Oxford. The Thames Path crosses the river on this bridge, just above Osney Lock.

The original bridge was probably built by the monks of Osney Abbey, to carry the main road across the millstream of Osney Mill west from the island then known as Osney.^[3] By the early 17th century it was a three arch stone construction. In 1790 the millstream became the main navigation channel of the river, and the bridge became a serious obstruction to navigation by the mid 19th century. In 1885 the central arch collapsed leaving massive piers^[4]

Osney Bridge has the lowest headroom of any across the navigable Thames.

See also

• Crossings of the River Thames

References

1. ^ "Bridge heights on the River Thames" (in English). River Thames Alliance.. http://www.visitthames.co.uk/text.asp?PageId=320. Retrieved 2009-05-14. 
2. ^ Eade, John (2005). "Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide" (in English). http://thames.me.uk/s01770.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-14. 
3. ^ Crossley, Alan; Elrington, C.R. (eds.); Chance, Eleanor; Colvin, Christina; Cooper, Janet; Day, C.J.; Hassall, T.G.; Selwyn, Nesta (1979). A History of the County of Oxford, Volume 4: Communications. Victoria County History. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22808#s3. 
4. ^ Thacker, Fred. S. (1920 - republished 1968) (in English). The Thames Highway: Volume II a history of the locks and weirs. 2. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. pp. 525 p. Bibcode 978153. ISBN 0715342320. 

View of bridge with mini-weir from the western side

Next crossing upstream	River Thames	Next crossing downstream
Medley Footbridge (pedestrian)	Osney Bridge	Osney Rail Bridge (railway)
Next crossing upstream	Thames Path	Next crossing downstream
northern bank Medley Footbridge	Osney Bridge	southern bank Abingdon Lock