Culham Bridge
Encyclopedia
Culham Bridge is a mediaeval bridge crossing a present backwater of the River Thames
in England at Culham
, Oxfordshire
, near the town of Abingdon
. The bridge crosses Swift Ditch
which was at one time the main navigation channel of the River Thames
until Abingdon Lock
was built in 1790. The bridge formerly carried the A415 road from Abingdon to Dorchester
, Oxfordshire, but was superseded in 1928 by a modern road bridge.
and a causeway across Andersey Island
. It is recorded that the completion of Abingdon Bridge severely damaged trade at Wallingford.
In the early seventeenth century the Oxford-Burcot Commission
constructed a lock at the top of Swift Ditch to direct navigation under Culham Bridge and this remained the main route of the Thames until Abingdon Lock was built in 1790.
During the English Civil War
the bridge had considerable strategic importance. After the Royalist
s left Abingdon in May 1644 the Parliamentarians seized Culham Bridge, and harried the royalist food convoys on the way to Oxford. The Royalists tried to recapture the bridge and demolish it in January 1645. This resulted in a skirmish on 11 January known as the battle of Culham Bridge. Sir Henry Gage
"while boldly leading his men in a third assault on the enemy... was hit by a bullet and killed".
In the eighteenth century the road was in a very bad state, leading to an Act of Parliament for its improvement. The bridge carried the main traffic until 1928, when the modern road bridge was built upstream of it and Culham Bridge became a pedestrian bridge.
During World War II
two concrete pill boxes
were built on the bridge, each weighing 250 tons and carrying anti-tank guns, and part of the parapet was removed to make way for a concrete platform. The bridge was subsequently restored and is classified as an ancient monument.
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 at Culham
Culham
Culham is a village and civil parish on the north bank of the River Thames, just over south of Abingdon in Oxfordshire.-Manor:The toponym comes from the Old English Cula's hamm, referring to the village's position in a bend of the Thames...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, near the town of Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
. The bridge crosses Swift Ditch
Swift Ditch
The Swift Ditch is a backwater of the River Thames in England, which was formerly the primary navigation channel. With the main river, it creates the large island of Andersey Island near Abingdon, Oxfordshire....
which was at one time the main navigation channel of the River Thames
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,...
until Abingdon Lock
Abingdon Lock
Abingdon Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England, less than 1 mile east and upstream of Abingdon, Oxfordshire on the opposite bank of the river...
was built in 1790. The bridge formerly carried the A415 road from Abingdon to Dorchester
Dorchester, Oxfordshire
Dorchester-on-Thames is a village and civil parish on the River Thame in Oxfordshire, about northwest of Wallingford and southeast of Oxford. Despite its name, Dorchester is not on the River Thames, but just above the Thame's confluence with it...
, Oxfordshire, but was superseded in 1928 by a modern road bridge.
History
Culham Bridge was built of stone between 1416 and 1422 to replace an ancient ford called Culham Hythe by a religious body known as The Brotherhood of Christ (later Christ's Hospital) who subsequently looked after its upkeep. It was built as part of an improvement scheme, together with the two bridges at AbingdonAbingdon Bridge
Abingdon Bridge consists of a pair of bridges across the River Thames at the town of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. It carries the A415 road from Abingdon to Dorchester, Oxfordshire – and crosses the Thames on the reach above Culham Lock, just below Abingdon Lock.The bridge is actually two...
and a causeway across Andersey Island
Andersey Island
Andersey Island is a large island in the River Thames in England near Abingdon, Oxfordshire on the reach above Culham Lock.The island is created by a division in the stream of the river between the main navigation channel and the Swift Ditch backwater. The Swift Ditch used to be the main course of...
. It is recorded that the completion of Abingdon Bridge severely damaged trade at Wallingford.
In the early seventeenth century the Oxford-Burcot Commission
Oxford-Burcot Commission
The Oxford-Burcot Commission was the first Commission concerned with the management of the River Thames, appointed by an Act of Parliament of 1605 by James I to make the stretch of river from Burcot to Oxford navigable. The Commission took responsibility for the management of the River Thames...
constructed a lock at the top of Swift Ditch to direct navigation under Culham Bridge and this remained the main route of the Thames until Abingdon Lock was built in 1790.
During the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
the bridge had considerable strategic importance. After the Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
s left Abingdon in May 1644 the Parliamentarians seized Culham Bridge, and harried the royalist food convoys on the way to Oxford. The Royalists tried to recapture the bridge and demolish it in January 1645. This resulted in a skirmish on 11 January known as the battle of Culham Bridge. Sir Henry Gage
Henry Gage (soldier)
Sir Henry Gage was an English Royalist officer.-Life:He was born at Haling, in Surrey, the son of John Gage and Margaret Copley...
"while boldly leading his men in a third assault on the enemy... was hit by a bullet and killed".
In the eighteenth century the road was in a very bad state, leading to an Act of Parliament for its improvement. The bridge carried the main traffic until 1928, when the modern road bridge was built upstream of it and Culham Bridge became a pedestrian bridge.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
two concrete pill boxes
British hardened field defences of World War II
British hardened field defences of World War II were small fortified structures constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations. They were popularly known as pillboxes by reference to their shape.-Design and development:...
were built on the bridge, each weighing 250 tons and carrying anti-tank guns, and part of the parapet was removed to make way for a concrete platform. The bridge was subsequently restored and is classified as an ancient monument.