Bloomers Hole Footbridge
Encyclopedia
Bloomers Hole Footbridge is a footbridge across the River Thames
in Oxfordshire
, England. It is situated on the reach above Buscot Lock
and was installed in 2000 to carry the Thames Path
across the Thames. It is built of steel encased in wood to make it look like a timber structure.
The Countryside Agency
commissioned Oxfordshire County Council
to design and build the bridge and the design was undertaken by Charlie Benner, the senior engineer. The bridge was installed in 2000. The two 27 metre eight tonne steel beams were put in place by a Chinook helicopter
from RAF Brize Norton
.
Bloomer's Hole is at a wide bend about quarter of a mile downstream of St John's Lock. The river winds tortuously along here, and although a cut of the river across Bloomer Meadow was mooted as early as 1802, it was never implemented.
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England. It is situated on the reach above Buscot Lock
Buscot Lock
Buscot Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England, near the village of Buscot, Oxfordshire.The lock was built of stone by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1790 and is the smallest on the River Thames...
and was installed in 2000 to carry the Thames Path
Thames Path
The Thames Path is a National Trail, opened in 1996, following the length of the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier at Charlton. It is about long....
across the Thames. It is built of steel encased in wood to make it look like a timber structure.
The Countryside Agency
Countryside Agency
The Countryside Agency in England was a statutory body set up in 1999 with the task of improving the quality of the rural environment and the lives of those living in it. The Agency was formed by merging the Countryside Commission and the Rural Development Commission...
commissioned Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council, established in 1889, is the county council, or upper-tier local authority, for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire, in the South East of England, an elected body responsible for the most strategic local government services in the county.-History:County Councils...
to design and build the bridge and the design was undertaken by Charlie Benner, the senior engineer. The bridge was installed in 2000. The two 27 metre eight tonne steel beams were put in place by a Chinook helicopter
CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
from RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney....
.
Bloomer's Hole is at a wide bend about quarter of a mile downstream of St John's Lock. The river winds tortuously along here, and although a cut of the river across Bloomer Meadow was mooted as early as 1802, it was never implemented.