The Windsor Bridge or Windsor Town Bridge, an iron and granite

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

over the

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

, is located between the towns of Windsor and Eton in the English county of

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Ber ...

. The Thames Path crosses the river here. The bridge carries pedestrian and cycle traffic, and crosses the Thames just above

Romney Lock Romney Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England near Windsor and Eton, about half a mile downstream of Windsor Bridge. It is on the Windsor side of the river next to a boatyard and adjoins Romney Island, a long strip-shaped ait in th ...

. It is a Grade II listed structure.

History

It is likely that the first bridge on this site was built in the 12th century AD. By 1172 it is recorded that Osbert de Bray derived over £4 from tolls levied on vessels passing beneath the bridge. In 1242, permission was granted for oak trees to be felled in Windsor Forest for the purpose of constructing a new bridge between Windsor and Eton. By 1819 the wooden bridge, presumably rebuilt many times over its life, had deteriorated and it was decided to build a new bridge in new materials.

Description

Construction on the current bridge was started in 1822 and it opened on 1 June 1824. The bridge has three

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vau ...

es, each comprising seven

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron– carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuri ...

segments, and is supported in mid-stream by two granite piers. Built as a road bridge, tolls were originally levied on traffic crossing the bridge. Following protests and a court case, ''The Mayor &c. of New Windsor and ano. v Joseph Taylor'', which went to the highest court at the time, these tolls were scrapped in 1897. In the 20th century the bridge carried the A332, the busy main road between

Slough Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the ...

and Windsor. In 1970, cracks were discovered in some of the cast iron segments, and despite local protests, but with almost equal support, it was decided to close the bridge to all motorised traffic. All such traffic between Windsor and Eton must now travel via the

Queen Elizabeth Bridge The Queen Elizabeth Bridge is a road bridge just to the west of the town of Windsor, Berkshire, England. The bridge carries the A332 Royal Windsor Way across the River Thames, on the reach between Romney Lock and Boveney Lock. The bridge w ...

on the Royal Windsor Way (formerly the Windsor and Eton relief road) to the west. For those approaching from

Old Windsor Old Windsor is a large village and civil parish, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It is bounded by the River Thames to the east and the Windsor Great Park to the west. Etymology The name originates from ol ...

Runnymede Runnymede is a water-meadow alongside the River Thames in the English county of Surrey, and just over west of central London. It is notable for its association with the sealing of Magna Carta, and as a consequence is, with its adjoining ...

, the Albert Bridge provides an alternative route via

Datchet Datchet is a village and civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England, located on the north bank of the River Thames. Historically part of Buckinghamshire, and the Stoke Hundred, the village was eventual ...

's High Street. In 2002 the bridge was refurbished, with repairs to the structure and new parapets including integral lighting. The bridge deck was replaced using

Yorkstone Yorkstone or York stone is a variety of sandstone, specifically from quarries in Yorkshire that have been worked since the middle ages. Yorkstone is a tight grained, Carboniferous sedimentary rock. The stone consists of quartz, mica, feldspar ...

and seating areas provided. The bridge remains in use by pedestrians and cyclists only; it provides an excellent walking route from central Windsor to Eton's High Street, and a good viewing spot for both the river and

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...

Proximity to railway stations

About east of the bridge is

Windsor & Eton Riverside railway station Windsor & Eton Riverside station is a station in Windsor, Berkshire, England. The station, close to the River Thames and Windsor Castle, is a Grade II listed building. It is down the line from and is the terminus of the Staines to Windsor L ...

, served by South Western Railway trains to

London Waterloo Waterloo station (), also known as London Waterloo, is a central London terminus on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom, in the Waterloo area of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is connected to a London Underground station o ...

, while

Windsor & Eton Central railway station Windsor & Eton Central station is one of two terminal stations serving the town of Windsor, Berkshire, England. Although a small part is still a railway station, most of the station building has been converted into a tourist-oriented shopping ce ...

, up the hill to the south-west, is served by

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...

trains to

for connecting services to

London Paddington Paddington, also known as London Paddington, is a Central London railway terminus and London Underground station complex, located on Praed Street in the Paddington area. The site has been the London terminus of services provided by the Great We ...

References

External links

* The Royal Windsor website.
The Town Bridge, Windsor, 1824
'. Retrieved 16 January 2006. * Windsor Berkshire website.
Eton Bridge, Windsor
'. Retrieved 17 March 2010. {{River item box , table=end , River= Thames Path , upstream = Northern bank

Maidenhead Bridge Maidenhead Bridge is a Grade I listed bridge carrying the A4 road over the River Thames between Maidenhead, Berkshire and Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. It crosses the Thames on the reach above Bray Lock, about half a mile below Boulter's ...

, downstream = Southern bank
Victoria Bridge Bridges across the River Thames Pedestrian bridges across the River Thames Bridges completed in 1824 Bridges in Berkshire Buildings and structures in Windsor, Berkshire Cast-iron arch bridges in England Former toll bridges in England Grade II listed buildings in Berkshire Eton, Berkshire Grade II listed bridges

History

Description

Proximity to railway stations

See also

References

External links