Dunham Bridge is a toll bridge across the River Trent in England. It spans the border between Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the west and east respectively. It forms part of the A57 road, in the section between the Great North Road and Lincoln. It takes its name from the nearby village of Dunham-on-Trent.
Dunham Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Dunham Bridge | |
| Coordinates | 53°15′40″N 0°46′22″W / 53.2611°N 0.77265°W |
| Carries | A57 |
| Crosses | River Trent |
| Other name(s) | Dunham Toll Bridge |
| History | |
| Opened | 1832 |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | Yes |
| Location | |
 | |
The General Estates Company, which also runs the Bathampton and Whitchurch toll bridges, has a stake in the ownership of Dunham Bridge.[1]
History
editUntil the bridge was built and opened in 1832, the crossing of the river was by Dunham Ferry. This was an important crossing of the Trent. It was used by King William III in 1695 when he was met at Dunham by the Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne.[2]
In 1814, the fare was reported at half a crown.[3]
The bridge was established in the 1830s, under the powers of the Dunham Bridge Act 1830,[4] when a group of local businessmen organised the original four-span, cast-iron construction[5][6] by the civil engineer, George Leather (1786–1870).[7]
The first person to cross the bridge was Eliza Woolas of Laneham, who used a sixteen-inch batten to span the remaining gap on a Sunday – presumably when no workmen were present.[8]
The superstructure was rebuilt on its original piers in 1977–79 to trunk road standards.[5][6] A new toll plaza was opened in 1994 by the Right Honourable Mr. Michael Dennis, doubling the number of lanes through the booths from two to four.[5] During the rebuilding, a temporary bridge was built with single lane usage, controlled with temporary traffic signals.
Tolls
editIn June 2023, it was confirmed that tolls would be increasing for the first time since 2013.[9] Tariffs are regulated by the Department for Transport.[10] Passage is free at all times for pedestrians, cyclists, motor-cyclists and three-wheeled invalid carriages. On Christmas Day and Boxing Day, passage is free for all traffic.[5]
Dunham Bridge has been closed several times due to flooding, mainly on the Lincolnshire side: in 1897, 1977, 2001, 2012, and in January 2024. It was also closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further reading
edit- Office of Public Sector Information. "Dunham Bridge (Amendment) Act 1994". 1994 c.4. Retrieved 3 May 2008.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Toll bridge sold for first time since being built in 1792". Henley Standard. 27 February 2019. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ Adrian Gray, Sherwood Forest & the Dukeries', Chichester: Phillimore, 2008, p42
- ^ Letters from England, Volume 2. Robert Southey. 1814
- ^ "Dunham Bridge – the Company". Dunham Bridge Company. Retrieved 3 May 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Dunham Bridge – Homepage". Dunham Bridge Company. Retrieved 3 May 2008.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Dunham Bridge (324781)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ A biographical dictionary of civil engineers in Great Britain and Ireland. By A. W. Skempton
- ^ Nottingham Journal, 20 April 1907
- ^ Mann, Sebastian (19 June 2023). "Toll bridge operators confirm costs will go up for motorists". LincolnshireLive. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ "Dunham Bridge – Tolls". Dunham Bridge Company. Retrieved 3 May 2008.