Old Man's Bridge is a wooden footbridge across the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...

in Oxfordshire, England. It is situated on the reach above

Rushey Lock Rushey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is on the northern bank of the river in Oxfordshire, at a considerable distance from any village, the nearest being Buckland Marsh, a hamlet on the road to Buckland to the south of the ...

, a short way downstream of

Radcot Lock Radcot Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England just downstream of Radcot, Oxfordshire, on the southern bank. The lock was built by the Thames Conservancy in 1892 on the site of an old weir and flash lock. The weir is on the other side ...

. There was formerly a

weir A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

known as Old Man's Weir, or alternatively Harper's Weir, which had a footpath across it. This was an important crossing because it linked several towns. The weir had disappeared by 1868 but the bridge was still standing then as there were complaints about its poor state of repair. The weir piles were then removed and a new footbridge built. This bridge was also called the "High" bridge. By 1894 this "steep trestle with five openings had become unsafe and the present bridge was built."Fred. S. Thacker ''The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs'' 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles The original weir is not to be confused with "Old Nan's Weir" which was another weir downstream about a mile from Rushey Lock. Although the lock was built in 1790, the weir was not removed until 1868.

References

{{Oxfordshire-geo-stub Pedestrian bridges across the River Thames Bridges in Oxfordshire Bridges completed in 1894

See also

References