Name That Bridge! Can You Identify These 7 Thames Bridges?

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By M@ Last edited 23 months ago
Name That Bridge! Can You Identify These 7 Thames Bridges?
The underside of a large iron bridge with lots of criss-cross
Image of Blackfriars rail bridge, by Londonist

Did you know that there are more than 200 bridges over the River Thames?

We tend to only think of the big ones in central London, but the mighty Thames has many other spans upstream. In his book, Thames Bridges, David C Ramzan explores all 200 of them, delving into their remarkable histories.

For a bit of fun, David has set a little puzzle below. Can you name all seven of these lesser-known Thames bridges? Five fall within the Greater London area and two are in the Home Counties. Answers below.

Bridge quiz

1. The wrought-iron, three-span bow-string girder railway bridge below was named after a Thames riverside settlement, which was first recorded in the Domesday Book with a name like the Swiss capital.

A triple-arched bridge across a river, in black and white
Image public domain

2. On the south bank near this reinforced concrete three arch built bridge, you will find a stone marking one end of the course of the annual Boat Races between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

A black and white image of a three-span bridge over water
Image public domain

3. Originally named King Edward VII Bridge, this granite-built river crossing replaced an earlier toll bridge, its gate taken down by the local people and paraded around the adjacent green after tolls were abolished in 1873.

A three arch stone bridge reflects in the river
Image by David Ramzan

4. Made up of three reinforced-concrete arches, supported on concrete river piers, the bridge was designed by the architect Maxwell Ayrton, who also worked on the design of the old Wembley Stadium.

Three arches of a white stone bridge over the Thames
Image by David Ramzan

5. The five-arch bridge, constructed in Portland Stone, was built close to the site where kings were once seated on a great stone during their coronation.

A very old black and white photograph showing people crossing a bridge towards a town with a prominent church
Image public domain

6. When this bridge was erected in the late 1700s, through a design miscalculation, the Purbeck Stone seven-arch crossing failed to reach the Surrey bank, and the county was required to pay the extra costs to complete an extension.

A five-arch bridge reflects in the river in a black and white photo. Some small boats are in the foreground
Image public domain

7. Delayed in its building by the second world war, and then by the death of its architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, the single span bridge, supported by 18 encased steel arches, was eventually opened to traffic in 1960, downstream from where King John placed his seal on the Magna Carta.

A large single-span bridge crosses the river. Buildings are seen on the left bank
Image by David Ramzan

Answers

1. Barnes Railway Bridge
2. Chiswick Road Bridge
3. Kew Road Bridge
4. Twickenham Road Bridge
5. Kingston Road Bridge
6. Chertsey Road Bridge
7. Runnymede Road Bridge

To learn more about the Thames bridges, from those near the source down to the QEII bridge at Dartford, get hold of Thames Bridges by David C Ramzan, published by Amberley. Buy direct from the publisher, on Amazon or via your local bookshop.

Last Updated 14 April 2022