Abingdon Bridge

Infobox Bridge
bridge_name = Abingdon Bridge


caption = Abingdon Bridge, looking downstream from the top of Nag's Head Island
official_name =
carries = A415 road
crosses = River Thames
locale = Abingdon, Oxfordshire
maint = Oxfordshire County Council
id =
design = Arch bridge
material = stone
spans = 6
pierswater = 5
mainspan =
length =
width =
height =
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clearance =
below =
traffic =
begin =
complete = 1416, restored 1927
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long = Infobox Bridge
bridge_name = Burford Bridge


caption = Burford Bridge at Abingdon from downstream
official_name =
carries =
crosses =
locale =
maint =
id =
design = Arch bridge
material = stone
spans = 7
pierswater = 3
mainspan =
length =
width =
height = 4.24 m (13 ft, 11 in)cite web
url=http://www.the-river-thames.co.uk/bridgeheights.htm
title=The River Thames – Bridge lists and statistics
accessdate=2008-04-21]
load =
clearance =
below =
traffic =
begin =
complete = 1453, restored 1927
open =
closed =
toll =
map_cue =
map_

map_text =
map_width =
coordinates =
lat =
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Abingdon Bridge consists of a pair of bridges across the River Thames at the town of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. It carries the A415 road from Abingdon to Dorchester, Oxfordshire – and crosses the Thames on the reach above Culham Lock, just below Abingdon Lock.

The bridge is actually two bridges, separated by Nag's Head Island [cite web
url=http://www.francisfrith.com/search/england/oxfordshire/abingdon/abingdon.htm
title=Francis Frith – Abingdon photos, maps, books, memories
accessdate=2008-04-21] . Abingdon Bridge is the northern part towards the town which has six arches and crosses the backwater and mill stream. The southern part is technically called Burford Bridge and has one main arch and four minor arches at the river and two minor arches on the floodplain. This crosses the main navigation channel. Furthermore to complete the Thames crossing, Culham Bridge crossing the Swift Ditch should also be considered as an extension.

History

Abingdon Bridge was begun as a stone bridge in 1416, and it is recorded that the completion of Abingdon Bridge severely damaged trade at Wallingford. [Fred. S. Thacker "The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs" 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles ] It was constructed by a religious body known as The Brotherhood of Christ (later Christ's Hospital), assisted by local wool and cloth merchants, to replace a previous timber bridge or possibly a ferry . [cite web
url=http://thames.me.uk/s01510.htm
title=Thames Bridge Abingdon
accessdate=2008-04-21]

In 1453 "three new arches" were added at the southern end of the bridge, this becoming known as Burford Bridge. This description makes no reference to the two pairs of much small arches to each side of the central arches. There was considerable expenditure on the bridge in 1790 when Abingdon Lock was opened, following previous objections that there was insufficient draught under the bridge for navigational purposes. [Fred. S. Thacker "The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs" 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles ] The latest occasion when the bridge was reconstructed was in 1927.

ee also

*Crossings of the River Thames

References

External links

* [http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0011308 Structurae database]