Richmond Bridge, London

Richmond Bridge
Coordinates51°27′26″N 0°18′26″W / 51.45725°N 0.30732°W / 51.45725; -0.30732
CarriesA305 road
CrossesRiver Thames
LocaleRichmond, London
Twickenham
Maintained byRichmond upon Thames London Borough Council
Characteristics
DesignStone arch bridge
MaterialPortland stone
Total length300 feet (91 m)
Width36 feet (11 m)
No. of spans5
Piers in water4
Clearance below26 feet (7.9 m) at lowest astronomical tide[1]
History
DesignerJames Paine, Kenton Couse
Opened1777; 247 years ago (1777)
Statistics
Daily traffic34,484 vehicles (2004)[2]
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameRichmond Bridge
Designated2 September 1952; 72 years ago (1952-09-02)
Reference no.1180951
Location
Map

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.

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.

  1. ^ Thames Bridges Heights, Port of London Authority, archived from the original on 20 July 2011, retrieved 25 May 2009
  2. ^ Cookson 2006, p. 316
  3. ^ Historic England (2 September 1952). "Richmond Bridge (1180951)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 December 2013.