Christchurch Bridge, originally known as the Reading Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge, is a pedestrian and cycle bridge 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, s ...
at
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
in the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Culture, language and peoples
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
* ''English'', an Amish ter ...
county of
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
. The bridge links the centre of Reading on the south bank with the cross-river suburb, and former village, of
Caversham on the north bank. It crosses the river some above
Reading Bridge
Reading Bridge is a road bridge over the River Thames at Reading in the English county of Berkshire. The bridge links the centre of Reading on the south bank with the Lower Caversham area of the cross-river suburb, and former village, of Cav ...
, and immediately downstream of
Fry's Island
Fry's Island, also known as De Montfort Island, is an island in the River Thames in England. The island is on the reach above Caversham Lock at Reading, Berkshire. The centre of Reading is to the south and the suburb of Caversham to the imm ...
.
Design
The bridge was designed by
Design Engine Architects in collaboration with engineers
Peter Brett Associates, and opened on 30 September 2015. The bridge won a commendation in the 2016
Civic Trust Awards
The Civic Trust Awards scheme is a British awards scheme to recognise outstanding architecture, planning and design in the built environment. It was established in 1959, and is the longest-standing built environment awards scheme in Europe. The ...
.
cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge has one or more ''towers'' (or ''pylons''), from which wire rope, cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or wikt:stay#Etymology 3, stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, norm ...
has a river span, which is supported by 14 pairs of cables from a mast that is asymmetrically placed on the north bank of the river. The walkway ranges in width from to and divides to pass either side of the mast. The walkway and mast are illuminated by 234 LED
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (corresp ...
lights, of which 39 can be programmed to change colour.[
]
Name
The original bridge name was a working name, and Reading Borough Council
Reading Borough Council is the local authority for Reading in the county of Berkshire, England. Reading has had a council since at least 1542, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1998, the council has been a unitary authority, be ...
held a competition for a permanent name. The new name was confirmed as ''Christchurch Bridge'' at a council meeting on 22 March 2015. The name relates to Christchurch Meadows, the bridge's landing point in Caversham, which in turn is named after Christ Church in Oxford, whose dean owned of farmland in Reading. The name also reflects more recent links between Reading and Christ Church, which was involved in the foundation of the University of Reading
The University of Reading is a public research university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as the University Extension College, Reading, an extension college of Christchurch College, Oxford, and became University College, ...
.
Gallery
File:Reading Cycle and Pedestrian Bridge 04.jpg, The southern ramp
File:Reading Cycle and Pedestrian Bridge 05.jpg, Walkway and mast
File:Reading Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge 09.jpg, The bridge by night
See also
*List of crossings of the River Thames
The River Thames is the second-longest river in the United Kingdom, passes through the capital city, and has many crossings.
Counting every channel – such as by its islands linked to only one bank – it is crossed by over 300 brid ...
References
External links
*
* Time-lapse video of th
construction of the bridge
at YouTube
Bridges across the River Thames
Bridges completed in 2015
Bridges in Reading, Berkshire
Cable-stayed bridges in England
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