On the seven mile stretch of the Thames upstream from Hammersmith to Richmond there are nine bridges. I’ve always wondered when they were built.
The original 1827 Hammersmith Bridge couldn’t cope with the weight of traffic and today’s bridge, designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, opened in 1887. It still isn’t strong enough to support heavy vehicles and seems rather flimsy. It’s a favourite IRA target. They put bombs under it in 1939, 1996 and 2000 without much success. It’s Grade II listed.
Also Grade II listed is the 1849 Barnes Railway Bridge which is a pedestrian crossing as well. It is constructed of wrought iron and cast iron.
Now for a 20th century crossing: Chiswick Bridge, opened in 1933. It is reinforced concrete faced with 3,400 tons of Portland stone. Country Life praised the design as “reflecting in its general design the eighteenth century Palladian tradition of Lord Burlington’s famous villa at Chiswick”.
Kew Railway Bridge is another made of wrought iron girders and Grade II listed. It opened in 1869 and has had an uneventful life. In fact the only thing of mild interest is that the TARDIS materialised under it in a 1964 episode of Dr Who.
Next up is Kew Bridge, 1903. It is made of granite and is Grade II listed.
Richmond Lock and footbridge, 1894, is much the most interesting on this stretch but I’ve already written about it here and here.
Back to the 20th century for Twickenham Bridge, opened in 1933. It has three reinforced concrete arches with Art Deco embellishments; Grade II listed, natch. I have noticed a huge hinge under the span and it transpires there are three of them. These hinges enable the structure to adjust to changes in temperature, the first reinforced concrete bridge structure in the UK to use such an innovation.
Richmond Railway Bridge is another fine piece of Victorian engineering, opened in 1848. It is constructed of cast iron girders.
Richmond Bridge is the oldest of all; 1777, Grade I listed and the oldest surviving bridge across the Thames in London. It ‘soon became much admired for its design; an article in The London Magazine in 1779 said that the bridge was “a simple, yet elegant structure, and, from its happy situation, is … one of the most beautiful ornaments of the river … from whatever point of view the bridge is beheld, it presents the spectator with one of the richest landscapes nature and art ever produced by their joint efforts, and connoisseurs in painting will instantly be reminded of some of the best performances of Claude Lorraine. James Paine proudly illustrated it among the designs in the second volume of his Plans, Elevations, and Sections of Noblemen and Gentlemen’s Houses, 1783. Richmond Bridge was the subject of paintings by many leading artists, including Thomas Rowlandson, John Constable and local resident JMW Turner.’ (Wikipedia)
