Whitchurch Bridge
Encyclopedia
Whitchurch Bridge is a toll road bridge over the River Thames
in England
. It carries the road between the villages of Pangbourne
, Berkshire
, and Whitchurch-on-Thames
, Oxfordshire
, and crosses the river on the reach above Mapledurham Lock
, just before Whitchurch Lock
. The bridge has a weight limit of 7.5 tonnes.
Whitchurch Bridge is one of two remaining private toll bridge
s across the River Thames (the other being Swinford Toll Bridge
), being owned and maintained by The Company of Proprietors of Whitchurch Bridge entirely from toll receipts. The Company is empowered to collect tolls at any time of the day or night to finance its operations. However, tolls are normally collected only from 7 am until 9 pm on weekdays, 8 am to 8 pm on Saturdays, and 9 am to 8 pm on Sundays. Tolls currently range from 40p for cars to £2 for vehicles of over 3.5 tonnes.
In November 2008 the bridge company announced an application to the Department for Transport
to double the toll for cars to 40p which met with local opposition. A public inquiry was held in June 2009 and the toll increase was approved in October 2009; the new toll came into force on 26 October 2009.
The Thames Path
crosses the river on this bridge, but there is no charge for pedestrians.
There has been a bridge on the site since 1792, but the current bridge is the third on the site and dates from 1902. When it was opened, the charges were a halfpenny each for pedestrians, sheep, boars and pigs, and two pence for each and every wheel of a carriage.
The company states that it plans to rebuild the bridge in 2013. On 19 July 2010 the company announced that it has brought forward the date for commencing reconstruction of the bridge to October 2011.
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 England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It carries the road between the villages of Pangbourne
Pangbourne
Pangbourne is a large village and civil parish on the River Thames in the English county of Berkshire. Pangbourne is the home of the independent school, Pangbourne College.-Location:...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, and Whitchurch-on-Thames
Whitchurch-on-Thames
Whitchurch-on-Thames is a village and civil parish on the Oxfordshire bank of the River Thames, about northwest of Reading, Berkshire. Opposite Whitchurch on the Berkshire bank is the village of Pangbourne.-History:...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, and crosses the river on the reach above Mapledurham Lock
Mapledurham Lock
Mapledurham Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England. The lock was first built in 1777 by the Thames Navigation Commissioners and the present lock dates from 1908....
, just before Whitchurch Lock
Whitchurch Lock
Whitchurch Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England. It is a pound lock, built by the Thames Navigation Commissioners in 1787...
. The bridge has a weight limit of 7.5 tonnes.
Whitchurch Bridge is one of two remaining private toll bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
s across the River Thames (the other being Swinford Toll Bridge
Swinford Toll Bridge
Swinford Toll Bridge is a privately owned toll bridge south of Eynsham, England that crosses the River Thames just above Eynsham Lock. The bridge carries the road between Farmoor and Eynsham...
), being owned and maintained by The Company of Proprietors of Whitchurch Bridge entirely from toll receipts. The Company is empowered to collect tolls at any time of the day or night to finance its operations. However, tolls are normally collected only from 7 am until 9 pm on weekdays, 8 am to 8 pm on Saturdays, and 9 am to 8 pm on Sundays. Tolls currently range from 40p for cars to £2 for vehicles of over 3.5 tonnes.
In November 2008 the bridge company announced an application to the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
to double the toll for cars to 40p which met with local opposition. A public inquiry was held in June 2009 and the toll increase was approved in October 2009; the new toll came into force on 26 October 2009.
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....
crosses the river on this bridge, but there is no charge for pedestrians.
There has been a bridge on the site since 1792, but the current bridge is the third on the site and dates from 1902. When it was opened, the charges were a halfpenny each for pedestrians, sheep, boars and pigs, and two pence for each and every wheel of a carriage.
The company states that it plans to rebuild the bridge in 2013. On 19 July 2010 the company announced that it has brought forward the date for commencing reconstruction of the bridge to October 2011.