St. John's Bridge, Lechlade
Encyclopedia
St John's Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames
near Lechlade
, England. It carries the A417 road
between Lechlade and Faringdon
, and crosses the Thames just at the lower end of St John's Lock
.
The present bridge was built in 1886. The original bridge was built by a local prior in 1229 on the line of an old ford and there have been bridges on the site since then. For many centuries until the building of the lock, there were tolls for passing through the bridge. When the lock was built a new bridge was also built but this was in danger of collapse after a few years. It was rebuilt in 1820, but this version had become dilapidated by 1879 when the construction of the present bridge was ordered.
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,...
near Lechlade
Lechlade
Lechlade, or Lechlade-on-Thames, is a town at the southern edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. It is the highest point at which the River Thames is navigable. The town is named after the River Leach that joins the Thames near here....
, England. It carries the A417 road
A417 road
-Streatley - Gloucester :It runs from Streatley at its junction with the A329 to Wantage, over the picturesque Berkshire Downs. In Wantage, it negotiates the market place -Streatley - Gloucester (M5):It runs from Streatley at its junction with the A329 (between Reading and Wallingford) to Wantage,...
between Lechlade and Faringdon
Faringdon
Faringdon is a market town in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. It is on the edge of the Thames Valley, between the River Thames and the Ridgeway...
, and crosses the Thames just at the lower end of St John's Lock
St John's Lock
St John's Lock is a lock on the upper reaches of the River Thames in England, near the town of Lechlade, Gloucestershire. It is the highest lock on the river. It is named after a priory that was established nearby in 1250, which no longer exists. The lock was built of stone in 1790 by the Thames...
.
The present bridge was built in 1886. The original bridge was built by a local prior in 1229 on the line of an old ford and there have been bridges on the site since then. For many centuries until the building of the lock, there were tolls for passing through the bridge. When the lock was built a new bridge was also built but this was in danger of collapse after a few years. It was rebuilt in 1820, but this version had become dilapidated by 1879 when the construction of the present bridge was ordered.