Wallingford Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name= Wallingford Bridge


caption= Wallingford Bridge from downstream
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carries= Road
crosses=River Thames
locale= Wallingford
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material = Stone
spans = 22
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length=convert|900|ft|m
width=
height=convert|16|ft|5|in|m [River Thames Alliance. [http://www.visitthames.co.uk/text.asp?PageId=320 Bridge heights on the River Thames.] ]
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Wallingford Bridge is a medieval road bridge over the River Thames in England which connects Wallingford and Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire (historically in Berkshire until 1974 reorganization). It crosses the Thames on the reach between Cleeve Lock and Benson Lock. The bridge is 900 feet long and has 22 arches but most traffic now crosses Winterbrook Bridge, built as part of the by-pass to the south of the town in 1993.

History

The first reference to a bridge across the Thames between Wallingford and Crowmarsh Gifford is from 1141, when King Stephen besieged Wallingford Castle. The first stone bridge is credited to Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, and four remaining arches are believed to contain 13th century elements. It was the main route to Gloucester and South Wales until the bridges at Abingdon and Burford were built in 1415. Major repairs used stone from the dissolved Holy Trinity Priory in 1530. Four arches were removed so a drawbridge could be inserted during the siege of the castle in the Civil War of 1646, and these were replaced with timber structures until repair in 1751. Following a flood, three arches were rebuilt by Richard Clarke from 1810-1812 to a design by John Treacher (1760-1836) developed in 1809, and a parapet and balustrade added. [Fred. S. Thacker "The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs" 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles ]

See also

*Crossings of the River Thames

References

External links

* [http://uk.geocities.com/[e-mail]/history Wallingford History Gateway]
* [http://thames.me.uk/s01330.htm Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide: Images of Wallingford Bridge]

River bridge line
upstream=Benson Lock (pedestrian)|downstream=Winterbrook Bridge (road)
location = SU610894