Shoreham Tollbridge
Encyclopedia
Shoreham Tollbridge is a bridge crossing the River Adur
in West Sussex
, England
. It is the last of its kind in Sussex and one of the last of its kind anywhere in the world.
The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw the construction of a great many structures in England. Canals, harbour schemes, railways, roads and bridges were all built. What is now known as the Old Shoreham Tollbridge was built during this period over the River Adur between Shoreham
and Lancing
.
Before the building of the bridge in 1781–2, the Adur presented the one major obstacle to east-west communication along the coastal plain of Southern England. The choices open to the traveller wishing to cross the Adur were to travel miles out of the way and use the bridge at Bramber
, to ford the river on horseback or to use the ferry that was operating at that time on the site of what is now the bridge. Whilst little is known about the operation of the ferry it must have been a daunting prospect as it was later described as 'dangerous and frequently impassable' in the Act of Parliament
authorising the construction of the bridge.
on all foot passengers and animal and vehicular traffic using the bridge. The early tolls were:
For every Coach, Chariot, Chaise, Hearse, or other such like Carriage, with four Wheels, One Shilling
; and for every Horse or other Beast drawing the same, Sixpence:
For every Chaise, Chair, or other such like Carriage, with Two Wheels, Sixpence
; and for every Horse or other Beast drawing the same, Sixpence:
For every Wagon or Wain, One Shilling; and for every Horse or other Beast drawing the same, Threepence:
For every Cart, Ninepence; and for every Horse or other Beast drawing the same Threepence:
For every Horse
, Mare
, Gelding
, Mule
or Ass, laden or unladen, and not drawing, Threepence:
For every score of Oxen, Cows, or Neat Cattle, One Shilling and Eightpence:and so in Proportion for any less Number:
For every Score of Calves, Hogs, Sheep or Lambs, Tenpence; and so in Proportion for any less Number:
And for every Foot Passenger, One Halfpenny
Company on the opening of the Steyning Line
from Shoreham to Horsham
in 1861.
The bridge was completely rebuilt by the company during the First World War retaining the original eighteenth century design. The bridge carried the coastal trunk road - the A27 road
- until 1970 when its successor was built a quarter mile to the north. The British Railways Board
finally closed the bridge to road traffic on 7 December 1970. At the time the bridge closed it was the last public road bridge in Sussex
to be controlled by a toll. The bridge transferred to the ownership of West Sussex County Council where it remains to this day. The bridge has since been classified as a Grade II* listed building and is preserved as a building of historic interest.
The bridge was listed at Grade II* by English Heritage
on 12 October 1954. Such buildings are defined as being "particularly important ... [and] of more than special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of six Grade II* listed buildings, and 119 listed buildings of all grades, in Adur district.
River Adur
The Adur is a river in Sussex, England; it gives its name to the Adur district of West Sussex. The river was formerly navigable for large vessels up as far as Steyning, where there was a large port, but over time the river valley became silted up and the port moved down to the deeper waters nearer...
in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, 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 is the last of its kind in Sussex and one of the last of its kind anywhere in the world.
Old Shoreham Tollbridge
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
and Lancing
Lancing, West Sussex
Lancing is a town and civil parish in the Adur district of West Sussex, England, on the western edge of the Adur Valley. It lies on the coastal plain between Sompting to the west, Shoreham-by-Sea to the east and the parish of Coombes to the north...
.
Before the building of the bridge in 1781–2, the Adur presented the one major obstacle to east-west communication along the coastal plain of Southern England. The choices open to the traveller wishing to cross the Adur were to travel miles out of the way and use the bridge at Bramber
Bramber
Bramber is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located on the northern edge of the South Downs and on the west side of the River Adur. Nearby are the communities of Steyning to the west and Upper Beeding to the east, and the other side of the river....
, to ford the river on horseback or to use the ferry that was operating at that time on the site of what is now the bridge. Whilst little is known about the operation of the ferry it must have been a daunting prospect as it was later described as 'dangerous and frequently impassable' in the Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
authorising the construction of the bridge.
Act of Parliament
The construction of Old Shoreham Tollbridge was authorised by Act of Parliament; Act 21 George III c.35. The act established a body of trustees to construct 'a proper and substantial Bridge, for the Passage of Carriages... over the said River, at or near the said Ferry'. The new wooden bridge was ten months in the making and first opened to public traffic in March 1782.Financing
From the beginning, the bridge was to be financially self-supporting. Money was to be raised in two ways. Firstly by the issue of fifty share units held on a life annuity basis, by which £5,000 was raised by thirty-six subscribers. Secondly by the imposition of a tollToll 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...
on all foot passengers and animal and vehicular traffic using the bridge. The early tolls were:
For every Coach, Chariot, Chaise, Hearse, or other such like Carriage, with four Wheels, One Shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
; and for every Horse or other Beast drawing the same, Sixpence:
For every Chaise, Chair, or other such like Carriage, with Two Wheels, Sixpence
Sixpence
Sixpence may refer to:*Sixpence *Sixpence *Sixpence *Flat cap, also called a sixpence*Sixpence None the Richer, an American pop/rock band...
; and for every Horse or other Beast drawing the same, Sixpence:
For every Wagon or Wain, One Shilling; and for every Horse or other Beast drawing the same, Threepence:
For every Cart, Ninepence; and for every Horse or other Beast drawing the same Threepence:
For every Horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
, Mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
, Gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
, Mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
or Ass, laden or unladen, and not drawing, Threepence:
For every score of Oxen, Cows, or Neat Cattle, One Shilling and Eightpence:and so in Proportion for any less Number:
For every Score of Calves, Hogs, Sheep or Lambs, Tenpence; and so in Proportion for any less Number:
And for every Foot Passenger, One Halfpenny
Ownership
The bridge remained in private trusteeship for the first eighty years. The bridge was then taken over by the London, Brighton and South Coast RailwayLondon, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
Company on the opening of the Steyning Line
Steyning Line
The Steyning Line was a railway line that connected the West Sussex market town of Horsham with the once bustling south-coast port of Shoreham-by-Sea, with the possibility of an onward connection to Brighton...
from Shoreham to Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
in 1861.
The bridge was completely rebuilt by the company during the First World War retaining the original eighteenth century design. The bridge carried the coastal trunk road - the A27 road
A27 road
The A27 is a major road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish in the county of Wiltshire. It closely parallels the south coast, where it passes through West Sussex and terminates at Pevensey in East Sussex.Between Portsmouth and Lewes, it is one of the busiest trunk...
- until 1970 when its successor was built a quarter mile to the north. The British Railways Board
British Railways Board
The British Railways Board was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that existed from 1962 to 2001. From its foundation until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand names British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail...
finally closed the bridge to road traffic on 7 December 1970. At the time the bridge closed it was the last public road bridge in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
to be controlled by a toll. The bridge transferred to the ownership of West Sussex County Council where it remains to this day. The bridge has since been classified as a Grade II* listed building and is preserved as a building of historic interest.
Present day
During 2008 the bridge underwent a major refurbishment with the aim of extending its life for a further 30 years. The bridge has now been designated a bridleway and is a popular local landmark used by both leisure and commuter traffic on foot, bicycle and horseback. It is also a popular spot for local fisherman. The refurbishment completely replaced the pilehead crossbeams, deck support longitudinal beams and handrails with selective replacement and reinforcement of components of each of the 27 pile bents. The project was managed and partly funded by West Sussex County Council. The rest of the funding came from the Heritage Lottery Fund, landfill tax credits and the Old Shoreham Tollbridge Community Trust.The bridge was listed at Grade II* by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
on 12 October 1954. Such buildings are defined as being "particularly important ... [and] of more than special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of six Grade II* listed buildings, and 119 listed buildings of all grades, in Adur district.