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List of crossings of the River Thames
The River Thames is the second-longest river in the United Kingdom, passes through the capital city, and has many crossings.
Counting every channel – such as by its islands linked to only one bank – it is crossed by over 300 bridges. If taking cuts – excavated channels – to be measurements of river, its 185-mile (298 km) course west of Tilbury has 27 tunnels, six public ferries, one cable car link, and one ford. From end to end, a channel of the Thames can be seen, mostly its main flow, which is passed over by 138 bridges. These are listed here with 2 former bridges and a seasonal festival bridge. Over 162 other bridges link to such places as typical or man-made islands or across an array of corollary and lesser side channels (backwaters), particularly in and around Oxford and the non-village channel of Ashton Keynes — these are not listed.
The river's lower estuary is shallow – but wide – and has no crossing east of Tilbury, the easternmost half as most broadly defined which even extends to the end of the rivers Medway and Crouch.
Until sufficient crossings were established, the river provided a formidable barrier for most of its course – in post-Roman Britain during the Dark Ages, Belgic-Celtic tribal lands and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and subdivisions were defined by which side of the river they were on. In the latter's system of English counties continued by predominantly Norman England and for some centuries thereafter, the river formed a mutual limit of counties. After rising in Gloucestershire, the river flows between, on the north bank, the historic counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Middlesex and Essex; and on the south bank, the counties of Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey, and Kent. However the many permanent crossings that have been built over the centuries have changed the dynamics and made cross-river development and shared responsibilities more practicable.
In 1911, Caversham, on the north bank, was transferred into Berkshire. In 1965, with the creation of Greater London, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames united areas formerly in Middlesex and Surrey; and at the same time two urban districts in Middlesex (united in 1974) became part of Surrey. Further changes in 1974 moved some of the boundaries away from the river. For example, much of the north west of Berkshire including Wallingford, Abingdon and Wantage became part of Oxfordshire, and some southern parts of Buckinghamshire became part of Berkshire, including Slough, Eton and Wraysbury. The number of county councils has fallen (and some others have dwindled in area) in England in favour of increased localisation.
Lessening these last changes, in the sports of rowing and skiffing, the river banks are referred to by their traditional county names, and in football and cricket the traditional counties also often persist.
The original crossings over the Thames would all have been fords- typically on gravel beds. Well known ones include Wallingford and Oxford, but it is likely that there was a prehistoric ford where the Romans built London Bridge. In the upper reaches of the Thames, the river depth was raised by dams and in the lower reaches it was raised by embankments, so gradually most fords were lost. At least one regular ford remains, at Duxford.
Many of the present road bridges over the river are on the sites of earlier fords, ferries and wooden structures. The earliest known major crossings of the Thames by the Romans were at London Bridge and Staines Bridge. At Folly Bridge in Oxford the remains of the Saxon forerunner can be seen, and medieval stone ones such as Wallingford, Newbridge in west Oxfordshire and Abingdon Bridges are still in use. In today's south-west London lies Kingston Bridge, which was the only crossing between London Bridge and Staines until the beginning of the 18th century and has been twice widened since its completion.
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List of crossings of the River Thames AI simulator
(@List of crossings of the River Thames_simulator)
List of crossings of the River Thames
The River Thames is the second-longest river in the United Kingdom, passes through the capital city, and has many crossings.
Counting every channel – such as by its islands linked to only one bank – it is crossed by over 300 bridges. If taking cuts – excavated channels – to be measurements of river, its 185-mile (298 km) course west of Tilbury has 27 tunnels, six public ferries, one cable car link, and one ford. From end to end, a channel of the Thames can be seen, mostly its main flow, which is passed over by 138 bridges. These are listed here with 2 former bridges and a seasonal festival bridge. Over 162 other bridges link to such places as typical or man-made islands or across an array of corollary and lesser side channels (backwaters), particularly in and around Oxford and the non-village channel of Ashton Keynes — these are not listed.
The river's lower estuary is shallow – but wide – and has no crossing east of Tilbury, the easternmost half as most broadly defined which even extends to the end of the rivers Medway and Crouch.
Until sufficient crossings were established, the river provided a formidable barrier for most of its course – in post-Roman Britain during the Dark Ages, Belgic-Celtic tribal lands and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and subdivisions were defined by which side of the river they were on. In the latter's system of English counties continued by predominantly Norman England and for some centuries thereafter, the river formed a mutual limit of counties. After rising in Gloucestershire, the river flows between, on the north bank, the historic counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Middlesex and Essex; and on the south bank, the counties of Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey, and Kent. However the many permanent crossings that have been built over the centuries have changed the dynamics and made cross-river development and shared responsibilities more practicable.
In 1911, Caversham, on the north bank, was transferred into Berkshire. In 1965, with the creation of Greater London, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames united areas formerly in Middlesex and Surrey; and at the same time two urban districts in Middlesex (united in 1974) became part of Surrey. Further changes in 1974 moved some of the boundaries away from the river. For example, much of the north west of Berkshire including Wallingford, Abingdon and Wantage became part of Oxfordshire, and some southern parts of Buckinghamshire became part of Berkshire, including Slough, Eton and Wraysbury. The number of county councils has fallen (and some others have dwindled in area) in England in favour of increased localisation.
Lessening these last changes, in the sports of rowing and skiffing, the river banks are referred to by their traditional county names, and in football and cricket the traditional counties also often persist.
The original crossings over the Thames would all have been fords- typically on gravel beds. Well known ones include Wallingford and Oxford, but it is likely that there was a prehistoric ford where the Romans built London Bridge. In the upper reaches of the Thames, the river depth was raised by dams and in the lower reaches it was raised by embankments, so gradually most fords were lost. At least one regular ford remains, at Duxford.
Many of the present road bridges over the river are on the sites of earlier fords, ferries and wooden structures. The earliest known major crossings of the Thames by the Romans were at London Bridge and Staines Bridge. At Folly Bridge in Oxford the remains of the Saxon forerunner can be seen, and medieval stone ones such as Wallingford, Newbridge in west Oxfordshire and Abingdon Bridges are still in use. In today's south-west London lies Kingston Bridge, which was the only crossing between London Bridge and Staines until the beginning of the 18th century and has been twice widened since its completion.