Richmond Bridge, London
18th-century stone arch bridge in London, England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Richmond Bridge is an 18th-century stone arch bridge that crosses the River Thames at Richmond, connecting the two halves of the present-day London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It was designed by James Paine and Kenton Couse.
Richmond Bridge | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 51.45725°N 0.30732°W / 51.45725; -0.30732 |
Carries | A305 road |
Crosses | River Thames |
Locale | Richmond, London Twickenham |
Maintained by | Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council |
Characteristics | |
Design | Stone arch bridge |
Material | Portland stone |
Total length | 300 feet (91 m) |
Width | 36 feet (11 m) |
No. of spans | 5 |
Piers in water | 4 |
Clearance below | 26 feet (7.9 m) at lowest astronomical tide[1] |
History | |
Designer | James Paine, Kenton Couse |
Opened | 1777; 247 years ago (1777) |
Statistics | |
Daily traffic | 34,484 vehicles (2004)[2] |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
Official name | Richmond Bridge |
Designated | 2 September 1952; 71 years ago (1952-09-02) |
Reference no. | 1180951 |
Location | |
The bridge, which is Grade I listed,[3] was built between 1774 and 1777, as a replacement for a ferry crossing which connected Richmond town centre on the east bank with its neighbouring district of East Twickenham to the west. Its construction was privately funded by a tontine scheme, for which tolls were charged until 1859. Because the river meanders from its general west to east direction, flowing from southeast to northwest in this part of London, what would otherwise be known as the north and south banks are often referred to as the "Middlesex" (Twickenham) and "Surrey" (Richmond) banks respectively, named after the historic counties to which each side once belonged.
The bridge was widened and slightly flattened in 1937–40, but otherwise still conforms to its original design. The eighth Thames bridge to be built in what is now Greater London, it is today the oldest surviving Thames bridge in London.