The Battersea Railway Bridge (originally called the Cremorne Bridge, after the riverside public Cremorne Gardens in

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

, and formerly commonly referred to as the Battersea New Bridge) is a bridge across the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, between

Battersea Battersea is a large district in south London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and extends along the south bank of the River Thames. It includes the Battersea Park. History Batter ...

and

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

. Owned by Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd (who use Chelsea River Bridge as its official name ), it links Battersea to the extreme north-east part of Fulham, known as Chelsea Harbour or Imperial Wharf, a 21st-century-rebuilt area on the south side of

Chelsea Creek Chelsea Creek, shown on federal maps as the Chelsea River, is a waterway that runs along the shore of Chelsea, Massachusetts, and separates that community from the cities of Boston and Revere, as well as feeding part of the current Belle Isle ...

. The bridge is used by the West London Line of the

London Overground London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a Urban rail in the United Kingdom, suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, (via archive.org). it now serves a ...

from

Clapham Junction Clapham Junction is an urban locality around Clapham Junction railway station in London, England. Despite its name, it is not located in Clapham, but forms the commercial centre of Battersea. Clapham Junction was a scene of disturbances durin ...

Willesden Junction Willesden Junction is a railway station in Harlesden, north-west London, UK. It is served by both London Overground and London Underground services. History The station developed on three contiguous sites: the West Coast Main Line (WCML) st ...

History

The bridge was designed by William Baker, chief engineer of the

London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom. In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lo ...

, and was opened on 2 March 1863 at a cost of £87,000 (). It carries two tracks and consists of five lattice girder arches set on stone piers. A three-arch brick viaduct carries the line on the north side of the bridge, with one arch having been opened to provide a pedestrian route under the railway, as part of the

Thames Path The Thames Path is a National Trail following the River Thames from its source near Kemble, Gloucestershire, Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel, south east London. It is about long. A path was first proposed in 1948 but it onl ...

. On the south side are four arches, two of which are used as storage for the residents of a

houseboat A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Most houseboats are not motorized as they are usually moored or kept stationary at a fixed point, and often tethered to land to provide utilities. How ...

community moored immediately downstream, and another one of which was opened to Thames Path pedestrian traffic as part of the Lombard Wharf development. The bridge was strengthened and refurbished in 1969, and again in 1992. During a high tide in late 2003, the structure was struck by a refuse-barge damaging some lower structural elements significantly: repairs were completed in early 2004. In November 2013, planning permission was granted for the

Diamond Jubilee Footbridge The Cremorne Footbridge is an approved foot- and cycle bridge, one abutment of which has been built, over the River Thames, Thames in London, England. It was promoted as the Diamond Jubilee Footbridge, designed by one-world design architects w ...

, extending the two central piers of the bridge upstream. Trains crossing are subject to a 20/30 mph speed limit (locomotive-hauled traffic is restricted to 20 mph, all other traffic is limited to 30 mph). The bridge was declared a Grade II* listed structure in 2008, providing protection to preserve its special character from unsympathetic development.

Notes and references

;References ;Notes

External links

* {{London Overground navbox Railway bridges in London Bridges completed in 1893 History of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Transport in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Transport in the London Borough of Wandsworth Bridges across the River Thames London Overground Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Wandsworth Fulham Grade II* listed bridges in London Grade II* listed railway bridges and viaducts

History

See also

Notes and references

Further reading

External links