Dunham Bridge
Encyclopedia
Dunham Bridge is a toll bridge
across the River Trent
in England
. It spans the border between the administrative counties of 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
.
.
The bridge was established in the 1830s, under the powers of the Dunham Bridge Act 1830, when a group of local businessmen built the original cast iron
construction. It was a four-span cast-iron structure by the civil engineer, George Leather (1786-1870).
The superstructure
was rebuilt on its original piers
in 1975-7 to trunk road
standards. 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.
. Passage is free on Christmas Day and Boxing Day
; three-wheeled invalid carriage
s are exempt from tolls all year round.
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
across the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It spans the border between the administrative counties of Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
to the west and east respectively. It forms part of the A57 road
A57 road
The A57 is a major road in England. It runs east from Liverpool to Lincoln, via Warrington, Cadishead, Irlam, Patricroft, Eccles, Salford and Manchester, then through the Pennines over the Snake Pass , around the Ladybower Reservoir, through Sheffield and past Worksop...
, in the section between the Great North Road and Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
. It takes its name from the nearby village of Dunham-on-Trent
Dunham, Nottinghamshire
Dunham-on-Trent is a village in Nottinghamshire, England. It is located on the A57 road, about west of Dunham Bridge, a toll bridge crossing the River Trent. According to the 2001 census it has a population of 351. The earliest part of the Grade 1 listed parish church of St Oswald is the tower,...
.
History
Until the bridge was built and opened in 1832, the crossing of the river was by Dunham Ferry. In 1814, the fare was reported at half a crownHalf crown (British coin)
The half crown was a denomination of British money worth half of a crown, equivalent to two and a half shillings , or one-eighth of a pound. The half crown was first issued in 1549, in the reign of Edward VI...
.
The bridge was established in the 1830s, under the powers of the Dunham Bridge Act 1830, when a group of local businessmen built the original cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
construction. It was a four-span cast-iron structure by the civil engineer, George Leather (1786-1870).
The superstructure
Superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...
was rebuilt on its original piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
in 1975-7 to trunk road
Trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
standards. A new toll plaza was opened in 1994 by the Right Honourable Mr. Michael Dennis, doubling the number of lanes through the booths
Toll house
A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road or canal. Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th and early 19th centuries...
from two to four.
Tolls
The tolls were last increased on 1 March 2007 after a public enquiry that concluded in 17 October 2006. Tariffs are regulated by the Department for TransportDepartment for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
. Passage is free on Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
; three-wheeled invalid carriage
Invalid carriage
An invalid carriage was a low cost, low maintenance vehicle, designed specifically for people with physical disabilities. The last ones were withdrawn from the road in 2003, 27 years after the end of production, though some are still in existence...
s are exempt from tolls all year round.