Osney Bridge is a road bridge across 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,...

 in Oxford

Oxford

The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...

, England, built in 1889 to replace a stone bridge which collapsed in 1885. It carries the Botley Road

Botley Road

Botley Road is the main arterial road into Oxford, England from the west. It stretches between Botley, on the Oxford Ring Road to the west of the city, and Frideswide Square at the junction with Oxford railway station, close to central Oxford....

 (A420

A420 road

The A420 is a road between Bristol and Oxford in England. Between Swindon and Oxford it is a primary route.-Present route:Since the opening of the M4 motorway, the road is in two sections. The first section begins on Old Market Street near the centre of Bristol, it passes through Kingswood before...

) from Botley

Botley, Oxfordshire

Botley is a village in the civil parish of North Hinksey, just west of the Oxford city boundary in the English county of Oxfordshire. It was in Berkshire until 1974, when it was transferred to Oxfordshire...

 into Oxford. 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, just above Osney Lock

Osney Lock

Osney Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is close to Oxford where the village or island of Osney is next to the river.The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris for the Thames Navigation Commission in 1790....

.

The original bridge was probably built by the monks of Osney Abbey

Osney Abbey

Osney Abbey or Oseney Abbey, later Osney Cathedral, was a house of Augustinian canons at Osney in Oxfordshire. The site is south of the modern Botley Road, down Mill Street by Osney Cemetery, next to the railway line just south of Oxford station. It was founded as a priory in 1129, becoming an...

, to carry the main road across the millstream of Osney Mill

Osney Mill

Osney Mill is a disused flour mill on a branch off the River Thames in Oxford, England. It is located south from the Botley Road down Mill Street.Close by is Osney Lock.To the east is Osney Cemetery and to the west is Osney Island....

 west from the island then known as Osney

Osney

Osney, Osney Island, or Osney Town is a riverside community in the west of the city of Oxford, England. It is located off the Botley Road, just west of the city's main railway station, on an island surrounded by the River Thames, known in Oxford as the Isis. Osney is part of the city council ward...

. By the early 17th century it was a three arch stone construction. In 1790 the millstream became the main navigation channel of the river, and the bridge became a serious obstruction to navigation by the mid 19th century. In 1885 the central arch collapsed leaving massive piers

Osney Bridge has the lowest headroom of any across the navigable Thames.