Swinford Toll Bridge
Encyclopedia
Swinford Toll Bridge is a privately owned toll bridge
south of Eynsham
, England
that crosses the River Thames
just above Eynsham Lock
. The bridge carries the road between Farmoor
and Eynsham. From 1922 this was classified as the A40 road
, but since the Eynsham bypass was completed to carry the A40 in 1936 the Farmoor - Eynsham road has been reclassified as the B4044.
structure built of local limestone
, was opened in 1769. It replaced a pre-existing ferry and its construction was funded by the Earl of Abingdon
. The bridge is governed by its own Act of Parliament
. It allows the bridge owner to collect tolls and makes the building of bridges across the river illegal for three miles either way up or down stream from Swinford. By repute, the owners do not pay tax on the revenue from the tolls as a perquisite from King George III
. It is one of the two remaining toll bridges that cross the Thames upstream of London, the other being Whitchurch Bridge
.
In 1835 tolls for pedestrians over Swinford bridge were abolished. Pedal cycles and motorcycles are also exempt from tolls. Other classes of traffic remain subject to tolls, which are £0.05 in the case of cars. Despite this small toll there is a campaign to make it toll-free. Oxfordshire County Council
estimates that 10,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day. Toll collection causes significant delays and air pollution. An online poll in 2006 on the Witney Gazette
website showed that 87.5% of voters want the tolls scrapped.
The bridge was put up for sale in 2009 and was sold at auction on the 3rd December for £1.08 million. A campaign calling for Oxfordshire County Council
to buy the bridge was unsuccessful.
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...
south of Eynsham
Eynsham
Eynsham is a village and civil parish about east of Witney in Oxfordshire, England.-History:Eynsham grew up near the historically important ford of Swinford on the River Thames flood plain...
, 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...
that crosses 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,...
just above Eynsham Lock
Eynsham Lock
Eynsham Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is on the southern bank near Swinford Oxfordshire. The large village of Eynsham is a little distance away on the northern bank....
. The bridge carries the road between Farmoor
Farmoor
Farmoor is a village west of the centre of Oxford, England. The village was part of Berkshire until the 1974 local government boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire....
and Eynsham. From 1922 this was classified as the A40 road
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
, but since the Eynsham bypass was completed to carry the A40 in 1936 the Farmoor - Eynsham road has been reclassified as the B4044.
History
The bridge, a GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
structure built of local limestone
Cotswold stone
Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic limestone quarried in many places in the Cotswold Hills in the south midlands of England. When weathered, the colour of buildings made or faced with this stone is often described as 'honey' or 'golden'....
, was opened in 1769. It replaced a pre-existing ferry and its construction was funded by the Earl of Abingdon
Willoughby Bertie, 4th Earl of Abingdon
Willoughby Bertie, 4th Earl of Abingdon was an English peer and music patron.Bertie was born in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, the son of Willoughby Bertie, 3rd Earl of Abingdon and Anna Maria Collins....
. The bridge is governed by its own 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...
. It allows the bridge owner to collect tolls and makes the building of bridges across the river illegal for three miles either way up or down stream from Swinford. By repute, the owners do not pay tax on the revenue from the tolls as a perquisite from King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. It is one of the two remaining toll bridges that cross the Thames upstream of London, the other being Whitchurch Bridge
Whitchurch Bridge
Whitchurch Bridge is a toll road bridge over the River Thames in England. It carries the road between the villages of Pangbourne, Berkshire, and Whitchurch-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, and crosses the river on the reach above Mapledurham Lock, just before Whitchurch Lock...
.
In 1835 tolls for pedestrians over Swinford bridge were abolished. Pedal cycles and motorcycles are also exempt from tolls. Other classes of traffic remain subject to tolls, which are £0.05 in the case of cars. Despite this small toll there is a campaign to make it toll-free. Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council, established in 1889, is the county council, or upper-tier local authority, for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire, in the South East of England, an elected body responsible for the most strategic local government services in the county.-History:County Councils...
estimates that 10,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day. Toll collection causes significant delays and air pollution. An online poll in 2006 on the Witney Gazette
The Oxford Times
The Oxford Times is a weekly newspaper, published each Thursday in Oxford, England. It is published from a large production facility at Osney Mead, west Oxford, and is owned by Newsquest, the UK subsidiary of US-based Gannett Company....
website showed that 87.5% of voters want the tolls scrapped.
The bridge was put up for sale in 2009 and was sold at auction on the 3rd December for £1.08 million. A campaign calling for Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council, established in 1889, is the county council, or upper-tier local authority, for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire, in the South East of England, an elected body responsible for the most strategic local government services in the county.-History:County Councils...
to buy the bridge was unsuccessful.