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'{{Infobox_Bridge |bridge_name =Richmond Bridge |image =Richmond Bridge from downstream Surrey bank.JPG |caption = |carries =[[A305 road]] |crosses =[[River Thames]] |locale =[[Richmond, London|Richmond]] |length ={{convert|300|ft|m}} |width ={{convert|36|ft|m}} |designer =[[James Paine]], [[Kenton Couse]] |design =[[Stone arch bridge]] |material =[[Portland stone]] |spans =5 |pierswater =4 |open =1777 |heritage =[[Listed buildings|Grade I listed structure]] |below ={{convert|26|ft|m|sigfig=2}} at [[lowest astronomical tide]]<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.pla.co.uk/display_fixedpage.cfm/id/174/site/navigation|title=Thames Bridges Heights|publisher=Port of London Authority|accessdate=2009-05-25}}</ref> |traffic =34,484 vehicles (2004)<ref name="Cookson316">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=316}}</ref> |coordinates ={{coord|51.45725|N|0.30732|W|region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(TQ177745)|display=inline,title}}<!-- Note: WGS84 lat/long, converted from OSGB36 grid ref --> }} '''Richmond Bridge''' is a [[listed building|Grade I listed]] 18th-century [[Arch bridge|stone-arched bridge]] which crosses the [[River Thames]] at [[Richmond, London|Richmond]], in south west London, England, connecting the two halves of the present-day [[London Borough of Richmond upon Thames]]. Because the river [[meander]]s from its general west to east direction to flow 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, after the [[Historic counties of England|historic counties]] to which each side once belonged. The bridge was built between 1774 and 1777 to the designs of [[James Paine]] and [[Kenton Couse]], as a replacement for a [[ferry]] crossing which connected Richmond town centre on the east bank with its neighbouring district of East Twickenham ([[St Margarets, London|St. Margarets]]) to the west. Its construction was privately funded by a [[tontine]] scheme, to pay for which [[toll bridge|tolls]] were charged until 1859. 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. ==Background== The small town of Sheen on the [[Surrey]] bank of the [[River Thames|Thames]], {{convert|10|mi|km}} west of the [[City of London]] or {{convert|16|mi|km}} by river, had been the site of a royal [[palace]] since 1299. After it was destroyed by fire in 1497, [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] built a new palace on the site, naming it [[Richmond Palace]] after his historic title of [[Earl of Richmond]], and the central part of Sheen became known as [[Richmond, London|Richmond]].<ref name="Matthews25">{{Harvnb|Matthews|2008|p=25.}}</ref> Although a [[ferry]] had almost certainly existed at the site of the present-day bridge since [[Normans|Norman]] times,<ref name="Cookson24">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=24}}</ref> the earliest known crossing of the river at Richmond dates from 1439.<ref>{{citation | last =Reynolds | first =Susan | title = Twickenham: Introduction | journal =[[Victoria County History]]. A History of the County of Middlesex | volume =3 | pages =139–147 | year =1962 | url =http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22287 | accessdate =2007-12-30 }}</ref> The service was owned by the Crown, and operated by two boats, a small [[skiff]] for the transport of passengers and a larger boat for horses and small [[cart]]s;<ref name="Matthews25" /> the [[Twickenham Ferry]], slightly upstream, was also in service from at least 1652.<ref>{{citation | title =Twickenham Ferry | publisher =The Twickenham Museum | url =http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk/detail.asp?ContentID=172 | accessdate =2007-12-30 }}</ref> However, due to the steepness of the hill leading to the shore-line on the Surrey side neither ferry service was able to transport [[carriage]]s or heavily laden carts,<ref name="Crisp315">{{Harvnb|Crisp|1866|p=315.}}</ref> forcing them to make a very lengthy detour via [[Kingston Bridge, London|Kingston Bridge]].<ref name="Matthews25" /> [[File:Richmond Bridge site (Rocque).jpg|left|300px|thumb|Richmond, Twickenham Park and the route of the Richmond Ferry in 1746]] In the 18th century Richmond and neighbouring [[Twickenham]] on the opposite bank of the Thames, both of which were distant from London but enjoyed efficient transport links to the city via the river, became extremely fashionable, and their populations began to grow rapidly.<ref name="Matthews25" /> As the ferry was unable to handle large loads and was often cancelled due to weather conditions, the river crossing became a major traffic [[bottleneck (traffic)|bottleneck]].<ref name="Cookson25">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=25}}</ref> Local resident William Windham had been sub-tutor to [[Prince William, Duke of Cumberland]], and was the former husband of Mary, Lady Deloraine, mistress to [[George II of Great Britain|George II]].<ref name="Cookson26">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=26}}</ref> As a reward for his services, George II leased Windham the right to operate the ferry until 1798.<ref name="Cookson26" /><ref name="Crisp313">{{Harvnb|Crisp|1866|p=313.}}</ref> William sub-let the right to operate the ferry to local resident Henry Holland.<ref name="Cookson26" /> With the ferry unable to serve the demands of the area, in 1772 Windham sought Parliamentary approval to replace the ferry with a wooden bridge, to be paid for by tolls.<ref name="Matthews25" /> ==Design== The plans for a wooden bridge proved unpopular, and in 1772 the [[Richmond Bridge Act 1772|Richmond Bridge Act]] was passed by Parliament, selecting 90 commissioners (including landscape architect [[Lancelot "Capability" Brown]], historian and politician [[Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford|Horace Walpole]] and playwright and actor [[David Garrick]], both of whom had villas in the vicinity) to oversee the construction of a stone bridge on the site of the ferry. The Act stipulated that no tax of any sort could be used to finance the bridge, and fixed a scale of tolls, ranging from {{frac|1|2}}[[Penny (British pre-decimal coin)|d]] for a pedestrian to 2[[Shilling (British coin)|s]]&nbsp;6d for a coach drawn by six horses (about 50p and £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|0.125|1772}}|0}} respectively as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}).<ref name="Cookson27">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=27}}</ref>{{Inflation-fn|UK}} Henry Holland was granted £5,350 (about £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|5350|1773|r=-2}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}) compensation for the loss of the ferry service.<ref name="Cookson27" />{{Inflation-fn|UK}} The commission appointed [[James Paine]] and [[Kenton Couse]] to design and build the new bridge.<ref name="Matthews26">{{Harvnb|Matthews|2008|p=26.}}</ref> [[File:Richmond Bridge from west.jpg|left|thumb|Richmond Bridge]] The Act specified that the bridge was to be built on the site of the existing ferry "or as much lower down the river as the Commission can settle".<ref name="Cookson27" /> Local residents lobbied for it to be built at Water Lane, a short distance downstream from the ferry site. The approach to the river was relatively flat, avoiding the steep slope to the existing ferry pier on the Surrey bank. However, the [[Henrietta Pelham-Holles, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne|Dowager Duchess of Newcastle]] refused to allow the approach road on the Middlesex bank to pass through her land at Twickenham Park,<ref name="Matthews26" /> and the commission was forced to build on the site of the ferry, despite a steep 1 in 16 (6.25%) incline.<ref name="Cookson28">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=28}}</ref> The bridge was designed as a stone-arched bridge of {{convert|300|ft|m}} in length<ref name="Milner321">{{Harvnb|Milner|1839|p=321.}}</ref> and {{convert|24|ft|9|in|m}} in width,<ref name="Cookson35">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=35}}</ref> supported by five elliptical arches of varying heights. The tall {{convert|60|ft|m|adj=on}} wide central span was designed to allow shipping to pass, giving Richmond Bridge a distinctive [[Humpback bridge|humpbacked]] appearance.<ref name="Ruddock109">{{Harvnb|Ruddock|1979|p=109.}}</ref> It was built in [[Portland stone]],<ref name="Cookson28" /> and ran between Ferry Hill (Bridge Street today) on the Surrey side and Richmond Road on the Middlesex side; sharp curves in the approach roads on the Middlesex side (still in existence today) were due to the need to avoid the Dowager Duchess of Newcastle's land at Twickenham Park.<ref name="Matthews26" /> [[Palladian architecture|Palladian]] [[toll house]]s were built in alcoves at each end.<ref name="Matthews26" /> ==Construction== [[File:Richmond Bridge obelisk.JPG|right|thumb|upright|The milestone at the Surrey end of the bridge]] The building was put out to tender, and on 16 May 1774 Thomas Kerr was awarded the contract to build the bridge for the sum of £10,900 (about £{{formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|10900|1774|r=-3}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}).<ref name="Cookson29">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=29}}</ref>{{Inflation-fn|UK}} With additional costs, such as compensating landowners and building new approach roads, total costs came to approximately £26,000 (about £{{formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|26000|1773|r=-3}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}).<ref name="Lysons351">{{Harvnb|Lysons|1810|p=351.}}</ref>{{Inflation-fn|UK}} Most of the money needed was raised from the sale of shares at £100 each (approximately £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|100|1773|r=-2}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}) in two [[tontine]] schemes, the first for £20,000 and the second for £5,000. The first was appropriately called the Richmond-Bridge Tontine,<ref name="Lysons351" />{{Inflation-fn|UK}} but when it became clear that the initial £20,000 would not be sufficient to complete construction a second tontine was set up.<ref name="Crisp320">{{Harvnb|Crisp|1866|p=320.}}</ref> Each investor was guaranteed a return of 4% per annum, so £1,000 per annum from the income raised from tolls was divided amongst the investors in the two tontines. On the death of a shareholder their share of the dividend was divided among the surviving shareholders.<ref name="Matthews26" /> To avoid fraud, each investor was obliged to sign an affidavit that they were alive before receiving their dividend.<ref name="Cookson29" /><ref group="n">The tontine shares were transferable, although the payment of the dividend relied on the survival of the original investor.</ref> Any revenue over the £1,000 per annum required to pay the investors was held in a general fund for the maintenance of the bridge.<ref name="Crisp320" /> Construction began on 23&nbsp;August 1774.<ref name="Lysons351" /> The [[George IV of the United Kingdom|Prince of Wales]] was invited to lay the first stone but declined, and so the stone was laid by commission member [[Henry Hobart (MP)|Henry Hobart]].<ref name="Cookson30">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=30}}</ref> The bridge opened to pedestrians in September 1776 and to other traffic in January 1777, at which time the ferry service was closed,<ref name="Matthews26" /> although work on the bridge was not completed until December 1777.<ref name="Lysons351" /> A large [[milestone]] was placed at the Richmond end, giving the distances to other bridges and to local towns.<ref name="Cookson31">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=31}}</ref> ==Operation== There was no formal opening ceremony, and little initial recorded public reaction.<ref name="Cookson31" /> However, the bridge soon became much admired for its design; an article in ''[[The London Magazine]]'' in 1779 wrote that "[the bridge] 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 Lorrain]]e".<ref>''The London Magazine'', September 1779, quoted in {{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=31}}</ref> 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.<ref>[[Howard Colvin]], ''A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840'', 3rd ed. (Yale University Press), 1995, ''s.v.'' "James Paine". The volume was reprinted by the Gregg Press in 1967</ref> Richmond Bridge was the subject of paintings by many leading artists, including [[Thomas Rowlandson]], [[John Constable]] and local resident [[J. M. W. Turner]].<ref name="Matthews26" /> [[File:Rowlandson Richmond Bridge.jpg|left|thumb|''Richmond Bridge'' by [[Thomas Rowlandson]], ''c''.&nbsp;1810]] Severe penalties were imposed for vandalising the bridge. The Richmond Bridge Act 1772 specified that the punishment for "willful or malicious damage" to the bridge should be "transportation to one of His Majesty's Colonies in America for the space of seven years". A warning against damage can still be seen on the milestone at the Surrey end of the bridge.<ref name="Matthews26" /> Richmond Bridge was a commercial success, generating £1,300 per annum in tolls (about £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|1300|1810|r=-1}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}) in 1810.<ref name="Lysons351" />{{Inflation-fn|UK}} By 1822, the company had accumulated a sufficient surplus that all vehicle tolls were reduced to one penny.<ref name="Cookson33">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=33}}</ref> [[File:Richmond Bridge tollbooth site.JPG|right|thumb|Alcove on the site of a former tollbooth]] On 10&nbsp;March 1859 the last subscriber to the main tontine died, having for over five years received the full £800 per annum set aside for subscribers to the first tontine, and with the death of its last member the scheme expired.<ref name="Crisp322">{{Harvnb|Crisp|1866|p=322.}}</ref><ref group="n">The smaller second tontine continued until the death of its last shareholder in 1865, paying a total of £200 per annum; for the last six years this was paid from the accumulated toll revenues of previous years.</ref> On 25&nbsp;March 1859 Richmond Bridge became toll-free.<ref name="Crisp323">{{Harvnb|Crisp|1866|p=323.}}</ref> A large procession made its way to the bridge, where a team of labourers symbolically removed toll gates from their hinges.<ref name="Crisp323" /> The toll houses were demolished, replaced by seating in 1868; investment income from the revenue accumulated during the 83&nbsp;years the tolls had been charged was sufficient to pay for the bridge's maintenance.<ref name="Matthews26" /> In 1846 the first railway line reached Richmond. Richmond Gasworks opened in 1848, and Richmond began to develop into a significant town.<ref name="MitchellXVI">{{Harvnb|Mitchell|Smith|1996}} § XVI.</ref> The [[Metropolitan District Railway]] (later the [[District line]]) reached Richmond in 1877, connecting it to the [[London Underground]]. Commuting to central London became feasible and affordable, leading to further population growth in the previously relatively isolated Richmond and Twickenham areas.<ref name="Demuth6">{{Harvnb|Demuth|2003|p=6.}}</ref> ==20th-century remodelling== By the early 20th century the bridge was proving inadequate for the increasing traffic, particularly with the introduction of motorised transport, and a {{convert|10|mph}} speed limit was enforced.<ref name="Matthews27">{{Harvnb|Matthews|2008|p=27.}}</ref> With the remaining investment income from tolls insufficient to pay for major reconstruction, on 31 March 1931 the bridge was taken into the joint public ownership of Surrey and Middlesex councils, and proposals were made to widen it.<ref name="Cookson34">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=34}}</ref> The plans were strongly opposed on aesthetic grounds, and the decision was taken to build instead a new bridge a short distance downstream to relieve traffic pressure.<ref name="Cookson34" /> [[File:Richmond Bridge arches.JPG|thumb|left|The join between the narrow 1770s structure and the paler 1930s widening is clearly visible under the bridge arches]] The new [[Twickenham Bridge]] opened in 1933, but Richmond Bridge was still unable to handle the volume of traffic, so in 1933 [[Harley Dalrymple-Hay|Sir Harley Dalrymple-Hay]] proposed possible methods for widening the bridge without significantly affecting its appearance.<ref name="Cookson34" /> The cheapest of Dalrymple-Hay's proposals, to transfer the footpaths onto stone [[corbel]]s projecting from the sides of the bridge thus freeing the entire width for vehicle traffic, was rejected on aesthetic grounds, and a proposal to widen the bridge on both sides was rejected as impractical. A proposal to widen the bridge on the upstream side was settled on as causing the least disruption to nearby buildings,<ref name="Cookson34" /> and in 1934 it was decided to widen the bridge by {{convert|11|ft|m}}, at a cost of £73,000 (about £{{formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|73000|1934|r=-3}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}).{{Inflation-fn|UK}}<ref name="Cookson34" /> The [[Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company]] of [[Darlington]] was appointed to carry out the rebuilding.<ref name="Cookson34" /> In 1937 each stone on the upstream side was removed and numbered and the bridge widened; the stone facing of the upstream side was then reassembled and the bridge reopened to traffic in 1940.<ref name="Matthews27" /> Throughout the redevelopment, a single lane of traffic was kept open at all times.<ref name="Cookson35" /> It was found that the 18th-century foundations, consisting of wooden platforms sunk into the river bed, had largely rotted away, and they were reinforced with steel pilings and concrete foundations.<ref name="Cookson35" /> During the widening works the opportunity was also taken to lower slightly the roadbed at the centre of the bridge and raise the access ramps, reducing the humpbacked nature of the bridge's central section.<ref name="Matthews28">{{Harvnb|Matthews|2008|p=28.}}</ref> ==Legacy== [[File:Richmond Bridge lamp.JPG|right|thumb|upright|Victorian gas lamp post on Richmond Bridge]] James Paine went on to design three other Thames bridges after Richmond, at [[Chertsey Bridge|Chertsey]] (1783), [[Kew Bridge|Kew]] (1783), and [[Walton Bridge|Walton]] (1788). Paine and Couse renewed their working relationship on the design of Chertsey Bridge, the only one of the three still in existence.<ref name="Matthews26" /> Paine became [[High Sheriff of Surrey]] in 1783.<ref name="Ruddock107">{{Harvnb|Ruddock|1979|p=107.}}</ref> In 1962, Richmond Council announced the replacement of the [[gas lighting|gaslamps]] on the bridge with electric lighting.<ref name="Matthews28" /> The [[Richmond Society]], a local pressure group, protested at the change to the character of the bridge, and succeeded in forcing the council to retain the Victorian gas lamp-posts, converted to electric light, which remain in place today.<ref name="Cookson35" /> In the history of Richmond Bridge there have only been two reported serious collisions between boats and the bridge. On 20 March 1964, three boats tied together at [[Eel Pie Island]], {{convert|1+1/2|mi|km}} upstream, broke from their moorings in a storm and were swept downstream, colliding with the bridge. Although no serious damage was caused to the bridge, the ''Princess Beatrice'', an 1896 steamer once used by [[Gilbert and Sullivan]], was damaged beyond repair.<ref name="Cookson35" /> On 30 January 1987, the ''Brave Goose'', the £3,500,000 [[yacht]] of [[National Car Parks]] founder [[Donald Gosling|Sir Donald Gosling]], became wedged under the central arch of the bridge, eventually being freed at low tide the next day.<ref name="Cookson36">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=36}}</ref> The eighth Thames bridge to be built in what is now [[Greater London]],<ref name="Cookson23">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=23}}</ref> Richmond Bridge is currently the oldest surviving bridge over the Thames in Greater London,<ref group="n">[[London Bridge]] (''circa'' 55 AD), [[Kingston Bridge, London|Kingston Bridge]] (date of construction unrecorded, but renovated in 1193 so dating from the mid-12th century at the latest), [[Putney Bridge]] (1729), [[Westminster Bridge]] (1739), [[Hampton Court Bridge]] (1752), [[Kew Bridge]] (1759), [[Blackfriars Bridge]] (1769) and [[Battersea Bridge]] (1771) predate Richmond Bridge, but have all been demolished and replaced since the construction of Richmond Bridge.</ref> and the oldest Thames bridge between the sea and [[Abingdon Bridge]] in Oxfordshire. Richmond Bridge was [[Grade I listed]] in 1952.<ref>{{IoE|205650}}. Images of England website. Retrieved on 2008-11-27.</ref> Its bicentenary was celebrated on 7 May 1977; the commemoration was held four months after the actual anniversary of 12 January, to avoid poor weather conditions.<ref name="Cookson37">{{Harvnb|Cookson|2006|p=37}}</ref> <br clear="all" /> ==References== ;Notes {{Reflist|group=n}} ;References {{Reflist|colwidth=25em}} ;Bibliography {{commonscat}} {{refbegin}} * {{citation|last=Cookson|first=Brian|title=Crossing the River|publisher=Mainstream|location=Edinburgh|year=2006|isbn=1 840189 76 2|oclc=63400905}} * {{citation|last=Crisp|first=Richard|title=Richmond and its Inhabitants From the Olden Time|publisher=Sampson Low, Son, and Marston|location=London|year=1866|oclc=4770939}} * {{citation|last=Demuth|first=Tim|title=The Spread of London's Underground|publisher=Capital Transport|location=Harrow Weald|year=2003|isbn=1 854142 66 6}} * {{citation|last=Lysons|first=Daniel|coauthors=Lysons|others=Samuel|title=The Environs of London|publisher=T. Cadell and W. Davies|location=London|year=1810|oclc=4675204}} * {{citation|last=Matthews|first=Peter|title=London's Bridges|publisher=Shire|location=Oxford|year=2008|isbn=978 0 7478 0679 0|oclc=213309491}} * {{citation|last=Milner|first=William|title=The Wonders of Nature and Art: Comprising Nearly Three Hundred of the Most Remarkable Curiosities and Phenomena in the Known World|publisher=William Milner|location=London|year=1839|oclc=9406884}} * {{citation|last1=Mitchell|first1=Vic|last2=Smith|first2=Keith|title=Willesden Junction to Richmond|publisher=Middleton Press|location=Midhurst|year=1996|isbn=1 873793 71 5|oclc=36121985}} * {{citation|last=Ruddock|first=Ted|title=Arch Bridges and Their Builders 1735-1835|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|year=1979|isbn=0 521218 16 0|oclc=3447021}} {{refend}} {{Crossings navbox |structure = [[Crossings of the River Thames|Crossings]] |place = [[River Thames]] |upstream=[[Hammerton's Ferry]]|downstream=[[Richmond Railway Bridge]]|bridge = {{PAGENAME}}<br>[[British national grid reference system|Grid reference]]: {{gbm4ibx|TQ177745}} }} {{featured article}} [[Category:Bridges completed in the 1770s]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Richmond upon Thames]] [[Category:Bridges and tunnels in London]] [[Category:Bridges across the River Thames]] [[Category:Thames Path]] [[Category:Grade I listed buildings in London]] [[Category:Stone bridges]] [[Category:Arch bridges]] [[de:Richmond Bridge]]'